Massachusetts School Library Association
            MEMBER PORTAL                
​Join or Renew     Member Directory​
  • Home
  • About Us
    • MSLA Leadership 2022-23
    • Executive Board Meetings
    • Joint Statements: MLA, MassCUE
    • Spotlight Archive
    • Strategic Plan 2016-22
    • MSLA Constitution
  • Membership
    • Member Portal
    • Join or Renew Your Membership
    • Members Map
    • Email List
    • Regions >
      • Boston
      • Northeast
      • Metrowest
      • Southeast
      • Central
      • West
  • Conference
    • MSLA and PDPs
  • Resources
    • DESE Rubric
    • Certification & Licensure
    • Program Standards & Rubrics
    • Job Description: School Librarian
    • Job Listings
    • MLS Strategic Planning
    • Intellectual Freedom
  • Advocacy
    • MA School Library Study for Equity & Access
    • Everyday Advocacy
    • ESSA
    • Exemplary Programs
  • Newsletter
    • 2023 MSLA Forum Issues >
      • February 2023
    • 2022 MSLA Forum Issues >
      • February 2022
      • May 2022
      • October 2022
    • 2021 MSLA Forum Issues >
      • February 2021
      • May 2021
      • October 2021
    • 2020 MSLA Forum Issues >
      • February 2020
      • May 2020
      • October 2020
    • 2019 MSLA Forum Issues >
      • February 2019
      • May 2019
      • October 2019
    • 2018 MSLA Forum Issues >
      • February 2018
      • May 2018
      • October 2018
    • 2017 MSLA Forum Issues >
      • February 2017
      • May 2017
      • September 2017
      • October 2017
    • 2016 MSLA Forum Issues >
      • February 2016
      • May 2016
      • October 2016
    • 2015 MSLA Forum Issues >
      • April 2015
      • November 2015
    • MSLA Forum 2002-2013
  • Awards
    • Judi Paradis Memorial Grant
    • Archive: History of Awards
    • 2019 Awards Pictures
    • 2018 Awards Pictures
    • 2017 Awards Pictures
    • 2016 Awards Pictures
    • 2015 Awards Pictures
  • Bookmark Contest
    • 2023 Winners
    • 2022 Winners
    • 2020 Winners
    • 2019 and 2018 Winners
    • 2016 and 2017 Winners
    • 2012 to 2015 Winners
    • 2009 to 2011 Winners
    • 2004 to 2008 Winners
    • Bookmark Judges

STEAM to Go!

2/27/2018

0 Comments

 
Emily Remer is the librarian at the Michael E. Smith Middle School in South Hadley, MA. 
MakerSpaces (and Maker Carts) are being implemented by libraries across the nation to support the STEAM and Maker movements and to give students the opportunity to utilize tools, devices, and supplies they might otherwise never get to experience. However, despite the enthusiasm and increase in product availability, not all school libraries can accommodate a MakerSpace – they may not have the extra room, or open periods built into the schedule when students can freely use MakerSpace supplies, or staff to oversee the hundreds of small parts, or budgets large enough to purchase thousands of dollars of products, or ongoing funding to replace lost pieces or used supplies.
​ 

I was intrigued by the concept of MakerSpaces and how they could support STEAM learning when I started hearing about them a few years ago.  I wanted to support STEAM learning through some kind of MakerSpace, but when I considered developing one, I came up with a number of problems that seemed to preclude housing a MakerSpace in my library.  So, I took a page from public libraries that circulate nontraditional items like ukuleles, cake pans, and fishing poles, and created STEAM to Go.  
Picture
Different than a Maker Cart (or Library Go Cart, like Leslie Lomasson wrote about in the November newsletter), STEAM to Go is a collection of individual STEAM/MakerSpace items that circulate like any other item in the school library and that are available to all the staff and students in the school.

When researching MakerSpaces and developing the Steam to Go strategy, I watched a number of webinars, talked with the technology teacher at my school, explored the Eduporium website, consulted with vendors and librarians, read articles, and paid attention to new products available through Scholastic, Follett, and Eduporium.  I considered:
  • Overall budget & cost of individual items
  • How varied the collection would be
  • Number of pieces per item & who would keep track of them
  • Parts that would need to be replaced (including batteries)
  • Grades/ages being purchased for
  • Shelf space & storage
  • Marketing
  • Troubleshooting
As I began developing my Steam to Go collection and selecting products for my school, I determined that any circulating STEAM item should not cost significantly more than other higher-priced items in the collection, like PlayAways, and was pleased to discover that there are quite a few invention kits, circuitry kits, and robotics that have a price tag lower than many of the books, videos, audiobooks in my library.

