Tinker. Spark. Provoke. Invent. Make.
School libraries are perfect places for Tinker Labs and Spark Spaces where students are actively questioning, problem-solving and creating new knowledge with their peers. With support from the CLAs new vision document, Leading Learning, and current maker space literature, we have expanded the options in our school libraries to include spots that ignite creative and critical thinking through hands-on exploration. These spaces may include items such as programmable robotics, diverse building materials, or highly interesting artifacts. All provoke deep thinking and high engagement. Join us as we explore and showcase how to create these irresistible spaces in your library where authentic and rich thinking and questioning are sure to happen.
Learning Outcomes
1. We want to provoke librarians to think and reflect openly about how to create new spaces within their libraries that are highly engaging and interactive.
2. We want participants to come away with a bank of ideas and entry points for how to provide children with opportunities to play and interact with diverse materials.
3. We want to explicitly make the connection between the vision of a Learning Commons where authentic, rich learning takes places and the opportunities for deep thinking and engagement provided by the maker/tinker movement.
