Since starting my librarian degree, I have been fascinated
with makerspaces! I dived deep into learning about them, especially digital
makerspaces, with my digital curation assignment and you can explore all the
amazing resources I found here: Maker Space Curration
One component of makerspaces that I have been particularly interested
in is incorporating Legos. They are very versatile and well known to all ages
of students with varying levels of building from Duplo Legos for little hands,
regular Legos for older students, and even advances build sets for teenagers. An
article in the School Library Journal by Karen Jensen titled “MakerSpace:Legos! The one tool every makerspace needs!” offers great insight into how Legos
can be utilized in school spaces. The author also provides ideas on how to add
to basic Legos to offer more creativity and challenges.
Since Legos are so well known, they offer a safe and comfortable space for students to explore their creativity and then connect their creations to their learning. “Someone who wants to do something because it is fun is more likely to find an activity to be meaningful than someone who is doing something for a reward or to learn something. When someone is engaged in playful space, that person will learn more easily” (Britton, 2012). This is especially true for children who get tired of the constant academic push in schools and would see Legos as play time, even if they are actually learning academic content. Jensen’s article offers ways to use Legos for content learning such as math games or science machines.
Finally, the MakerSpace Playbook School Edition details how
makerspaces can be very expensive if organizers are trying to get the latest
and greatest in new technology. However, it counters with, “Used equipment and
tool donations can be a big help… Acquire general-use equipment before task-specific
tools” (2013, p 10). The Playbook also goes on to offer a list of suggestions
for curating a collection of materials for the school makerspace, but one of
the major benefits of using Legos in the library is that they are very durable
and readily available. Jensen details in her article that you can buy bulk sets
of Legos from Amazon or even get donations from the community since they tend
to last a long time and people are willing to donate them to a good cause once
their own children outgrow them.
Overall, school library makerspaces can be conducted in a variety of ways with a variety of materials, but Legos offer a good starting point for librarians who are just starting to build a usable creative space in their library that students will want to use and “play” with. They offer the chance for endless creativity and can be incorporated into any academic domain. I personally want to bring Legos into my future library in some regard.
References:
Britton, L. (2012, October
1). The makings of maker spaces, part 1: Space for creation, not just
consumption. The Digital Shift. Retrieved March 24, 2023, from
http://www.thedigitalshift.com/2012/10/public-services/the-makings-of-maker-spaces-part-1-space-for-creation-not-just-consumption/
Jensen, K. (2017, July 31).
Makerspace: Legos! the One tool every makerspace needs? Teen Librarian
Toolbox. Retrieved March 24, 2023, from
https://teenlibrariantoolbox.com/2017/07/31/makerspace-legos-the-one-tool-every-makerspace-needs/
Makerspace Playbook.
make:magazine.com. (2013). Retrieved March 24, 2023, from https://makered.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Makerspace-Playbook-Feb-2013.pdf?fdfb4aec8cba479aee19cd496626e1
Samantha, thanks so much for sharing. Like you, I'm really in love with the idea of using Legos as a great way to incorporate the maker spirit into library spaces. It just seem so fun, but simple. I like how you articulated that Legos "offer a safe and comfortable space for students to explore their creativity and then connect their creations to their learning." As a middle school student in particular, I think I would have been pretty intimidated by some fancy machine I didn't understand... well, I admit, I still am a bit! So having a more welcoming option is great for students (and teachers / librarians) to ease into the new maker / creator culture without receiving whiplash. I also really enjoying visiting your curation page!
ReplyDeleteSamantha, I think legos are a great idea! I have seen where some teachers use legos or materials similar to them in the mornings as morning work and students have the opportunity to be creative and have fun before immediately beginning work for the day. I love how simple but practical legos are, and I agree that students of all ages would enjoy building with them.
ReplyDeleteI love Legos! I have a collection of Harry Potter ones myself :) Kids love Legos too! my toddlers play with their Duplo blocks and our elementary students use Legos for coding projects. My second grade students use Lego Education coding to build moving vehicles that they can code to move and it's the neatest project! This could be something you look into for your Makerspace! It teaches kids how to be creative and imaginative while problem solving. Thanks for sharing your resources!
ReplyDeleteSamantha, thanks for a great post! I have a few containers of Legos in my makerspace area, and the kids always gravitate to them. After reading all of the great ideas in the blog post you shared, I think I need to invest in more Legos. I like the idea of using challenge cards, creating a challenge game, and creating a chain reaction machine. One activity I used this year required students to create a maze on a baseplate and use a marble to navigate the maze. They loved it, so I would like to incorporate more Lego activities. Thanks for the suggestions!
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteHey, Samantha!
I was so good to read your post.
It is such a great idea to have Legos in a makerspace. It seems that most children have been exposed to or played with Legos in their lives either at home or at school. Actually, I have had Legos in my classroom for children to use to create things. When I taught Kindergarten, I had boxes of different materials that students could take out in the mornings called “busy boxes.” Busy boxes are a way of children playing and creating things while also working on fine motor skills. I remember my students bringing me their creations, and I remember thinking that they worked really hard to think about what they were going to create with their Legos. Therefore, I feel that Legos could be a great thing to add to a makerspace.
Thank you for sharing the blog “MakerSpace:Legos! The one tool every makerspace needs!” I loved reading it, and I hope to one day use Legos in a makerspace within a library.
Again, thank you so much for sharing!
Sincerely,
Courtland Smith
Hi Samantha,
ReplyDeleteThanks for an inspiring post! And I will definitely bookmark your curation project on makerspaces for future reference. I, too, love the idea of Legos in the makerspace, and indeed, Legos in the library. Like you said, students sometimes just need to take a break from the rigors of academic life and let other parts of their brains take over. Legos can be relaxing for them, as you said, most kids are familiar with them and feel safe with them as a medium.
There are some great books out there with fun, "teachable moment" activities such as "Lego Chain Reactions" and "The Lego Technic Idea Book: Simple Machines". There's a public library near me that has a weekly Lego Challenge with a problem to solve, or a prompt of something to build. There are so many different ways to go, tying in different curriculum. Or just simply having the Legos out for kids to play with. Great idea!
Thanks,
Jennifer