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About Us | Bricolage Academy

About Us | Bricolage Academy | Makerspaces, libraries and education | Scoop.it

A unique public school in a unique city
 
Like most local schools, we started during a time of educational reform. Unlike most local schools, we’re constructing a new kind of local education—one that’s equitable, diverse and innovative. While most schools follow a model created more than a century ago, Bricolage is designed with the future in mind. We educate children from all backgrounds and teach essential life skills like reasoning, critical thinking, problem solving, planning, and managing ambiguity. Everything connects to our mission of advancing equity and creating innovators.


A unique name


The word bricolage typically means a ‘mash-up’ or a creation from a diverse range of available things. Often used in art to describe a sculpture or other work that brings together random objects that typically don’t go together, it can also be used to describe creative problem solving in the vein of MacGyver. Finding a solution to a challenge from unlikely places is the mark of a bricoleur or one who practices bricolage.  In education research, the term bricolage was used by Seymour Papert, the father of contructionism, to mean “a way of learning by trying testing and playing around.”


We are a mash-up of backgrounds, instructional approaches and people, but our overriding educational philosophy strives to develop students into creative problem solvers who will change the world.

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How One School District Encourages Creativity and Innovation with Tech | EdTech Magazine

How One School District Encourages Creativity and Innovation with Tech | EdTech Magazine | Makerspaces, libraries and education | Scoop.it
Technology should support creativity in education. Here’s how one school district makes it work.
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"There is no greater power than that of a creative mind bolstered by a strong foundation of learning. That is what we believe at St. Vrain Valley Schools, and it is the basis of our efforts to ensure our students are well equipped to enter the workforce and higher education with the skills they need to become the next generation of innovators and creators. This philosophy would also benefit other K–12 districts. Technology is a key part of fostering creativity in education — and research backs this up. As Gallup researchers note, “creativity in learning produces positive critical outcomes for students, which are further enhanced when teachers leverage the full potential of technology.” Here are three ways St. Vrain ensures creativity and innovation are a part of everyday learning."
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Challenge Based Learning in Makerspaces

Challenge Based Learning in Makerspaces | Makerspaces, libraries and education | Scoop.it
Design challenges have the power to encourage creativity in your students – by providing limitations and guidelines, students can actually become more creative. Learn strategies for creating design prompts, running challenges and incorporating the design process into projects with your students. We’ll discuss how to create open-ended challenges and material-specific challenges in a way that will maximize your students’ creativity, as well as how to create passive design challenges that require minimal supervision. We’ll talk about some of the problems that educators face when running challenges, how to help your students focus, and balancing guided projects, design challenges and open-ended exploration. Whether you’ve had a makerspace up and running for years or are just getting started with the Maker Movement, you will leave this session feeling equipped to lead your students through design challenges that will spark their creative genius.
Kim Flintoff's insight:
Design challenges have the power to encourage creativity in your students – by providing limitations and guidelines, students can actually become more creative. Learn strategies for creating design prompts, running challenges and incorporating the design process into projects with your students. We’ll discuss how to create open-ended challenges and material-specific challenges in a way that will maximize your students’ creativity, as well as how to create passive design challenges that require minimal supervision. We’ll talk about some of the problems that educators face when running challenges, how to help your students focus, and balancing guided projects, design challenges and open-ended exploration. Whether you’ve had a makerspace up and running for years or are just getting started with the Maker Movement, you will leave this session feeling equipped to lead your students through design challenges that will spark their creative genius.
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Future of Learning: A rural Montana district goes all in on makerspaces

Future of Learning: A rural Montana district goes all in on makerspaces | Makerspaces, libraries and education | Scoop.it
In Havre Public Schools in northern Montana, it’s not uncommon for middle schoolers to arrive early. Parents need to get to work and the school building is a safe place to drop them off, even before classes start. Some students play basketball or volleyball as the clock ticks closer to first period, but for those who don’t like sports, there has been little else to do than sit on the bleachers and wait — until this year.
 
Now the middle school, along with two of the district’s other elementary schools and its high school, have makerspaces. Beyond giving students a new way to pass the time in the mornings, Superintendent Andy Carlson sees the makerspaces as a way to engage kids who may have been marginalized in past years because of their interests.
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In Havre Public Schools in northern Montana, it’s not uncommon for middle schoolers to arrive early. Parents need to get to work and the school building is a safe place to drop them off, even before classes start. Some students play basketball or volleyball as the clock ticks closer to first period, but for those who don’t like sports, there has been little else to do than sit on the bleachers and wait — until this year. Now the middle school, along with two of the district’s other elementary schools and its high school, have makerspaces. Beyond giving students a new way to pass the time in the mornings, Superintendent Andy Carlson sees the makerspaces as a way to engage kids who may have been marginalized in past years because of their interests.
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4 Ways to Ignite Your School’s Makerspace

4 Ways to Ignite Your School’s Makerspace | Makerspaces, libraries and education | Scoop.it

"An elementary school librarian shares tips that helped him transform a traditional library into an ‘IDEA Lab’ in only four months."


