Developing Genius in the Turrentine MakerSpace

My Students

My classroom is the school library/media center. I want the library to be the place where students can come to Imagine, Design, Create, Play, and Share products of their own, without fear of failure. I want students to recognize that the "doing" is where learning takes place...in the MakerSpace!

The students at Turrentine Middle School are diverse in many ways.

Although a small number of our students come from very wealthy homes, TMS is a Full Title One school of 850 students, with over 70% receiving free or reduced lunch. Turrentine has students who are academically gifted, learning disabled, hard-working, struggling, autistic, artistic, creative, dedicated, sensitive, unmotivated, average, above average, below average, independent, needy, confident, discouraged, distracted and curious. Our students come from varied ethnic and economic backgrounds. They live in many different family arrangements as well as different housing situations; some have beautiful expensive homes, and some are homeless or in overcrowded homes. But ALL of Turrentine's students are deserving of the opportunity to use their imaginations, along with provided materials, to create and learn through their own exploration, creativity and innovation in a well-supplied MakerSpace.

My Project

I am going to create several MakerSpace areas in the Turrentine Library/Media Center. Students will be able to explore electronics, circuitry, and robotics, with Cubelets, littleBits, MaKeyMaKey and Snap Circuits, and along with Legos and other building materials, students can create products that use the electronics and circuits. Students will use markers, crayons, glue, fabric, tape, string, craft sticks, Perler beads, Spirographs, recyclable items and other art supplies to design, create, and build original works of art which will often serve as final products for curricular assignments, in addition to being just for fun. Students will improve their logic and critical thinking skills using a variety of provided puzzles, mazes and games, some of which are multi-player, which will encourage collaboration and working in groups. Other planned MakerSpace areas: a film production area, and a "de-Maker" area, where students can take apart old electronics to see how they work.

Funding this project will allow students to have access to materials in a dedicated space where they can use their creativity and ingenuity to complete projects related to their curriculum, as well as exploring and developing their own inventiveness.

Since the majority of the TMS students (over 70%) do not have access to the items requested for the TMS MakerSpace, funding items will give everyone in the school the same opportunity to be successful in completing projects and in Making for Fun!