I initially started small, with Makey Makey Gos (only $25) and StikBots ($6-10) (both available through the Scholastic Dollars catalog and Eduporium).  Eventually, I was able to purchase more items that could circulate independently.  I did not limit the collection to robotics and electronics; I tried to include a variety of items that support the multiple dimensions of STEAM.  The collection at my middle school library currently includes:


  • Edison Robots
  • Makey Makeys (Go and Original)
  • Snap Circuits
  • Ozobots
  • StikBots
  • Magnets in Motion
  • Microscopes & slides
  • MeeperBots
  • Tangram puzzles
  • PowerClix
  • 3-D cell & skeleton models
  • ArcKits

I supplemented these items with informational and how-to books like Makey Makey by Sandy Ng, as well as a variety of coding books like Coding Games in Scratch by Jon Woodcock.

The STEAM collection is housed near the audiobooks and videos, on shelves that used to hold old, unused (now weeded) reference items.  Some materials remain in their original packaging, though many were put into hanging bags for easier circulation or into zipper bags to contain the multiple pieces.

After purchasing and processing the materials, I marketed the collection by holding a Tech Playground for teachers during a professional development day, showing purchases to the technology teacher, writing blurbs for the school newsletter, making suggestions for implementing the new technologies into the curriculum, running a Tech Playground after-school program for students, and introducing it to individual teachers and students.  
The collection is still fairly new (just about a year) and somewhat limited in size, but increasingly popular.  Once students started discovering the STEAM to Go collection, they were eager to take advantage of it and to tell their friends.  Some of the teachers have gotten involved, too, and check out STEAM to Go items to experiment with at home and then share with their students.

Support was a concern at the beginning – I certainly didn’t know how to use/program each object available and didn’t have time to become an expert on each item (though I did watch a lot of how-to videos and try out each item).  However, I provide links to company websites, trouble-shooting pages, and YouTube videos on the school’s library website, and include printed instructions and trouble-shooting printouts inside some of the items’ packaging.
There have been few issues with the collection so far.  The biggest problems I have run into are finding time to count pieces when an item is returned (Snap Circuits and ArcKits both have many pieces) and replacing lost pieces.  I try to set aside time each week to count pieces in items that have been returned (designating a time has helped efficiency).  I continue circulating items with lost pieces, as long as the lost pieces are not vital to the functionality of the item; if they are, I retire that item and use its leftover pieces as replacement parts.
​

STEAM to Go is a great way to incorporate STEAM products and learning into your library without the space, time, or budget needed for a full-scale MakerSpace.  It is simple to implement and makes STEAM products available to students and teachers, and allows them to explore, create, investigate, and learn.

Works Cited

Lomasson, Leslie. “Maker-‘Spaces’ Don’t have to take up Space: Start a Library Go-Cart!” MSLA Forum Newsletter, Oct 2017, www.maschoolibraries.org/newsletter/maker-spaces-dont-have-to-take-up-space-start-a-library-go-cart. Accessed 16 Jan 2018.

0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Forum Newsletter

    Co-Editors
    Reba Tierney and
    ​Luke Steere

    Reba is the School Librarian at Waltham High School; Luke is School Librarian at  Wilson Middle in Natick

    Click to set custom HTML

    Categories

    All
    AASL
    Academic
    Advocacy
    ALA
    Authors
    Book Bans
    Book Challenges
    Book Trailers
    Cataloging
    Censorship
    Column
    Conference
    Copyright
    Culture
    Databases
    Dewey
    Digital Citizenship
    E Books
    E-books
    Elementary
    ESSA
    Ethics
    Evaluation
    Graphic Books
    Graphic Novels
    Inquiry
    Leadership
    Learning Commons
    Legislation
    Literacy
    Maker Space
    Nonfiction
    Orientation
    Planning
    PLN
    President's Remarks
    Professional Development
    Reading
    Research
    Science
    Secondary
    Standards
    Technology
    Union
    Volunteers
    Weeding

    Archives

    February 2023
    October 2022
    May 2022
    February 2022
    October 2021
    May 2021
    February 2021
    October 2020
    May 2020
    February 2020
    October 2019
    May 2019
    February 2019
    October 2018
    May 2018
    February 2018
    October 2017
    September 2017
    May 2017
    February 2017
    October 2016
    May 2016
    February 2016
    November 2015
    April 2015

    MSLA Forum Past Issues:
    January 2015
    April 2015
    ​
    2002-2015 MSLA Forum
The Massachusetts School Library Association  works to ensure every school has a school library program that is fully integrated at all grade levels across the curriculum and has a significant and measurable impact on student achievement….Read more…..and Learn more about MSLA

Contact MSLA:
Emily Kristofek, Office Manager/Event Planner
P.O. Box 336. Wayland, MA 01778
ekristofek@maschoolibraries.org
​
508-276-1697 

Massachusetts School Library Association. All Rights Reserved.  Copyright 2023.