Via EDTECH@UTRGV
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"An elementary school librarian shares tips that helped him transform a traditional library into an ‘IDEA Lab’ in only four months."
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The Seven Myths Keeping Teachers from Designing Makerspaces

The Seven Myths Keeping Teachers from Designing Makerspaces | Makerspaces, libraries and education | Scoop.it
In a previous post, I explored this idea that every student deserves a makerspace. In this post, I look at some of the most common myths I see regarding makerspaces. My Maker Story I first heard of
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In this post, I look at some of the most common myths I see regarding makerspaces.
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Universities Working to Make Library Metadata Searchable on the Web

Determined to take advantage of the semantic web, Stanford Libraries is working with the libraries of Cornell, Harvard and the University of Iowa to continue the development of a "linked data" metadata environment.
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Determined to take advantage of the semantic web, Stanford Libraries is working with the libraries of Cornell, Harvard and the University of Iowa to continue the development of a "linked data" metadata environment.
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The Maker Movement Meets Literacy

The Maker Movement Meets Literacy | Makerspaces, libraries and education | Scoop.it
The maker movement is all about making learning meaningful through creating new solutions. Some of you may say to yourself, “My school doesn’t have a makerspace”… Or “I don’t have time to build in maker experiences with my students in our busy schedule.” I am here to share with you that you can design maker experiences while meeting CA CCSS standards in English language arts. During CUE BOLD I shared this lesson idea that bridges the maker movement and students deepening their learning about story structure and plot development. This is a lesson that can be utilized in any grade level.
Kim Flintoff's insight:
The maker movement is all about making learning meaningful through creating new solutions. Some of you may say to yourself, “My school doesn’t have a makerspace”… Or “I don’t have time to build in maker experiences with my students in our busy schedule.” I am here to share with you that you can design maker experiences while meeting CA CCSS standards in English language arts. During CUE BOLD I shared this lesson idea that bridges the maker movement and students deepening their learning about story structure and plot development. This is a lesson that can be utilized in any grade level.
Monica's curator insight, June 15, 2018 12:44 PM
Construir experiencias que hagan crecer a los usuarios en las Bibliotecas.... "aprender haciendo, crear y desarrollar las destrezas" Compartir experiencias creativas!!! 

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#Assessing #Maker #Education #Projects - Jackie Gerstein @jackiegerstein

#Assessing #Maker #Education #Projects - Jackie Gerstein @jackiegerstein | Makerspaces, libraries and education | Scoop.it
As maker education infiltrates more formal educational settings, there’s been and will continue to be efforts to include assessment as part of its implementation. It is important, though, to keep in mind the characteristics of maker education and the role assessment has within it.

Via John Evans
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As maker education infiltrates more formal educational settings, there’s been and will continue to be efforts to include assessment as part of its implementation. It is important, though, to keep in mind the characteristics of maker education and the role assessment has within it.
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The New Librarian: How to lead a tech-integration revolution

The New Librarian: How to lead a tech-integration revolution | Makerspaces, libraries and education | Scoop.it

Throughout my career, I’ve had the good fortune to work in various capacities as a librarian and with all levels of learners, from kindergarten through doctoral students. Presently, I’m a school librarian at North High School in Downers Grove, Ill., where I have the good fortune to be one of three full-time librarians in a school that serves 2,200 students. Additionally, I teach an online course called “Introduction to Libraries and the Information Age” at the College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn, Ill.

Whether or not technology is your favorite part of being a school librarian, there are simple ways to increase your value by connecting with teachers and offering assistance. Use your “librarian reference interview” skills to listen, ask questions, and offer suggestions.
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Whether or not technology is your favorite part of being a school librarian, there are simple ways to increase your value by connecting with teachers and offering assistance. Use your “librarian reference interview” skills to listen, ask questions, and offer suggestions.
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Creating space for equity in making | Remake Learning

Creating space for equity in making | Remake Learning | Makerspaces, libraries and education | Scoop.it
As makerspaces spread and grow, how do we ensure that resources for making are equitably distributed?

