Although Maker Week got off to a slow start, the concept was successful overall. The most popular maker items were book page ornaments and paper boxes filled with Hershey Kisses. Initially, the promise of chocolate seemed to bring a number of students to the library; however, once the students started to make the boxes, they seemed to genuinely enjoy creating something. Several students even came down the next day requesting to make more boxes (which was fabulous, of course!). Eventually, students started to get creative and made up their own projects - mostly small gifts for friends. This was certainly encouraging and seemed to be in the same spirit as maker spaces.
I think that if we do a something similar in the future we will have Maker Days, as opposed to Maker Week. I was glad to do the whole week my first go around, just because I wasn't sure which projects or materials would be most popular. Now that I have a better idea of what students want to make and what will bring them into the library, I am confident that I could condense the concept into just a couple of days.
I also had to experiment with promotion methods. I had display of maker items outside of the library, there were announcements broadcast over our student news program, I had a blurb added to our daily bulletin, and I sent emails to our study hall teachers. Emailing study hall teachers so that they could remind students of Maker Week and send them to the library seemed to be the most successful promotion. Ultimately, my goal was met: I got students into the library. Many of my maker kids were not our usual customers, so it was great to see some new faces. I also was excited to see some of our new patrons stop in again after their first visit - some students came down for multiple maker days, or they came to the library for study hall or to find books in-between classes. Library promotion might take some work, but it is totally worth it!
As I start to apply for Summer 2015 professional development, I can't help but reflect on some of the PD opportunities that I've had in the past. One of the most influential workshops I have attended was a Google Teacher Academy last December. I read a number of blog posts from Google Certified Teachers before applying to GTAUK, and I found the advice from previous GCTs to be immensely helpful. So, here are just a few tips that helped me to (successfully!) complete my application. Please note: this is just a reflection on my own application process - I hope it can help other GTA hopefuls!
First off, Google Teacher Academy (GTA) is a two day workshop facilitated by Computer Using Educators (CUE). Workshops take place at Google offices around the world, and sessions are presented by master teachers and Google employees. Attendees have the opportunity to present brief demos on the second day, which follows more of a relaxed, "unconference" format. At the end of the conference, attendees are considered Google Certified Teachers.
In my application, I was totally honest. I knew I was not the most tech savvy teacher in the world - heck, I don't even think I am the most tech savvy teacher in my school! But as a library media specialist, I knew that I would have many opportunities to implement the things I would learn at GTA. My district had become a GAfE school a year before I started my application, and I knew our students could be getting so much more out of their Google accounts. I also love learning new things that will make my teaching better, and I hope that came across in my brief essays. So, I tried to elaborate on the ways that I could implement technology and enact change in my school.
With that said, I knew that my video (posted below) would not be the best submission CUE would receive from a GCT hopeful. As a college English major turned tech nut, I had to bank on the fact that my writing skills were better than the average applicant. To see some really impressive video examples, search YouTube - all application videos have to be set to public and posted in YouTube. Although I am sure that the video is an important aspect of the application, and I certainly did put time and thought into mine, I would bet that I spent just as much time on the written portion of the application. There are restrictions on the number of characters an applicant can use per answer, and I made sure not to exceed the maximum. I worked full page responses down to short paragraphs, and I can only think that my concise answers helped my application.
I also focused on my leadership skills and opportunities. I had taught PD in the past, and I knew I would have additional opportunities to teach teachers if I were to attend a GTA. I am also involved in a number of professional organizations, which would provide opportunities to be a conference session presenter.
No matter what happens, keep trying! I am not accepted into every professional development opportunity I apply for, but applying at least gives me a shot! Fascinating professional development opportunities always invigorate me as a teacher. Most importantly, I think that continual professional development keeps our lessons current, meaningful, and engaging for our kids. Good luck!
We are trying something new in our high school library this year. The week before Winter Break, we will hold our first ever Maker Week. Each day, different materials will be available for students to upcycle into holiday gifts for friends or family members. Students will be able to use materials such as discarded books, magazines, card stock, laminate sheets, stickers and more. I am trying to purchase very little to support Maker Week; I would prefer that students use their creativity to make something interesting out of existing materials. They will be encouraged to create unique items; however, there will be samples available in case they need some inspiration. The examples I created ahead of time include a magazine tree, book page ornaments, a small paper box filled with candy, bookmarks and holiday cards. The library secretary created a lovely display outside of the library several weeks before the start of Maker Week in order to foster student interest ahead of time. I also requested an announcement to be read over the student news program, and I provided an ad to be included in the daily bulletin. I am excited about Maker Week, and I am anxious to see what the students create! I'm sure I will post during or after Maker Week to include what I learned throughout the process.
