Makerspace Marshmallow Challenge

So we kicked off the Centennial Makerspace by having a four classes conduct the marshmallow challenge.  Students self-selected teams of no more than three--although we did allow four in one class, and then were given the challenge.  The essence of the challenge is students are given the following materials:

• string
• 20 stands of spaghetti
• tape
• a marshmallow

The Challenge:  Create a stable-freestanding structure that can suspend a marshmallow. They had 18 minutes.  To learn more about the challenge click here.

The students loved the challenge.  They were engaged from the start: sharing ideas, prototyping, collaborating and talking.   The biggest challenge was not helping out the students by giving them advice.

OTHER MAKER STUFF....

The students were also introduced to some of the other projects they will be able to do in the Makerspace.  They were particularly excited about the duct-tape craft projects and the littleBits KORG synthesizer set.  Check out the presentation below:

The students had a great time.  I look forward to working with more classes and the future.  The Makerspace will be open for some free make time starting next week April 11th.  Listen for the announcements!
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SOME BOOK LOVE!

Another book I am listening to with my daughter (9) and son (5) is George by Alex Gino.  George is 
in the fourth grade and has always felt she is a girl, even if she was born a boy.  She wants to play the part of Charlotte in the fourth grade production of Charlotte's Web, but boys are only allowed to try out for male parts.  George's teacher and mother and understanding, but not supportive of his gender identity.  This is a great book for bringing up discussion on gender, but not for every reader or family.  To learn more about the book, read the Common Sense Media Review.

So I am reading Read Between the Lines by Jo Knowles.  You can tell by the cover that this is an edgier book, I wouldn't recommend it for 6th or 7th Graders.  It tells the story of different high school students or recent graduates all surrounding the same day.  Their paths intersect and each story gives you an inside view of how difficult it can be.  I'm really enjoying it so far and would recommend it for 8th graders or above. 

Centennial will have a Library Makerspace!

Hurrah!  The big news from Centennial's Library is we have been awarded a grant for $2,000.00 to start a Makerspace!  

What is a Makerspace?

An official definition is, "Makerspaces, sometimes also referred to as hackerspaces, hackspaces, and fablabs are creative, DIY spaces where people can gather to create, invent, and learn."(A Librarian's Guide to Makerspaces)

 

For me, it's a place for students to collaborate, learn, grow and explore by creating and just messing around with stuff.

What's the plan?

I plan to create a dedicated, flexible Makerspace in the school media center where students and staff can access new technologies (programming, wearable computing) and hands-on projects.(bookmaking, recycled crafts, duct tape creations, etc.)  

The space will be a place that can be packed up and consist of a few tables in the front of the library, so I can monitor it's use.  
I plan to introduce the space to specific academic support/language support classes with the marshmallow challenge, targeting students who have less electives and therefore don't have as much freedom to explore interests. I am aware that the marshmallow challenge is more scripted and less free-form, but I thought it would be good way to introduce the space. Click here to learn more about the marshmallow challenge.

After introducing the space I plan to introduce some stand-alone projects. I stumbled on Teknikio, a company that offers packaged Makerkits that are reusable and can serve up to twenty five students. They are packaged with a teacher guide and project ideas. These would be a great way to explore Makerprojects, as well as serve as a jumping off point for other projects. The two I am interested in purchasing are: The activating Origami Workshop Kit. A reusable kit that allows students to add electronics to Origami Paper. Second, the Fabtronic Sewing Workshop a set that teaches the basics of electronics and fashion. Some of the critical thinking skills students will engage in is how to best use materials and how to solve problems as they arise with different projects. I also have plans to purchase craft supplies, and other project materials such K'nex are engineering tools.

Eventually, I would love to train students in leading some of these projects, and bundle some of these kits so they can be checked out by classroom teachers. I am very excited to start this exciting new opportunity at Centennial

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And now, a couple of book recommendations....

I love books!

I just finished Surviving Bear Island by Paul Greci, a story of Tom Parker, a teenage boy who finds himself stranded on a remote island in Alaska after dumping in his kayak. What makes this classic survival story great is that Greci is a long-time Alaskan resident and he knows his environment. Tom struggles to survive, left only with a small survival kit packed by his father, he struggles against starvation, hypothermia and yes...Bears! A great read. If you liked Hatchet by Gary Paulsen, you'd like Bear Island. Appropriate for any middle schooler.

I also want to recommend Chris Colfer's series, The Land of Stories. My family took a multi-day drive from Boulder to Silverton this past summer for a wedding. We brought along the first book, Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell on audio book. It was a delight. Chris Colfer is one of the long-time characters on Glee and he reads the book. It's the story of two twins who find themselves magically transported into their grandmother's book of fairy-tales, but there are not your classic Grimm's Fairy Tales. They have many humorous twists and takes on the characters and situations. It kept the whole family including myself, my wife, my five-year old son and my nine-year old daughter entertained.

Finding quality books/movies/video games for your students.

So as a goal to be more communicative to the wider community, I've decided to post to this library blog.  I am making a commitment to posting at least bi-weekly, but may post more if I have time/creativity allows.

On this blog I plan to....

• share tips related to media for parents and/or students
• share books I've enjoyed reading (mini-book reviews)
• share what's been going on in the library related to projects/events etc.
• who knows what else?

So in my first post I want to address a question many parents may have been asking.....

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How do I know if certain books/movies/video games are appropriate for my middle level student?

Great Web-Resource:  Common Sense Media

One great resource I discovered was common sense media.  This website states its mission as,  "helping kids thrive in a world of media and technology.  We empower parents, teachers, and policymakers by providing unbiased information, trusted advice, and innovative tools to help them harness the power of media and technology as a positive force in all kids’ lives."

 This site offers advice on technology use and has a great collection of reviews of books, movies, games, apps, and websites.  It allows you to filter by age and even has a quick tool bar embedded on the homepage (image on right) to help you find reviews quickly and easily.  I recently looked at a review of a graphic novel called In Real Life by Cory Doctrow as a possibility for my elementary school daughter.  I found the review very useful.  It included an age recommendation (older than my daughter) and also broke down the kind of content that was in it.  It also had a section on What Families Could Talk about related to the book.  I would definitely check out this wonderful resource.
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A FEW GOOD BOOKS...

I book I'm really enjoying right now is Echo by Pam Muñoz Ryan.  This book looks thick, but the format on the page makes it a fairly quick read.  The novel weaves together multiple stories of different children facing overwhelming challenges.  It begins in war-torn Germany and moves across the Atlantic Ocean to New York.  I am about a third of the way through the book, and am really enjoying it.  I think it's appropriate for all grade levels, but does delve into some troubling historical times including Nazi Germany and the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II.

Another book I recently read was The Boy in the Black Suit by Jason Reynolds.  This is the story of Matt, an high school senior, growing up in Brooklyn. He's recently lost his mother to cancer and Matt's life has turned upside down. To occupy his time, he decides to take a job in a funeral home. Surprisingly, he finds attending other's funerals gives him comfort. He also decides to start wearing a black suit--all the time, so he's always prepared for work. The characters in this book are vivid, realistic and memorable.  I would recommend this book for 7th or 8th graders, especially for any students who may be dealing with grief.  Read my full review on Centennial's Book Blog.

Thanks.  I hope you've enjoyed read.  Please subscribe to the blog if you want to keep up with my latest posts, or just look out for the link on the latest e-blast.