Makerspace at Rosemary Heights

A short time ago, I had the pleasure of visiting the library learning commons at Rosemary Heights Elementary during their Friday afternoon makerspace time. Teacher-librarian, Jane Leslie, invited two buddy classes to come in and work on some A-MAZE-ING creations. Grade 1 and Grade 5 students worked side by side to build, create, discover and problem solve, all the while using their core competency skills of communication, critical and creative thinking and social responsibility.

The makerspace materials in the library learning commons at Rosemary Heights are varied. Some have been constructed or donated by parents, such as the Lego wall with the tubes. The tubes have a piece of Lego attached to each end, allowing the tube to be attached to the wall to create a marble maze. The wall is large enough for a group of students to work at and I saw much trial and error in the building of the mazes.
While the Lego wall is a permanent feature, not all the makerspace materials are left out. The teacher-librarian stores the materials in bins in the library workroom and pulls out the materials needed for the day's activity. Varying the activities and materials keeps it "fresh" for the students.
Do you have a favourite makerspace activity or resource? Share in the comments below.

Surrey Schools' Narrative Nonfiction Book of the Year: New for 2017

Coming soon! Teacher-librarians in our elementary schools are looking forward to sharing the ten nominated books for this new award program with their students. Check out the new website to see all the nominees!
https://sites.google.com/view/surreyreadsnonfiction/home
We invite your input via the google form on the Teacher tab on the website.

Tweet using the hashtag #SSNNFBOY