What's all this talk about a MakerSpace?

You’ve probably heard the word thrown around in certain circles. People casually dropping the catchy word, MakerSpace, like it’s no big deal. You smile and nod but don’t really know what they’re talking about. It sounds fun and STEM-like but it sounds a little intimidating.

So what IS all this buzz about a MakerSpace?

A MakerSpace is just what it sounds like...a SPACE to MAKE! Makerspaces provide students with the opportunity to create, learn, invent and make, using a variety of different resources. From Legos to robots, straws to 3D printers, the sky's the limit when it comes to innovation. And even with tight budgets - scrappy DTLs and teachers have found great ways to include some incredible resources.

So you might be wondering, “How does that work in a school?”

Great question.

Keri Douglas is the DTL at Deane Elementary School located in Lakewood, CO. She got her MakerSpace up and running in the library this year. She’s a rookie, too, so hopefully her journey can inspire you, as you embark down the MakerSpace road.

What sparked your MakerSpace curiosity?

I took a Maker Culture class through CU Denver a few years ago while completing a Masters. A seed was planted as this was the first time I had heard about MakerSpace. I went to a MakerFaire at Denver Museum of Nature and Science with my sons and was so inspired. The whole idea was overwhelming, so I did not begin to act on it for 2 years.

How does the MakerSpace work at Deane?

We've been a PLC school for years and have had trouble with substitutes. We have used several models and schedules that weren't as effective as we'd hoped. Our leadership team was brainstorming last year, and we came up with using our talents/resources from within. The amazing library para/IT specialist, Amos Baca, and I created a MakerSpace as part of that solution. We are a great team as we see the same vision for students engaged in STEM activities. Students come once a month to the MakerSpace in the library to do STEM activities and MakerSpace challenges while their teachers are in PLCs.

How did you get started?

I have been saving Book Fair money for a few years. I started there. I tried to focus on what resources we already had and started small. We knew we wanted a LEGO wall, so that's where we focused the bulk of our monies. We also had a LEGO drive and collected pieces from our community through Facebook and my neighborhood website. We partnered with the Lakewood Faith Coalition and they have been helping with Legos also.

I got rid of our “lookup station” and it is now a workstation. I purchased stools and got rid of the bulky chairs. I purchased bins for supplies. We purchased inexpensive consumables: duct tape, straws, plastic cups, pipe cleaners, washi tape, origami paper, binder clips, paper roller coaster templates, craft sticks, clothes pins, and books for ideas (LEGO creations, Easy Origami ideas, Duct tape ideas). We also purchased some TinkerToys, Snap Circuits, and Spheros. Every activity has challenge cards so there is a focus and purpose.

For our official KickOff, we had a MakerFaire instead of a Book Fair for two nights during conferences. Families loved it and stayed for hours. They are now coming back to volunteer on their child’s STEM/MakerSpace time.

Teachers can now use the MakerSpace for their science and social studies lessons. I collaborated with a 6th grade teacher who used the MakerSpace for students to create a student-chosen project that represented the theme of an independent book. It was exciting!

What advice do you have for those wanting to dip their toes into the Makerspace world?

Start with what you have and build up. I gathered materials and money for awhile before I actually started to implement. I was able to easily find ideas online, Twitter and on Pinterest. They inspired me for lessons and supplies. I also have a purpose and/or challenge for each activity.

What resources can you share with others?

I could not find task/challenge cards that I liked so I made my own.

I follow on Twitter: @DianaLRendina, @Makerspaces_com, @gravescolleen.

I love Pinterest!

There are many DTLs in Jeffco already immersed in MakerSpaces. This is just one tale of greatness happening out in our schools. So whether you’re already swimming in the deep end of the MakerSpace pool or just dipping your toes in at the shallow end, keep up the great innovation. Our students are learning from you!

How does the MakerSpace work in your school? Comment below! We’d love to hear your ideas!

5th Annual Colorado Summit Featuring Google for Education

2016 marks the 5th anniversary of the Colorado Summit featuring Google Apps for Education at Monarch High School in Louisville, Colorado. Google summits are presented by Ed Tech Team Inc. and feature sessions from leaders in educational technology from across the globe. These summits "... are high intensity two-day events that focus on deploying, integrating, and using G Suite for Education (formerly Google Apps for Education) and other Google Tools to promote student learning in K-12 and higher education." - Edtechteam.com/summits

This year's summit took place on November 5th and 6th. More than 400 educators were in attendance, with Jeffco representing over 90 of those attendees. These educators spent their weekend collaborating and learning about new and innovating ways to integrate technology into their work with students.



Jeffco was also represented as presenters at the Colorado Summit featuring Google Apps for Education!

• Becky Shorey, educator at Green Mountain High School, presented two sessions: 
• Intro to the Power of Google Forms
• Diving Deeper into Google Classroom 
• Alyssa C. Davidson, educator at Ralston Valley High School, presented two sessions: 
• Pear Deck Basics: 100% Student Engagement
• Sweeter Student Engagement with Pear Deck

The Jeffco Ed Tech department took away new and exciting learning from the Colorado Summit featuring Google Apps for Education. See the slideshow below for our top 10 takeaways.

