We are dedicating this update to highlighting how classes used the library makerspace during the 3rd quarter.
Independent use for class:Throughout each school day, students visit the makerspace to complete class assignments. We’ve seen them use materials to create projects for English, social studies, math, science, world languages, health, visual & performing arts, and career & technical education. It is clear that students are being thoughtful about time management. Many students join their friends in the makerspace to complete traditional homework while their friends work on independent creations. While faculty and staff are present in the makerspace, students take charge of their own learning experiences. 
Coding in English:
One Language Literature and Composition class started an 8 session workshop on coding. The Wednesday workshops are created by Google (CSFirst), and students learn to code using Scratch software from MIT. Students will write personal narratives that will explore their personal truths through experience. This experience may help them discovers new truths about themselves, and how the relationships in their lives influence them.
“isms” for AP World History:
AP World History II classes visited the makerspace to create review tools to look at key concepts from the entire course of history. Instead of creating superHEROEs, each student created a superISM, tracing an assigned “ism” (i.e. militarism, colonialism, and nationalism) over the six periods of history. Student work is now displayed in class to facilitate preparation for the AP World History exam.
Makerspace Booktalks:
A few teachers reserved the makerspace as a booktalking venue. Manipulating Legos and doodling while listening to librarians showcase books seems to keep many students more focused.
Connections:
Our last Connections meeting focused on de-stressing, and a few teachers asked to bring their student groups to de-stress in the makerspace. It was a little crowded, but students enjoyed bonding over common activities, and found it refreshing to mix up the format this time.
Creative writing:
One creative writing teacher scheduled to use the makerspace as a writing prompt. “We intend to use the act of physically manipulating materials as a pathway into writer inspiration,” explained Sue Steidl.
VEX Robotics:
The VEX Robotics Team brought their robot to the makerspace to promote the club, and recruit new members. During a busy lunch period, they encouraged passers-by to operate the robot and answered questions about the club, how the robot was constructed, and what it felt like to participate in regional robotics competitions.
Human Rights Club:
The Human Rights Club dropped after school this week to use the button maker. Approximately 15 students designed pins to promote Ally Day (Friday, April 22nd). 
Civics
The button maker will come in handy in a few weeks for civics students working on their senate simulation. Learners will mount a campaign for a senatorial candidate of their own design (not a real one) from their assigned state. This is a multi-layered project, but designing a campaign button was added to the unit rubric this week.
LLC Magazines
Recycled materials are widely used in the makerspace, often to support classroom learning. As part of a Language Literature and Composition project called The Invisible Influence, a project where students researched the influence hidden media messages have on societal values, students used their mobile phones to snap photos of ads in weeded magazines, some contemporary, some from the 1950s, and uploaded them to a collaborative slideshow that was used in class the next day.
Visual representations of character and theme in independent reading:
Ms. Weeks (@MsAWeeks on Twitter) scheduled time in the library makerspace for her Language, Literature, and Composition (10th grade English) classes to create, and then present, visual representations of either theme or character development in the choice books they had read in December. Their projects were imaginative and their presentations were impressive. 
One More Thing!
The makerspace was equipped with computers last week! :)
