In ETL504, we were asked to contemplate the various 21st Century learning environments that facilitate inquiry-based learning and critical and creative thinking. The 21st Century learning space of ‘Makerspaces’ has remained a very intriguing concept to me. Prior to ETL504, I had heard of makerspaces but not had a clear understanding of what they were and how they looked in schools. Makerspaces Australia (n.d.) define makerspaces as ‘a place where people can come together to use, and learn to use materials as well as develop creative projects’.  A major part of my personal teaching philosophy is encouraging students to explore during learning and collaborate with their peers to construct meaning. The makerspace environment is perfect for cultivating these aspects to my teaching philosophy. The next step to further understanding makerspaces is how they can be incorporated into teacher librarian practice. The most common form of makerspace tools is robotics and coding materials which is an area of interest for many students. The incorporation of these technologies is an exciting opportunity for students however I would also like to see the incorporation of affordable makerspace tools to ensure there is a variety of materials to encourage a variety of knowledge bases.

Schools that I have worked in previously lack an online collection with resources accessible anytime or anywhere. The teacher librarians provide links when necessary however do not regularly maintain a strong online collection database that can be used often. Especially during these unprecedented times, an online collection with relevant and quality resources is crucial to student achievement.  The National Library of New Zealand (2020) describe the virtual library as an extension of the physical library space and ‘brings together content that you’ve sourced from different places’. The National Library of New Zealand (2020) also suggest content for the virtual library including eBooks, curated external content, content created and shared by learning community, support and services available as well as news and information about the school’s library. One of the most pivotal goals for my practice when I start teacher librarianship is to ensure an effective and purposeful online collection and presence that heightens the practicality of the school library. The online collection that will be implemented for my future school library will use existing examples of primary school library virtual collections and extend those examples with personal practices. I am very excited to begin the career journey of teacher librarian, especially creating quality learning environments within the library.

References:

Makerspaces Australia. (n.d.). What is a makerspace? http://makerspacesaustralia.weebly.com/what-is-a-makerspace.html

National Library of New Zealand. (2020). Creating a virtual school library. https://natlib.govt.nz/schools/school-libraries/library-services-for-teaching-and-learning/your-school-library-online/creating-a-virtual-school-library