EDTC5113 Module 10: Geospatial Annotation

This week we had a choice to create a transmedia book or a geospatial annotation and visualization. I chose to create a geospatial annotation and visualization for the novel The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton. I chose this assignment because we took our students on a tour of Tulsa last year to see the locations that were used in the movie The Outsiders after we read the novel. This year we didn't have enough money to take the field trip, so I decided to create this as an alternative to the live tour. I would like to eventually add videos of author interviews and interviews done with Danny O'Connor The Outsiders' house renovator/owner. It would be great to include other pictures and links to other websites as well. However, I did include a few links. I think my students will enjoy looking at the places on the map. Hopefully, it will spark an interest to take their parents to the locations.
The Outsiders Virtual Tulsa Tour

EDTC5113 Module 9: Podcast

Makerspace podcast
This is the basic podcast about makerspace I created with https://vocaroo.com/


Record music and voice >>

EDTC5113 Module 9: Makerspace

This week we were assigned to learn more about a 21st-century technology getting attention and write a short paper about it. Since I teach eighth-grade, I wanted to read about something related to my students' age group. I chose to research makerspace. It was a challenge to stop looking for more information because I started getting excited about creating an area like this in my future position as a library media specialist. I enjoyed learning more about this topic!

Makerspace

Laurie Starling

“A makerspace is a place where students can gather to create, invent, tinker, explore and discover using a variety of tools and materials,” says Diana Rendina, secondary media specialist, and librarian teacher. Often one finds makerspace associated with STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) or STEAM, which includes art. However, makerspace is not just about STEM. It is about offering students a space to build, learn, and collaborate about anything they choose to create. I first heard of makerspaces last school year after our middle school librarian had attended a conference with a break-out session explaining makerspaces. She returned excited to provide an area in our library for students to play and express themselves creatively. Unfortunately, many of the teachers did not know anything about makerspace, so it did not take off as she hoped. According to the Horizon report (2017), “...merely assigning open space is not enough; the environment must be configured in a manner that nurtures creativity and collaboration while promoting both self-directed and peer-to-peer learning” (40-41). For makerspace to be effective, students must have opportunities to use it, while teachers understand the importance of this self-guided exploration and practice. Teachers should understand that makerspace is not STEM, it is possible to start small, and it offers more than just creativity in order to incorporate it into the library or classroom setting.
Lots of information available about makerspace is associated with STEM. Makerspace does lend itself to science, technology, and math because of the variety of ways you can utilize the space to enhance lessons. In science and math, it is easy to provide students with opportunities to try an experiment or construct something using measurements and equations to show mastery of a skill. Branstetter (2017) offers these definitions to understand the differences between STEM/STEAM, makerspace, and libraries:

STEAM: A place for teachers to lead pre-planned, guided content that integrates science, technology, engineering, arts, and math standards.

Libraries of the future: A space that is a cornerstone of creativity, a learning environment for individuals to gather research, and for teams of people to plan innovation through technological means.

Makerspace: A DIY (do-it-yourself) space for exploration where people can gather to create, invent, and learn.

The significant difference in makerspace and STEM/STEAM is that makerspace is student-driven and guided instead of teacher driven or guided. However, there are times when teachers can guide activity within the makerspace through challenges. For example, teachers might give students Lego challenges where they create something in a certain amount of time with the Legos they have available (Ullman, 2016).

The space can also be used in the English language arts (ELA) classroom to develop stories through objects rather than writing. Students may apply technology to build a story mashup which combines one story with another story to create something new (Zubrzycki 2016). They might also create characters with Play-doh or felt to build a story instead of starting with paper and pencil. Makerspaces are often associated with STEM because the space often incorporates hi-tech gadgets and resources. However, those aren’t the only things that can be used in the area.
Though technology-rich schools have a lot to offer their students, that is not what defines a makerspace. Jarrett (2015) states, “a true makerspace is defined not by what's in it but rather by what comes out of it: projects, experiences, artifacts, and learning. The tools are just a means to an end.” The space may start with items as small as duct tape, cardboard, and legos to as big as iPads, Chromebooks, and circuit boards or accessories. Graves (2015) says to “Immerse your students in maker supplies. Just as surrounding kids with books motivates them to read, surrounding them with tinkering tools motivates them to create.” Many makerspace areas begin with donated Legos and build up from there. Students will be drawn to the area just to do something different than the norm.
Churchill (2018) explains that two secondary media specialists are building a makerspace in their library because it “can help with stress management in the [middle and] high school environment.” They intend for students to have space to crochet, create poetry with magnetic tiles, build and create things with recycled and repurposed materials, tinker with Legos, duct tape, or K’nex. Rendina (2015) states “a makerspace can be anything from a repurposed book cart filled with arts and crafts supplies to a table in a corner set out with LEGOs to a full blown fab lab with 3D printers, laser cutters, and hand tools.  Makers are artists, crafters, knitters, seamstresses, builders, programmers, engineers, hackers, painters, woodworkers, tinkerers, inventors, bakers, graphic designers and more.” This type of area allows students to decompress and express their creativity differently. It also allows them to experiment new things to see what works, what does not work or to try something they have never tried. This outlet may lead to improved behavior, social skills, and character development (Ullman 2016).
As a future library media specialist, I hope to include a makerspace for my students. Our middle school offers STEM and technology education classes. Students who are more technology or engineer oriented are naturally drawn to those electives. Adding a makerspace to a classroom or library may have some aspects of STEM, but it is not STEM, it is possible to start with simple materials, and offers more to students than just creativity. After learning more about makerspace, it appears to be an opportunity for students to play with technology and build anything they choose while learning, collaborating, and relaxing.

