ERIC EJ1125276: Making Friends and Buying Robots: How to Leverage Collaborations and Collections to Support STEM Learning

2017·1.1 MB·English

by  ERIC

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62 Knowledge Quest | Diversity Matters
All materials in this journal subject to copyright by the American Library Association
may be used for the noncommercial purpose of scientific or educational advancement
granted by Sections 107 and 108 of the Copyright Revision Act of 1976. Address
usage requests to the ALA Office of Rights and Permissions.
Cassandra Kvenild Craig E. Shepherd
[email protected] [email protected]
Shannon M. Smith Emma Thielk
[email protected] [email protected]
In a climate of increased interest in collections but also created new on a case-by-case basis and some-
science, technology, engineering, challenges related to collection times added to the collection.
and math (STEM), school libraries development, acquisition, and
have unique opportunities to grow circulation. Once those challenges Once items had been identified for
collections and cultivate partner- had been addressed, the collection acquisition, they were ordered a
ships in the sciences. At the federal became available for exciting la carte from websites and paid for
level and in many states, STEM experiments, programs, and other using a credit card. (See the sidebar
initiatives encourage hands-on instructional opportunities. for URLs of suggested vendors.)
exposure to technologies and open Once the purchased materials
the door for student-led discovery Practicalities arrived at the library, the processing
of tools related to robotics, coding, required was significantly different
programming, and electronics. Buying and Prepping the Resources from that of most acquisitions. The
Influenced by local STEM initia- The STEM kits and materials of library already owned a small and
tives, the Learning Resource Center high interest were not available growing collection of kits and games,
(LRC) at the University of Wyoming from any of the library’s contracted and staff adapted the specialized
Lab School decided to create a vendors. To select these materi- workflow for those items when pro-
circulating collection of STEM kits. als, librarians participated in the cessing the new STEM collections.
(The UW Lab School is a tuition- online makerspace conversation This workflow involves inventorying
free charter school with a diverse through websites, Twitter, blogs, all parts and pieces of the kit for
population selected by lottery.) This and more. Teachers and professors the benefit of circulation staff and
school library also partnered with recommended several items for patrons, photographing the items,
Lab School teachers to explore these purchase, and students also made and including the photographs
STEM collections and to develop suggestions. Selection criteria and inventory in the online catalog
programming and a curriculum to included designated age range, (Butler and Kvenild 2014).
teach digital literacies and STEM positive reviews, size, cost, number
skills to students in kindergarten of parts, and the presence of Circulating
through ninth grade. consumable parts. The librarians Staff training and active policy
favored purchase of items small refinement were required to circu-
Because the Learning Resource
enough (in their original packag- late these materials. Many STEM
Center did not have enough square
ing) to fit on standard library kits include consumable or easily
footage for a dedicated makerspace
shelves and those that did not have lost components, such as conductive
and because the collection budget
consumable parts that required thread, batteries, SD cards, special-
was more robust than the equip-
regular replacement (with the ized tools, or small LED lights. The
ment budget, the school librarians
exception of batteries, which school librarians had to decide
decided to purchase STEM kits
patrons are expected to provide). whether to circulate consumable
and materials with collection funds
Kits with a higher cost or a large parts. When those parts circulated,
and circulate them. This decision
number of parts were considered we had to decide whether to charge
generated excitement around the
Volume 45, No. 3 | January/February 2017 63
All materials in this journal subject to copyright by the American Library Association
may be used for the noncommercial purpose of scientific or educational advancement
granted by Sections 107 and 108 of the Copyright Revision Act of 1976. Address
usage requests to the ALA Office of Rights and Permissions.
patrons for missing components, or these cutting-edge STEM collec-
to accept a certain level of loss and tions, Lab School librarians had less
Working with a classroom
pay the replacement costs from the experience on which to draw when
library budget. Clear communica- testing the kits, but the results of teacher increased the
tion with patrons about expectations their investigations and hands-on
for what must be returned and explorations proved rewarding. richness of resources for
what can be used up proved to be
important when circulating this col- One of the first significant previously existing STEM
lection. Parts and pieces of a kit are purchases for the STEM collection
counted at the points of check-out included Raspberry Pi computer opportunities in the
and check-in to ensure all parts are kits. The school librarians knew
present and the kit will still func- when they selected these kits that school; the new resources
tion, a process that can slow the pace they could not be circulated in the
provided a unique way for
of work at the circulation desk. condition in which they had been
received because the hardware
librarians to reach out to
Circulating the STEM materials can would be unassembled and untested.
impact instruction and planning. The choice was made to offer a
science and math teachers.