The greater Pittsburgh region is home to more than 150 makerspaces, with schools, libraries, and after-school programs that provide area students with maker opportunities.

That has many questioning whether all students will receive the same access and resources. Equitable access and diversity—along many different lines—have come to the forefront of many ongoing discussions within the maker movement.
Kim Flintoff's insight:
As makerspaces spread and grow, how do we ensure that resources for making are equitably distributed? The greater Pittsburgh region is home to more than 150 makerspaces, with schools, libraries, and after-school programs that provide area students with maker opportunities. That has many questioning whether all students will receive the same access and resources. Equitable access and diversity—along many different lines—have come to the forefront of many ongoing discussions within the maker movement.
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Blockchain in the Library? Researchers Explore Potential Applications - EdSurge News

Blockchain in the Library? Researchers Explore Potential Applications - EdSurge News | Makerspaces, libraries and education | Scoop.it
Blockchain is a hot topic—the buzzword of the year, according to The Guardian. The technology behind Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, blockchain promises a new, decentralized way of recording and storing data. Experts are speculating about its potential uses in business, law and education, and San José State University’s School of Information has received a $100,000 grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services to find out whether blockchain could be useful for libraries.

“I heard about blockchain at a conference about two years ago,” says Sue Alman, the project’s co-principal investigator and a lecturer at San Jose State who teaches a course on emerging technologies. “There was a presentation from the Institute for the Future about using blockchain for credentialing—creating one authenticated source where an individual could store all their credentials. I thought, wouldn’t it be great if a library or information center could use that and people could store their credentials there?”
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Blockchain is a hot topic—the buzzword of the year, according to The Guardian. The technology behind Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, blockchain promises a new, decentralized way of recording and storing data. Experts are speculating about its potential uses in business, law and education, and San José State University’s School of Information has received a $100,000 grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services to find out whether blockchain could be useful for libraries. “I heard about blockchain at a conference about two years ago,” says Sue Alman, the project’s co-principal investigator and a lecturer at San Jose State who teaches a course on emerging technologies. “There was a presentation from the Institute for the Future about using blockchain for credentialing—creating one authenticated source where an individual could store all their credentials. I thought, wouldn’t it be great if a library or information center could use that and people could store their credentials there?”
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A year in the life of a student-centered library

A year in the life of a student-centered library | Makerspaces, libraries and education | Scoop.it
There’s no “typical” day for a library media specialist. In one school day, we can teach a class about fake news, help one student find the perfect resource for his research project, and guide another toward a “just-right” book series that appeals to her personal interests. For 21st-century media specialists, the idea of the library as a quiet space is out and creating new opportunities for deeper learning with students is in.

Our district, Hillsborough County Public Schools (HCPS) is the eighth-largest school district in the nation. We provide a wealth of educational opportunities for students and families that range from Head Start to adult-education programs within our 227 traditional public and magnet schools. We are a melting pot of urban, rural, and suburban areas. The word “diverse” doesn’t begin to describe our wide array of students and schools. It’s our job to make sure that at every school, every student has equitable access to high-quality reading, learning, and technological resources.
Kim Flintoff's insight:
There’s no “typical” day for a library media specialist. In one school day, we can teach a class about fake news, help one student find the perfect resource for his research project, and guide another toward a “just-right” book series that appeals to her personal interests. For 21st-century media specialists, the idea of the library as a quiet space is out and creating new opportunities for deeper learning with students is in.
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A Makerspace Built by Elementary Students

A Makerspace Built by Elementary Students | Makerspaces, libraries and education | Scoop.it
Third graders designed a makerspace for their school. Then they got their budget approved and built it.
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Third graders designed a makerspace for their school. Then they got their budget approved and built it.
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6 Ways to Start Adding a Makerspace to Your School Library - Worlds of Learning - Laura Fleming @LFlemingEDU

6 Ways to Start Adding a Makerspace to Your School Library - Worlds of Learning - Laura Fleming @LFlemingEDU | Makerspaces, libraries and education | Scoop.it
6 years after creating our first makerspace, it only makes sense to publish a post that focuses on 6 steps for creating a makerspace.

