Wow. I often wondered what purpose Twitter had except for just causing something else to consume time in the name of technology. However, there are several instances where the opportunity offered at Twitter has blown my mind. Last night was once such event.
Tuning into the Tweet Session, at #tlchat – discussing STEAM projects, the contributions, as you will see are amazing. (This can also be seen here!)
Here are just some of the locations of individuals that tuned in:
Seattle, the Mojave Desert in CA and southern CA, Maryland, Tampa in Florida, New Jersey, Toronto, Arkansas, Chicago, Indiana, and with me, Mexico. The here were the following questions:
Q1: What is STEAM? How is it different than STEM?
Q2: Are you focusing on STEAM within your school district? If so, how?
Q2(add-on) Did you go from STEM to STEAM or jump right to STEAM?
Q3: Give examples of how you are incorporating STEAM into the elementary.
Redo – Give examples of how you have incorporated STEAM into the elementary library or schools.
Q4: Give examples of how you are incorporating STEAM into the middle and high school libraries
Q5: How do makerspaces fit into the focus on STEAM?
Q6: What books have you added to your collection to support STEAM?
Q7 : What other resources are you using to support STEAM in the library and within your school?
Q8: What is one way that you will use tonight’s conversation to impact teaching and learning at your school?
Contributions that have resulted from this AMAZING session are below:
More public library and school library collaboration.
Pull out for core teachers that involves STEAM related goals.
Student art as a part of the library decor.
Having more electives that are aligned with STEAM objectives.
Having a STEAM day for freshmen!
MAKERSPACES – Love this idea after seeing Chicago Public Library initiative!
– Button maker, Spooky Maker Creations, 3D printers pulling engineering and Science into the library
Junior Library Makerspace and Lego
Eliminating Reference rooms and allowing it to be a MakerSpace
Overall, there was no shortage of information that was possible through this Tweet and the opportunities to allow libraries to become so much more – endless, exciting, and easily able to motivate educators and teachers towards a new way to achieve and succeed – outside of simply a test-based world. I still believe and have seen the success of students truly become more of a part of the world outside when the classroom within becomes more part of the world they will go into. I am a firm believer in Makerspaces as well as having the library become a full stop for all kids of available resources to all patrons, and allowing the library to be as versatile as the future students we hope to be as well.
Major Kudos to Shannon Miller and Elisa Malespina who made this an amazing amazing learning tool!
PAVEing a Blog 