Because of the popularity of the col- nine-week program open to sixth-
lection, librarians who want to use through ninth-grade students at the
the resources are careful to check Lab School to build and secure these
out kits in advance of programs. kits for circulation (see figure 1).
After an initial decision to circulate When these kits arrived, librarians
able to practice soldering skills prior
the STEM kits for a full loan period, initially felt somewhat out of their
to building the mini-computers.
the school librarians decided to depth. Lack of instructions, lack
The burden of safety and subject
shorten loan periods on all kits and of experience working with small
expertise became shared when the
games. This change increased avail- computer components, and lack
school librarians partnered with a
ability of the collection for a larger of teaching background in STEM
science teacher.
number of patrons and helped make fields increased their uncertainty.
sure that kits were returned to the Most collections do not require With this support, the program
library in time to be used in the Lab subject expertise to use or circulate, helped students conceptualize and
School library’s own programming and most kits arrive with clear discuss what constitutes a computer,
and instruction. instructions or lesson plans. The and culminated in students build-
STEM collections did not match the ing five Raspberry Pi computers,
Learning How to Use the Resources librarians’ prior experience with uploading a Linux-based operat-
other circulating kits. ing system, and programming the
The acquisition of STEM materi-
machines using both Scratch and
als also led to a different type To remedy this situation, librar-
Minecraft (see figure 2).
of challenge: how best to use ians approached science teachers
these new resources in support of from the Lab School and asked for Through this experience, the Lab
student learning. Librarians are help. One teacher was fascinated by School librarians realized that
accustomed to learning the ins and the kits and offered to cohost the identifying and developing units
outs of a new database or reading program. Not only did this teacher of instruction while simultaneously
and recommending books. In bring years of STEM experience to gaining familiarity with technology-
many cases, librarians have been the project, she also had access to rich tools (many of which require
trained to provide critical insights soldering irons, safety eyewear, and assembly and software training)
and guidance about how to use a science lab with heat-protected can be a daunting task. However,
purchased materials. In the case of workstations. Thus, students were they also realized they were not
alone in these endeavors and were
reenergized about the work they had
begun. Working with a classroom
The burden of safety and subject expertise became shared
teacher increased the richness of
resources for previously existing
when the school librarians partnered with a science teacher.
STEM opportunities in the school;
the new resources provided a unique
64 Knowledge Quest | Diversity Matters
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may be used for the noncommercial purpose of scientific or educational advancement
granted by Sections 107 and 108 of the Copyright Revision Act of 1976. Address
usage requests to the ALA Office of Rights and Permissions.
way for librarians to reach out to At the UW Lab School, librarians
science and math teachers. From have found that students are also
that point forward, partnerships essential partners in programs
were actively sought to reduce relating to STEM initiatives.
anxiety, brainstorm ideas, distribute Their enthusiasm is contagious
learning goals, share resources, and and propels those around them to
divide classroom applications. Part- think about technology in new and
nerships have included the groups innovative ways. Often, students
described in the following sections. research new collection materials
and make suggestions for add-ons
Current Teachers or additional kits that will allow
them to deepen their STEM
Teachers have a wealth of knowledge
exploration. The school librarians
to support STEM activities, are
find that students generally have
easily accessible, and often share
strong opinions about purchases of
interests in purchased (and desired)
STEM materials and are happy to
resources. As the school librarians
share why they believe additional
have encouraged engagement with
purchases are important. This
these materials, they have discov-
process generates both a strong
ered interested teachers in a variety
collection and program ideas that
of disciplines, including science,
are student-driven. Librarians are
mathematics, and art. Additionally,
now working to develop a formal
teacher partnerships have allowed
student-led purchasing program
librarians to access resources not
with a dedicated portion of the
traditionally held in their collec-
collections budget.
tions that facilitate and enhance
program offerings (e.g., art supplies,
Part-Time Support Staff
safety goggles, sinks, lab tables). The Figure 1. A UW Lab School student assembles
division of classroom-management Additionally, school librar- a Raspberry Pi kit.
responsibilities also allows for the ians lean on the interests and
focus to be on leveraging STEM- motivations of their support staff
based activities and engagement with to encourage hands-on and web-
students. based exploration and to report
best practices. Because STEM
Students resources are in library circulation,
staff members are encouraged to
Students gravitate toward these
check out materials, test them at
circulating STEM materials.
home, share them with friends and
Soon after receiving kits, student
family, and note their observations.