Via John Evans
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Out of the Box Approach to Planning Makerspaces

Out of the Box Approach to Planning Makerspaces | Makerspaces, libraries and education | Scoop.it
Don't think outside the box…Think like there is no box. ~ Unknown

One of the most rewarding experiences in writing my second book, The Kickstart Guide to Making GREAT Makerspaces, was having the honor of being able to highlight and showcase GREAT makerspaces far and wide. In doing that research, I discovered some unconventional spaces that clearly have taken an out of the box approach to planning their makerspaces.
Kim Flintoff's insight:
Don't think outside the box…Think like there is no box. ~ Unknown One of the most rewarding experiences in writing my second book, The Kickstart Guide to Making GREAT Makerspaces, was having the honor of being able to highlight and showcase GREAT makerspaces far and wide. In doing that research, I discovered some unconventional spaces that clearly have taken an out of the box approach to planning their makerspaces.
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Assessing Learning in Maker Education

Assessing Learning in Maker Education | Makerspaces, libraries and education | Scoop.it
A look at how maker education is assessed—and how assessment is evolving to measure more than just content.
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A look at how maker education is assessed—and how assessment is evolving to measure more than just content.
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On Being in Libraries | EDUCAUSE

On Being in Libraries | EDUCAUSE | Makerspaces, libraries and education | Scoop.it
Designing library spaces and services that allow for open-ended dialogue, creative expression, and contemplative inquiry may support students seeking
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Designing library spaces and services that allow for open-ended dialogue, creative expression, and contemplative inquiry may support students seeking
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Building A Tinkering Mindset In Young Students Through Making | MindShift | KQED News

Building A Tinkering Mindset In Young Students Through Making | MindShift | KQED News | Makerspaces, libraries and education | Scoop.it
Making with early elementary students is not only possible, but incredibly rewarding. Alice Baggett describes how the maker mindset has helped her students to own a growth mindset while having fun learning.
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Making with early elementary students is not only possible, but incredibly rewarding. Alice Baggett describes how the maker mindset has helped her students to own a growth mindset while having fun learning.
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Making Culture - Expressive & Creative Interaction Technologies Center

Making Culture - Expressive & Creative Interaction Technologies Center | Makerspaces, libraries and education | Scoop.it
Making Culture is the first in-depth examination of K-12 education makerspaces nationwide and was created as part of the ExCITe Center's Learning Innovation initiative. This report reveals the significance of cultural aspects of making (student interests, real world relevance, and community collaboration) that enable learning. The research highlights how makerspaces foster a range of positive student learning outcomes, but also reflect some of the gaps in inclusion common in the STEM (Science, Tech, Engineering, and Math) fields. The report was co-authored by Drexel School of Education researchers Dr. Kareem Edouard, Katelyn Alderfer, Professor Brian Smith and ExCITe Center Director Youngmoo Kim.



Making Culture is the product of a year-long investigation visiting 30 K-12 education makerspaces across 12 metropolitan regions map conducted through in-depth interviews with students, instructors, and leadership alongside observation and study of each space and its programs.
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Making Culture is the product of a year-long investigation visiting 30 K-12 education makerspaces across 12 metropolitan regions map conducted through in-depth interviews with students, instructors, and leadership alongside observation and study of each space and its programs.
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MIT Developing Assessments To Quantify Makerspace Educational Value

MIT Developing Assessments To Quantify Makerspace Educational Value | Makerspaces, libraries and education | Scoop.it
The problem with makerspaces in school, and maker-centered education in general, is that they don’t fit into the traditional educational structure. Multiple skills are developed at the same time. Success can be personal growth. There is no one right answer to a problem. There is no test to show what a student has learned. In short, their value can’t be quantified.

Traditionally, administrators and boards of education that control budgets don’t like that. They want to measure learning. Where are the standardized tests that score perseverance, creative problem solving, tinkering, critical thinking, and collaborative skills? How do you assess a makerspace as an educational tool?
Kim Flintoff's insight:

The problem with makerspaces in school, and maker-centered education in general, is that they don’t fit into the traditional educational structure. Multiple skills are developed at the same time. Success can be personal growth. There is no one right answer to a problem. There is no test to show what a student has learned. In short, their value can’t be quantified.

Traditionally, administrators and boards of education that control budgets don’t like that. They want to measure learning. Where are the standardized tests that score perseverance, creative problem solving, tinkering, critical thinking, and collaborative skills? How do you assess a makerspace as an educational tool?

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Let Teens Lead in Makerspaces

Let Teens Lead in Makerspaces | Makerspaces, libraries and education | Scoop.it
Public library makerspaces also help teens who might be on the fringes of school social groups. “[We] give them a place where they feel like they belong,” Merlin says. “They’re here for the tech—and also here because it’s a safe space.”