If you are interested in attending a future Summit, check the Ed Tech Team Inc.'s Summit website for updates on exact locations, event dates, and registration information!

• Breckenridge - Spring 2017
• Colorado Springs - Summer 2017
• Boulder - Fall 2017

Even if you missed the Colorado Summit featuring Google Apps for Education, you can still experience excellent professional development and get connected with Ed Tech Team Inc.

• Join Jeffco's Google Summit Google Classroom (join code: owcx8n4)
• Online learning presented by the EdTechTeam
• Get Certified with Google 
• Check out the EdTechTeam YouTube Channel
• Apply to be a Google for Education Innovator
• Join the EdTechTeam Google+ Community
• Follow the #edtechteam hashtag and @edtechteam on Social Media

Building your PLN (Professional Learning Network) with Twitter

What is a PLN?

According to TeachHub, a resource in my PLN "In the education world, PLN stands for Personal Learning Network. What it means is that an individual has developed their own personalized "network" of fellow educators and resources who are designed to make them a better teacher".

For me, it is a way to further my learning and understanding of educational concepts that I am passionate about and support my work. My PLN allows me to easily connect with like minded educators from all over the world at my leisure. Learning and professional development can happen anywhere, even if I am at home in my pajamas or working out at the gym.

The following video describe in just over a minute, what a PLN is and how it can be beneficial for teachers to build their own network.

One forum for collecting resources is Twitter. There are many ways to interact with Twitter both simple and complex. Some people like to use it as an online magazine that curates resources while others also use it as a forum for creating and sharing content. Your first step to building a PLN on Twitter is finding people to follow.

Going to a conference? If you go to a session you enjoy, follow the presenter. Often times presenters will list their twitter handle in the resources section of the conference website. If the twitter handle is not communicated in the session, you can search by name in Twitter as well. These technology leaders can be excellent resources for innovative ideas and resources.

Do you belong to any professional organizations or subscribe to professional journals or magazines? These organizations can be a great resource for building a quality network. Some of my favorites are ISTE, ASCD, & Edutopia.

Once you start following active professionals in your field, it's easy to find other professionals to follow. Look and see who your favorite people follow or click on your "find friends" icon to see recommendations made by Twitter. If you find a re tweet that is relevant, consider following the person who originally tweeted the content. The following info-graphics includes some more tips on how to get started building a PLN.

 

Embracing the #

Now that you have people to follow on Twitter, what do you do next? Think about places where you could connect with other like minded professionals. In Twitter, you can find communities through hashtags. These communities either host conversations on educational topics during a designated time or are conducive to ongoing discussions. Browse through the following presentation to see some of the most popular hashtags for educators. 

Getting Started

Now that you have some information on building a PLN, it's time to get started. The following Jeffco departments are must follows within our Jeffco Community. Use them as a launching point to building your network. 

@jeffcoedtech

@JeffcoScience

@JeffcoEdEffect

@JeffcoSchoolsCo

@JeffcoInduction

Google Expeditions: West Woods Students Take Author Roland Smith to Mt. Everest

How do you integrate technology into an author visit? Take the author on a trip to his own setting. Fifth graders at West Woods Elementary not only met author Roland Smith but invited him to climb Mt. Everest with them.  Students in Ms. Bachman's class were reading "Peak", one of Smith's many novels when the author himself came for an assembly to talk about the writing process. Armed with Google Cardboards and the Expeditions app, fifth graders were able to take a tour of Mt. Everest through virtual reality as the author narrated. Students were amazed at the details and facts Mr. Smith shared with them about Mt. Everest as he was looking through the Google Cardboard.  They asked him several follow-up questions about how he acquires so much information and the research that goes into his writing process.

Later in class, students participated in a full expedition to Everest with Digital Teacher Librarian, Kristen McCann.  "Watching students engage in their learning and the connections that students were able to make to the text because of the experience was phenomenal," stated Kristen.

Student conversations and questions overheard:
 --"I don't think Holly will make it to the summit because she has not prepared her body physically or acclimated to the environment."
--"I am wondering if Peak’s experience climbing skyscrapers will be enough to tackle Everest."
--"What do these people do for jobs way up here?"

Patti Katsampes, West Woods principal, was also able to partake in the expedition with students.  She marveled at how the experience brought together best practices in tech integration and instruction while bringing a real-world experience to the classroom, deepening their learning. Screenshots and an interview with Ms. Katsampes is included in the slideshow below.



Expeditions works in conjunction with Google Cardboard and iTouches or smartphones.  One device acts as a guide, while all others have devices to follow in a 360 degrees photosphere. The guide can direct points of interest and followers will see white arrows appear on their screen.  The guide sees smiley faces on their device so they know where their participants are focusing. Expeditions also provides the guide with content right on the screen.
Kristen has words of advice for those ready to embark on an Expedition: "Consider learning objectives and essential questions when planning for an expedition.  What do you want students to walk away with? How will they synthesize what they learned?  I can't wait for our next virtual trip.  Maybe we will explore Mayan or Aztec ruins. To infinity and beyond!"

Learn more from Google's Expeditions website 

How does a Jeffco teacher get started?
Contact your Ed Tech Specialist.