interest is piqued as they examine
This approach not only helps the
the new resources in programs
school librarians identify websites
offered by librarians. Students
and videos devoted to supporting
can gain considerable experience
STEM technologies, but also to
with technologies that match their
identify potential lessons, activi-
interests and become useful mentors
ties, and assessments for learning.
to others, including librarians and
other partners. Fortunately, most
Local Enthusiasts
students are flattered when given
an opportunity to share their skills Several faculty members at the
with others, particularly adults. university near the school are
Leveraging students’ expertise can interested in Pre-K–12 technology
generate ideas, facilitate instruction, integration and have historically
engage other students, and foster partnered with local schools to
student-directed learning. help pre-service teachers gain Figure 2. UW Lab School students program
technology skills (Shepherd et al. Raspberry Pi computers.
Volume 45, No. 3 | January/February 2017 65
All materials in this journal subject to copyright by the American Library Association
may be used for the noncommercial purpose of scientific or educational advancement
granted by Sections 107 and 108 of the Copyright Revision Act of 1976. Address
usage requests to the ALA Office of Rights and Permissions.
2015). Thus, librarians approached the robotics collection of STEM many of these concepts and spent
these faculty members to see if kits, the library purchased and time learning off-hours. Teachers
they would like to get involved in circulated several robots (e.g., Dash and librarians nurtured a culture of
learning about and supporting and Dot, Sphero, Ollie, Bee-Bots). open communication to share their
STEM-based circulation materials. During the 2015–2016 school discoveries with each other and
A few volunteered. This partner- year the library staff decided to support one another’s successes.
ship began with awareness sessions purchase twelve additional Sphero
for pre-service teachers. Every devices (see figure 4) because they To accomplish the daunting project
semester these faculty members are compact, durable, waterproof, of planning a new course with
now bring pre-service teachers to inexpensive, support free and technology that was brand-new to us,
the Lab School library to learn how portable programming options, lack tasks were divided among the team
school librarians support instruc- small parts to lose, and were found members. The part-time employee
tion and to examine circulating to be more approachable than Lego located web-based resources
technology resources (see figure 3). Robotics. Fortunately, a university regarding the internal components
professor, a middle school science of Sphero and how they worked.
As the STEM programs and curri- teacher, and a part-time library Librarians found ideas on Pinterest
cula developed by the school library employee volunteered to help librar- and other blogs about using Sphero
continue to grow, the librarians ians develop and teach a nine-week robots with finger paints. The
consult and partner with still more course at the Lab School. In the Learning Labs site associated with
local experts and enthusiasts. The course students explored robotics, the robot included resources about
librarians reached out to the local programming, and art with this using slow-shutter-speed cameras
robotics club to share informa- technology, even though none of the to draw light-based pictures (SPRK
tion and software. One librarian adult facilitators had much (if any) Lightning Lab n.d.). All partners
now volunteers with the robotics experience using Sphero robots. learned how to program the robot
club to gain knowledge for the Lab using various examples provided in
School library’s programs while Prior to instruction, all of these the app used to control the Sphero
providing valuable mentoring to instructional partners met to devices. Through these explorations,
children in the club, as well as a discuss what goals and objectives the team developed a solid cur-
female presence in the volunteer they wanted to accomplish. They riculum. (See the sidebar for links
cohort. Programming software determined that students would to our website.)
developed by leaders of the robotics learn how the robot moved and how
club is now installed on all library they could interact with its various Initially, fifteen seventh- through
workstations for use by students sensors using the SPRK Lightning ninth-graders enrolled in this
learning to code. The librarians Lab app for Android and iOS program, meeting for forty-five
developed relationships with other devices. The instructional partners minutes a week in the heart of the
local makerspaces and with the 3-D wanted to teach basic programming library. During these sessions,
visualization cave on the university that included key concepts such students learned how to drive their
campus for additional support and as loops, variables, sensors, and robots using app-enabled navigation
for field trip experiences. And, of events. Achieving this goal required controls and how to program a
course, other school librarians and additional study for all instruc- Sphero to change colors, move in
public librarians are incredibly tors. While each had explored basic shapes (e.g., squares, triangles),
valuable resources and partners for rudimentary Sphero programming play Sphero hot-potato games, and
sharing and learning about STEM for course-preparation purposes, auto drive (automatically alter-
resources and developing new they were not deeply familiar with ing directions when the Sphero
approaches to implementation of
STEM programs.