In Merlin’s Creativity Lab, teens work together who might not otherwise cross paths at school. They especially feel proud to bring friends and show off what they know. “That thing on the wall?” they say. “I made it.”
Kim Flintoff's insight:
Public library makerspaces also help teens who might be on the fringes of school social groups. “[We] give them a place where they feel like they belong,” Merlin says. “They’re here for the tech—and also here because it’s a safe space.” In Merlin’s Creativity Lab, teens work together who might not otherwise cross paths at school. They especially feel proud to bring friends and show off what they know. “That thing on the wall?” they say. “I made it.”
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The Classroom or Library as a Makerspace – JackieGerstein Ed.D. –

Makerspaces like vocational shops and science labs are great additions to schools. They often contain the tools, machinery, and technologies associated with making — 3D printers, laser cutters, vinyl cutters, high tech robotics, vocational tech machinery. These are great for educational institutions and learners that can afford them. Problems occur when administrators, educators, learners, and communities come to believe that maker education is synonymous with these tools and spaces. First, they may be out of budget for schools especially those serving lower income populations. Second, the regular classroom teacher or librarian may be intimidated with these advanced tools and technologies. Finally, in order to prevent maker education in becoming the educational flavor of the month, administrators, educators, and libraries need to not be seduced by these high tech tools. The longevity and sustainability of maker education will depend on making it feasible, approachable, and accessible to the masses of educators.

Kim Flintoff's insight:
Makerspaces like vocational shops and science labs are great additions to schools. They often contain the tools, machinery, and technologies associated with making — 3D printers, laser cutters, vinyl cutters, high tech robotics, vocational tech machinery. These are great for educational institutions and learners that can afford them. Problems occur when administrators, educators, learners, and communities come to believe that maker education is synonymous with these tools and spaces. First, they may be out of budget for schools especially those serving lower income populations. Second, the regular classroom teacher or librarian may be intimidated with these advanced tools and technologies. Finally, in order to prevent maker education in becoming the educational flavor of the month, administrators, educators, and libraries need to not be seduced by these high tech tools. The longevity and sustainability of maker education will depend on making it feasible, approachable, and accessible to the masses of educators.
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Home Page

Home Page | Makerspaces, libraries and education | Scoop.it
Microsoft MakeCode brings computer science to life for all students with fun projects, immediate results, and both block and text editors for learners at different levels.
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Microsoft MakeCode brings computer science to life for all students with fun projects, immediate results, and both block and text editors for learners at different levels.
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Want To Create a Budget-Friendly Makerspace in the New Year? Think, Plan, and Organize. | Make:

Want To Create a Budget-Friendly Makerspace in the New Year? Think, Plan, and Organize. | Make: | Makerspaces, libraries and education | Scoop.it
When designing a space, a couple things are clear, while you don’t need a lot of money to start you need a minimum of a clearly defined vision, mission and purpose. Whether you plan to ring in the New Year in a brand new makerspace or undergo a makerspace reboot, here are some tips collected from the STEAM Symposium experts and from the San Diego Maker community to get you going.
Kim Flintoff's insight:
When designing a space, a couple things are clear, while you don’t need a lot of money to start you need a minimum of a clearly defined vision, mission and purpose. Whether you plan to ring in the New Year in a brand new makerspace or undergo a makerspace reboot, here are some tips collected from the STEAM Symposium experts and from the San Diego Maker community to get you going.
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Connecting Making, Designing and Composing - DML Central

Connecting Making, Designing and Composing - DML Central | Makerspaces, libraries and education | Scoop.it
In her closing keynote at FabLearn a couple years ago, Leah Buechley turned a critical eye on the maker movement. If you don’t know Buechley’s work, she is arguably one of the maker movement’s central players, founding the former High-Low Tech group at the MIT Media Lab and inventing the LilyPad Arduino, among many other contributions. She is a champion of making, which makes her all the more thoughtful in her critiques. Buechley asks us to consider who gets to make and who is represented in the maker movement. I thought about her keynote a lot this fall as I moved through a range of conferences focused on digital literacies, design thinking, and making.
Kim Flintoff's insight:
In her closing keynote at FabLearn a couple years ago, Leah Buechley turned a critical eye on the maker movement. If you don’t know Buechley’s work, she is arguably one of the maker movement’s central players, founding the former High-Low Tech group at the MIT Media Lab and inventing the LilyPad Arduino, among many other contributions. She is a champion of making, which makes her all the more thoughtful in her critiques. Buechley asks us to consider who gets to make and who is represented in the maker movement. I thought about her keynote a lot this fall as I moved through a range of conferences focused on digital literacies, design thinking, and making.
No comment yet.