Loading

Maker. Space. Inquiry. Place. What might be the connection?

Beth Lyons, Teacher-Librarian, @MrsLyonsLibrary

Excerpts have been pulled from the action research paper written for Treasure Mountain Canada.

"THE GENIUS CART WAS LAUNCHED BY FIRST PRESENTING THE IDEA TO THE STAFF AT THE SCHOOL AND PROVIDING TIME FOR THE EDUCATORS TO EXPLORE THE CART AND DISCUSS HOW THIS MAKER OPPORTUNITY MIGHT HELP TO SUPPORT THE MAKER LEARNING HAPPENING IN THEIR CLASSROOMS. YOU CAN ACCESS THE SLIDE DECK I USED FOR THIS INITIAL LAUNCH BY VISITING BIT.LY/GENIUSCART . ADDITIONAL SLIDES HAVE BEEN ADDED SINCE THAT FIRST LAUNCH AS WE REFLECTED AND REFINED THE USE OF THE GENIUS CART."
The Journey Begins...

In the 2017- 2018 school year, the staff at Larkspur Public School created a Maker Culture Professional Learning Network (PLN) to see how we might implement curriculum focused maker learning to help both students and educators see the value of hands-on maker learning. We hoped they would see the maker movement as a way to learn about the process of their learning from an inquiry stance, to integrate 21st century competencies into their every day work, and ignite a passion for making and creating.

The initial plan for the Genius Cart was that it would be part open making, part genius hour and part passion project. As our explorations and making got underway, it turned out that the Genius Cart would also be part inquiry-based learning as well.

Classes from Grade 1- Grade 5 visited the Larkspur Library Learning Commons to learn about this new maker opportunity and to engage in a STEAM task.

The Challenges

John Spencer and A.J. Juliani describe seven stages of making that students work within as they encounter different making opportunities. As the students that visit the Genius Cart have a varying degree of experience learning from a inquiry-stance or with maker education it’s important to keep these in mind in order to meet each student maker where they are on their journey and to ensure that the challenges, materials and provocations are allowing the students to stretch as learners and makers.

  • Exposure (Passive Consuming)
  • Active Consuming
  • Critical Consuming
  • Curating
  • Copying and Modifying
  • Mash-Ups
  • Creating from Scratch (Spencer, John, and A. J. Juliani. Empower: What Happens When Students Own Their Learning. IMpress, 2017.)

Exploring New Maker Materials

  • K’Nex
  • Lego
  • Straws and Connectors
  • Natural building materials
  • Keva Planks
  • Repurposing Materials (DIY T-Shirt bags)

Art Inquiry

I wanted to use the Genius Cart to explore paper sculptures and paper mosaics with the students. I felt that the sculptures would provide a bridge to new making for those students who had previously explored building structures in their class and had worked to recreate that making when visiting the Genius Cart and the Library Learning Commons. By choosing mosaics I wanted students to have an opportunity to slow down while making and creating. Often students have an idea and rush to try it out, only to discover they need to re-build, re-create or start over. Mosaics require planning and forethought prior to starting.

The Perfect Playground

Incorporating loose parts and the Global Goals for Sustainable Development.

Students were asked to design and build the “perfect playground” using loose parts. The creative constraint that was added by using loose parts meant students needed to observe and reflect on the materials available and how they might be used to create the playground they imagined. As an extra challenge and call for reflection, I asked the student makers to pause part way through their building to consider if a child with a disability came to their playground would they be able to play and interact as well as the other children on the playground? What is the child was blind? What if the child had movement issues, like a wheelchair or crutches? What if the child had balance issues?

Mrs. De Luca's grade 3 class worked to create inclusive playgrounds using loose parts and reflected on how they would ensure everyone could have fun at the playground. They shared their creations with the school community at an assembly.

PROVIDING OPEN MAKING EXPERIENCES FOR STUDENTS OPENS UP A WORLD OF NEW LEARNING FOR EDUCATORS ABOUT THEIR STUDENTS AND THEIR ABILITIES. ALL STUDENTS CAN BECOME PASSIONATE PROBLEM-SOLVERS AND LEADERS WHEN ENGAGED IN MAKING. STUDENTS LEARN THE IMPORTANCE OF FAILING FORWARD, OF STARTING OVER, AND ASKING FOR HELP. STUDENTS ARE PRESENTED WITH AN OPPORTUNITY TO SEE THEIR TEACHER AS A CO-LEARNER OR EVEN AS THE LEARNER AS STUDENTS MAY BRING A HOST OF MAKER SKILLS THE TEACHER DID NOT KNOW ABOUT PREVIOUSLY.

“So far the biggest takeaway from teaching and learning from an inquiry stance is that it involves playing the long game. That is, the rewards come down the road and you have to be willing to be an active participant in achieving the goals necessary for student success (e.g., 21st Century Competencies) which will take some time and some effort. Ensuring our students are prepared and able to be active participants in their society and to tackle the problems of our world is a long game. It's going to take some time. It's not a "one and done" proposition. One can't "do inquiry" and then move on, that's just not how it works. If we expect our students to exhibit a growth mindset, to reiterate when they are solving problems, to be reflective and communicate about their struggles with achieving their goals, then we must also do these things.”

Continue to follow our Genius Cart journey on Twitter using the hashtag #LarkspurGeniusCart.

A new Genius Cart Challenge launched on January 22nd, 2020... check the hashtag to see all the action.

Created By
Beth Lyons
Appreciate

Credits:

Created with images by Andrian Valeanu - "Messy paint brushes" • Nathan Dumlao - "untitled image" • Jon Tyson - "untitled image"