Lessons & Maker Space Ideas

5 posts

Ada Lovelace Day

Today is Ada Lovelace Day! Born in 1815, Ada was a gifted mathematician and wrote instructions for the first computer program in the mid-1800’s. She is remembered for her work with Charles Babbage on the analytical engine.

To celebrate, read one of the many books about Ada Lovelace – Ada Lovelace, Poet of Science by Diane Stanley (available in our Overdrive collection), Dreaming in Code by Emily Arnold McCully, Ada’s Ideas by Fiona Robinson or Ada Byron Lovelace and the Thinking Machine by Laurie Wallmark.

Then try Ada’s Poetry Generator, which teaches students how to program a poetry generator in Scratch.

[Elementary] Makerspace Made Easy (from Knowledge Quest blog)

If you don’t get the AL Direct email from American Libraries, and if you don’t regularly check the Knowledge Quest blog, then you may not have seen this great article about Makerspace Made Easy.  The author, an elementary librarian in Chesterfield County, VA, Colleen R. Lee, explains how she started small, with different kinds of building blocks and other easily acquired materials.

Not only does she talks about keeping it simple, she also explains how she ties her design challenges to literature. It’s a short and easy read that is sure to give you some great ideas.

Makey Makey and Accessibility

While doing some research for the Makey Makey workshop, which was ultimately canceled due to the weather, I came across an interesting post from Perkins School for the Blind. It introduces the Makey Makey, and reports that it can be used as a tool for students with visual impairments. The article is brief and not very in depth, but if you’d like to read it you can read it here: Click here to read the Perkins article.

This article sent me down a path looking for more information on how this tool can be used specifically as an assistive device. This article from EdCan Network out of Canada, explains further: https://www.edcan.ca/articles/makey-makey-assistive-resource/

The video above is a quick clip of an assistive technology prototype built during one of the full-day workshops (like the one being offered here on the 14th of March). The opportunities are endless!

We are considering rescheduling the hour-long Makey Makey workshop, however as there is already a full-day workshop being offered on March 14th, it likely will not be held until April or May. If you are not registered or cannot make it to the workshop being held on March 14th, and would like some instruction on Makey Makey, please contact me. I will reschedule the shorter one if there is enough interest.