http://www.p21.org/news-events/p21blog/1922-making-space-for-a-no-frills-maker-space

References

Branstetter, D. (2017, January 10). Libraries, Makerspaces and STEAM Labs: What's the Difference?
Retrieved April 14, 2018, from https://educationcloset.com/2017/01/10/libraries-makerspaces-steam/

Churchill, S. L. (2018, February 27). Maker space promotes creativity, combats stress at West Bridgewater
school. Retrieved April 14, 2018, from
http://www.enterprisenews.com/news/20180225/maker-space-promotes-creativity-combats-stress-at-
west-bridgewater-school

Graves, C. (2015, July 16). Starting a School Makerspace from Scratch. Retrieved April 14, 2018, from
https://www.edutopia.org/blog/starting-school-makerspace-from-scratch-colleen-graves

Hood, L. (2016, May 5). Making Space for a No-Frills Maker Space. Retrieved April 15, 2018, from
http://www.p21.org/news-events/p21blog/1922-making-space-for-a-no-frills-maker-space

Jarrett, K. (2014). Middle School Maker Journey: Top 20 Technologies and Tools. Retrieved
April 14, 2018, from
https://www.edutopia.org/blog/making-makerspace-top-20-technologies-tools-kevin-jarrett

NMC/CoSN Horizon Report 2017 K-12 Edition. (n.d.). Retrieved April 15, 2018, from
https://www.nmc.org/publication/nmccosn-horizon-report-2017-k-12-edition/

Rendina, D. (2017). Defining Makerspaces: What the Research Says. Retrieved April 14,
2018, from http://renovatedlearning.com/2015/04/02/defining-makerspaces-part-1/

Ullman, E. (2016). MAKING THE GRADE: HOW SCHOOLS ARE CREATING AND
USING MAKERSPACES. Retrieved April 14, 2018, from
https://www.techlearning.com/resources/making-the-grade-how-schools-are-creating-and-using-makerspaces

Zubrzycki, J. (2016, June 09). 'Maker Spaces' and Literacy Instruction: Playing With Story. Retrieved April 14, 2018, from http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/curriculum/2016/06/makerspaces_and_literacy_instr_1.html

EDTC 5113 Module 8: QR Codes

     This week's assignment was to create an augmented reality lesson or a lesson using QR codes to enhance learning. I did not think I really knew anything about augmented reality until I started reading about it. I realized I have personally used an augmented reality app but did not know until reading about it. My husband has a telescope that we have been trying to learn how to use. Over the summer we took it outside to look at the stars but were having some trouble figuring out what we were viewing. My daughter found an app that showed us constellations that we downloaded to our cell phones. The app was awesome because you could point it anywhere in the sky and it would show you the constellation that was supposed to be there. It helped us so much and made the experience much more enjoyable. I can see what a benefit using augmented reality would be to engaging our students.

     I think I would need some more time to devote to creating an augmented reality lesson. I could see the benefits of using it in literature class if you are reading a story set in an unfamiliar location or as a way to build background about the author. I do not feel comfortable enough with using it to create something, yet. Instead, I chose to create a lesson using QR codes as a way to enhance my students learning. I decided to create an assignment with iconic photographs to teach my students to look closely at, and try to understand the story behind of, images they encounter in their life. Interestingly, I discovered that if I used the Layar app with the book covers, I could pull up a short video about something from the time period of the photo. I was able to do that without creating anything and without having something previously established as Layar compatible, which was pretty neat! This assignment taught me to incorporate technology in a different way. As a future librarian, I can see how using these two types of technology would increase student engagement during library lessons. Knowing the information from this module will help me create more meaningful lessons for my students and bring more teachers into the library often.