Summer Institute Reflection

Thinking about everything I learned in the two days at the Summer Institute makes my brain hurt. There was a LOT of information provided in such a short period of time that it was almost overwhelming, but I came away with so many great ideas that it is definitely worth the brain ache.

Initially, I was a little discouraged by the idea of being a Maker Librarian. While I loved the idea and thought it would be something fantastic to have in the library, I was worried about the financial aspect of it. Ozobots, Spheros, and Makey Makey Kits all sound really great, but they also come with a significant price tag. If I were teaching in a school that did not have the budget to allow for these technologies, though, how could I still implement STEM technologies that would benefit my students? That was something I had been grappling with the entire semester as I learned about these technologies and different tools...they were great in theory, but how would they work realistically?

While I focused my nine questions prior to the Institute on three of the seemingly more expensive technologies, during the Technology/Maker Exploration on the first day of the Institute, I found myself more drawn to the stations that used everyday objects and NOT the ones with the higher price tags. As I built a boat out of duct tape (which floated!), folded paper to create an origami bookmark, and created a paper circuit, I realized that the expensive, flashy technology was still really cool, but you could still have a pretty awesome maker station in your library using less expensive items that are available from craft and home improvement stores.

Although I did not attend IdaMae Craddock's session (I wish we had more session time because there were SO many I wanted to attend, but could not get to all of them), from classmates, I got a quick recap in that she did not have a lot of money when she began curating materials for her maker library. Instead, she used things that she found around her house or that she could get for cheap (or free!) from area businesses. This is something I read further on later (yay, Pinterest!) where a middle school librarian created three maker stations for $450. $450 compared to the thousands I was originally envisioning prior to the Institute is WAY more achievable.

I know the assignment was to reflect on the nine questions we initially came to the Institute with, and with that, I failed. I cannot answer how waterproof the Spheros are or give specific information regarding the Google Expeditions, but I can brainstorm really create ideas as to how you can cheaply and efficiently use household materials to aid in creativity and fine motor development for students of all ages.

Plus, I also learned valuable information (that has nothing to do with maker stations), such as how to incorporate fandoms and fanfic into the library; building connections and relationships with public libraries, colleges, and businesses; OERs; and how to deal with censorship. Overall, the Institute was SO worthwhile!