"My problem with this is that students who are struggling academically and behaviorally may be the ones that benefit most from but they won’t have access." Those words taken from Bradshaw's blog post where she was reviewing a post by the Annoyedlibrarian on "Dead dinosaurs". The original article was what I feel is an angry rant about the scholarship of academic libraries and what the author felt was the loss of that.
True, this article was about academic libraries and to some extent I do agree with the Annoyedlibrarian about research and scholarship and the differing needs of an academic vs. public vs. school libraries. However, makerspaces are NOT simply play spaces where students print keychains for their friends. They are spaces of student creation, collaboration, and learning. Where different levels of expertise, backgrounds, and scholarly pursuits can join together to create something amazing. If anything I feel that a makerspaces, depending on the majors of your selected academic library, are a way for those students who do not thrive in a "Normal" classroom to showcase their skills in new and creative ways.
I find myself agreeing with what Bradshaw says throughout her article, especially in allowing those students who need it most access to it. makersapces are not a way to "save libraries" nor will they take over our main jobs as librarians. They are simply a new way to allow students to learn, to become critical thinkers who can problem solve, handle feedback, and most of of research and create.
Research is one of the most scholarly aspects of making! Students study how something works, refine designs seek feedback from members of a chosen field, and research oh they research. They much find out how resistors and circuits work while at the same time studying a new programming language as well as human centered design. Do you know why? Not for credit, not for a class project but because their best friend had recently been in an accident and suffered nerve damage to his hands. Because of this he was no longer able to adequately control his xbox and they could no longer play COD* together. This student, who was at best a C student, struggled academically and socially. This same student built an xbox controller, from spare parts, for his best friend using skills and knowledge he researched. So when the Annoyedlibrarian stated that "Now we have maker spaces, which also have nothing to do with research or scholarship. You can put all the laser cutters and sewing machines you like into an academic library. They’re still just a diversion from the real work." I take personal offence, both for myself and for my C student. I was because of his research and scholarship that he waso offered a partial scholarship to the University of Maine Engineering Program.
Education, scholarship, and research should not be belittled simply because my version of research does not match yours.
*Call of Duty
True, this article was about academic libraries and to some extent I do agree with the Annoyedlibrarian about research and scholarship and the differing needs of an academic vs. public vs. school libraries. However, makerspaces are NOT simply play spaces where students print keychains for their friends. They are spaces of student creation, collaboration, and learning. Where different levels of expertise, backgrounds, and scholarly pursuits can join together to create something amazing. If anything I feel that a makerspaces, depending on the majors of your selected academic library, are a way for those students who do not thrive in a "Normal" classroom to showcase their skills in new and creative ways.
I find myself agreeing with what Bradshaw says throughout her article, especially in allowing those students who need it most access to it. makersapces are not a way to "save libraries" nor will they take over our main jobs as librarians. They are simply a new way to allow students to learn, to become critical thinkers who can problem solve, handle feedback, and most of of research and create.
Research is one of the most scholarly aspects of making! Students study how something works, refine designs seek feedback from members of a chosen field, and research oh they research. They much find out how resistors and circuits work while at the same time studying a new programming language as well as human centered design. Do you know why? Not for credit, not for a class project but because their best friend had recently been in an accident and suffered nerve damage to his hands. Because of this he was no longer able to adequately control his xbox and they could no longer play COD* together. This student, who was at best a C student, struggled academically and socially. This same student built an xbox controller, from spare parts, for his best friend using skills and knowledge he researched. So when the Annoyedlibrarian stated that "Now we have maker spaces, which also have nothing to do with research or scholarship. You can put all the laser cutters and sewing machines you like into an academic library. They’re still just a diversion from the real work." I take personal offence, both for myself and for my C student. I was because of his research and scholarship that he waso offered a partial scholarship to the University of Maine Engineering Program.
Education, scholarship, and research should not be belittled simply because my version of research does not match yours.
*Call of Duty
Resources:
Annoyedlibrarian. (2015). Dead dinosaurs are the future of libraries. School Library Journal. Retrieved from http://lj.libraryjournal.com/blogs/annoyedlibrarian/2015/09/21/dead-dinosaurs-are-the-future-of-libraries/
Bradshaw, T. (2017, May 13). Make the Connection. Retrieved May 16, 2017, from https://ischoolblogs.sjsu.edu/info/info233learningjournal/
Bradshaw, T. (2017, May 13). Make the Connection. Retrieved May 16, 2017, from https://ischoolblogs.sjsu.edu/info/info233learningjournal/