Sphero Robotics: An Example Teachers and librarians nurtured a culture of open
Here’s a detailed example of a
communication to share their discoveries with each
recent program to demonstrate
how partnerships, along with
other and support one another’s successes.
circulating materials, have engaged
students in STEM. When building
66 Knowledge Quest | Diversity Matters
All materials in this journal subject to copyright by the American Library Association
may be used for the noncommercial purpose of scientific or educational advancement
granted by Sections 107 and 108 of the Copyright Revision Act of 1976. Address
usage requests to the ALA Office of Rights and Permissions.
bumps into objects). The program
culminated in an activity in which
students programmed their robots
to paint shapes with fingerpaints
on giant strips of craft paper.
Although this program ran
smoothly, instructors realized they
had not leveraged student interest
and expertise sufficiently. They
revised their approach to better
introduce difficult concepts like
variables and sensors, and offered
the course to a new group of
students. During this implementa- Figure 3. UW faculty members and pre-service Figure 4. Lab School students discover how to
tion, students were encouraged to teachers explore kits containing electronic compo- control a Sphero robot.
check out the robots, experiment nents.
with them at home, and report
their findings during class. They
were also asked more frequently
to teach others, including the
instructors and other adults.
These changes resulted in more
complex programs (e.g., heart
shapes, stars, spiraling squares,
circles), personalized hot-potato
games, and more. Giving student
partners a leadership role in this
STEM program fostered greater
depth and breadth in their robot-
ics programming than would have
otherwise been taught.
Figure 5. Examples of “light painting” with Sphero robots and a slow-shutter-speed camera.
Getting Started at Your
Library
If you want to reinforce STEM
skills at your library, materials
that will be the most popular
and useful are those that can be
used in numerous ways. Select-
ing versatile kits will allow for
more program creation and offer
a low-cost approach to getting
started with STEM in your school
library. Talking to other librarians
and teachers to learn what kits
they know about and what they’d
be interested in using can provide
valuable inspiration for purchases.
Many of these kits are not reviewed
in traditional sources, so partners
will become your best reviewers
and recommenders.
Figure 6. Student “painting” by controlling Sphero robots.
Volume 45, No. 3 | January/February 2017 67
All materials in this journal subject to copyright by the American Library Association
may be used for the noncommercial purpose of scientific or educational advancement
granted by Sections 107 and 108 of the Copyright Revision Act of 1976. Address
usage requests to the ALA Office of Rights and Permissions.
great ways to learn more about how in purchasing decisions. Consulting
If you want to reinforce the materials work and how to start students also ensures popularity of
teaching about and with them. purchased materials.
STEM skills at your
Provide a framework of support for you and Document your successes by tracking what
library, materials that will your students. Consider adding books resources have proven useful and what
to your collection that directly approaches ignite the students’ creativity.
be the most popular and correspond to the kits you selected Incorporate formative assessments
for purchase. Being able to check into programs to improve the
useful are those that can out these books to read at home will experience as you go. Try to take
allow students to delve deeper into photographs of every program and
be used in numerous ways.
understanding technologies and activity to capture and share what
reinforce concepts. was successful.
The next step after selecting mate- Stimulate your students’ interests by aligning
Conclusions
rials for purchase and circulation tasks or challenges in your programs with pop
is understanding how to use the culture references that are popular in that Powerful learning moments occur
technology. This step does not need moment. when school librarians remember to
to be intimidating, especially if you step out of the role of teacher and
keep the following points in mind Seek out partners in your community by into the role of fellow participant.
as you begin your STEM journey. identifying groups and individuals with Students working through problems
specialized STEM interests. These on their own have been overheard
Remember, no one has to be an expert to enthusiasts and experts can help you making unprompted pronounce-
learn. Developing expertise just find new ways to create and present ments about their learning experi-
takes some time and a willingness programs for your library. ence, such as “I’m more comfortable
to play with the technology yourself. programming this [robot] than
Encourage student input by asking them
Blogs of librarians like Andy Plem- driving it,” and “Guys, we’re doing a
mons, reports from maker fairs, as what they want in the collection. Polls, lot of geometry right now!” Learn-
well as websites of STEM resource questionnaires, and advisory groups ing connections to science and math
vendors and manufacturers are are all ways to give students a voice were made without instructor input
S For lesson plans, inspiration, and ideas: For purchasing STEM materials:
E
C
Barrow Media Center Blog: Bee-Bot: <www.bee-bot.us>
R
<https://expectmiraculous.com>
U Dash and Dot:
O Geek Gurl Diaries: <www.makewonder.com>
S <www.youtube.com/user/GeekGurlDiaries>
Little Bits: <http://littlebits.cc>
E
Learning Resource Center Blog:
R
Maker Shed: <www.makershed.com>
<http://uwlibblogs.uwyo.edu/learning>

D
Makey Shop:
E Learning Resource Center STEM
<http://shop.makeymakey.com>
T Curriculum Materials Site:
S <http://libguides.uwyo.edu/lrcstem> Sparkfun Electronics:
E
<www.sparkfun.com>
G Raspberry Pi: <www.raspberrypi.org/resources>
G Sphero: <www.sphero.com>
Scratch: <https://scratch.mit.edu>
U
S Sphero: <www.sphero.com/education>
68 Knowledge Quest | Diversity Matters
All materials in this journal subject to copyright by the American Library Association
may be used for the noncommercial purpose of scientific or educational advancement
granted by Sections 107 and 108 of the Copyright Revision Act of 1976. Address
usage requests to the ALA Office of Rights and Permissions.
