I have discovered that students have stories they want to tell and making in the library is a path to those stories. I want to share some of those stories with you.
Recently, one of my students in third grade made a model of the Walnut Street Bridge out of magnetic blocks. He didn't just show his bridge to me; he told me why he chose to make the bridge. His family had recently walked across the bridge to go to a Coolidge park to play. Making a model opened a door for him to share his story with me.
In first grade, a group of students made puppets out of paper bags. This was in response to IQ Goes to the Library. In this book, students participate in "puppet day". We don't have any puppets, so I let
students make their own. My students designed and made Teenage Mutant Ninja turtle puppets! While it looked like they were just having fun cutting and pasting, they were demonstrating several important skills. First, they had to understand the task: make a puppet. Second: they planned and gathered supplies. They dug through the scrap paper box to find strips of paper that had been punched with shape puncher to use as masks. Finally: they put the puppet together and added necessary details. They were very proud of their awesome puppets. Cowabunga dude!
students make their own. My students designed and made Teenage Mutant Ninja turtle puppets! While it looked like they were just having fun cutting and pasting, they were demonstrating several important skills. First, they had to understand the task: make a puppet. Second: they planned and gathered supplies. They dug through the scrap paper box to find strips of paper that had been punched with shape puncher to use as masks. Finally: they put the puppet together and added necessary details. They were very proud of their awesome puppets. Cowabunga dude!
A couple of fourth grade students wanted to research states. I suggested that they try World Book Online. I gave a brief demo of how to navigate the site. Eventually, I looked over and saw them TAKING NOTES! This showed that they were finding information that they wanted to remember and perhaps use later. Small moments like these happen everyday. The Makerspace allows me to capture those moments. It gives students a platform for telling their stories. The library is full of joy as we explore, make, learn, and share together.