and resulted in students’ contin- onto others” (2012). In the case come to their programs with a belief
ued engagement with the library of the Sphero program, his advice in offering guidance (via videos,
programming. The confidence proved more true than librarians books, websites, and other materi-
with which students have tested and had imagined. als) and support to the students,
developed new technology skills, and an open approach to explor-
and then taught them to adults, has At the UW Lab School librarians ing STEM alongside the students.
offered an authentic assessment have cultivated an interest in emerg- The librarians are now part of the
of students’ burgeoning STEM ing technologies, a commitment to journey; together all of the library’s
interest and skills. Working with the diverse community partnerships, partners model for students how to
hands-on resources also fostered a and a willingness to let students ask questions of each other and how
participatory culture in the library. be the classroom experts. They’ve to share their discoveries. Together
School librarian Andy Plemmons learned that students sometimes go they have overcome initial anxieties
has suggested that librarians “just farther in thirty minutes of engage- around creating compelling STEM
need to be willing to offer the ment with these kits than the librar- programs and have opened the door
space for students to develop their ians did in several hours of work! to STEM success.
expertise and pass that learning Now, the participating librarians
Cassandra Kvenild Shannon M. Smith
Works Cited:
is head of the Learning is the library specialist
Butler, Marcia, and Cassandra
Resource Center (the Lab at the Learning Resource Kvenild. 2014. “Enhancing
Catalog Records with Photographs
School library), part of Center (the Lab School
for a Curriculum Materials
the University of Wyoming library), part of the Center.” Technical Services Quarterly
31 (2): 122–38.
Libraries. In 2015 she and Melissa Bowles- University of Wyoming Libraries. Shannon
Plemmons, Andy. 2012. “Opening
Terry coauthored the book Classroom provides weekly technology instruction at the the Space: Making the School
Library a Place of Participatory
Assessment Techniques for UW Lab School to K–9 students, including Culture.” Knowledge Quest
41 (1): 8–14. <www.ala.org/
Librarians (ACRL 2015). A member of the popular student-centered electives for middle
aasl/sites/ala.org.aasl/files/
Association of College and Research Libraries school students. In 2015 she was recipient of content/aaslpubsandjournals/
knowledgequest/docs/KNOW_41_1_
(ACRL), AASL, and the Library Information the Wyoming Library Association’s Milstead OpeningtheSpace.pdf> (accessed
October 8, 2016).
Technology Association, Cassandra is the Award in recognition of her leadership in
Shepherd, Craig E., et al. 2015.
current chair of the ACRL/EBSS Research technology with schools in Wyoming. She blogs
“Fostering Technology-Rich Serving
Committee and a member of the ACRL at <http://uwlibblogs.uwyo.edu/learning>. Learning Experiences between
School Librarians and Teacher
Publications Coordinating Committee. Education Programs.” Knowledge
Quest 44 (2): 44–52.
SPRK Lightning Lab. n.d. “Light
Emma Thielk is the
Painting.” <https://sprk.sphero.
instructional technology com/cwists/preview/78-> (accessed
Craig E. Shepherd October 8, 2016).
intern at the Learning
is an associate professor of
Resource Center (the Lab
instructional technology
School library) of the
at the University of
University of Wyoming Libraries. At the Uni-
Wyoming. His research
versity of Wyoming she is majoring in American
interests include technology use to facilitate
Studies with a minor in Museum Studies. She
learner-centered informal and formal learning
loves working with diverse technologies among
environments, electronic portfolios and other
students of all ages. Emma is excited about the
tools to document and examine professional
options to incorporate her experiences with
practice, and distance education.
technology into her future work with museums.
Volume 45, No. 3 | January/February 2017 69