The Library Makerspace and Storytelling Connection

I don't know about you, but the kids at my school are always excited to participate in makerspace activities in our library. It gives them a chance to be creative in a place where they feel safe to express themselves. For that reason, I was overjoyed to see the video, Maker Kids and the Future of Storytelling. Ms. Diana expresses the connection between the creation of something physical and memory. There are so many benefits to the use of a makerspace. Due to increased use of technology at younger and younger ages, there have also been correlations in reduced fine motor skills in early childhood. Marzog and Suggate (2022) even note in their study, "evidence that more media usage relates negatively to FMS [fine motor skill] development in early childhood." By including a hands-on makerspace activity this could help aid in that development for preschool age students not to mention the literacy and vocabulary they will gain from the story itself.

I also love the limitless creative capacity that Ms. Diana's story can have in conjunction with the 3D printer. The 3D printed characters created from her book helped students to create a multitude of new stories of their own. In a way it reminds me of those traveling gnomes people would photograph and post from all of their travels. This could be a good writing prompt for older students. Younger students could use the prompt to tell a story verbally. The makerspace could be adjusted to encompass any age group when paired with appropriate level reading. This allows for a different learning experience every time the story is told.

Working in a Title I school, funding is not available for a 3D printer in our makerspace at this time, but the same concept could be done with a lower tech makerspace, as well. Characters could be made from clay by students, who in turn could create a new story from their creation. They could also use their characters to create videos with their own stories. Demco Ideas & Inspiration has some great ideas for different age groups of makerspace pairings with books and crafts to get students hands-on. Teach Outside the Box also has some ideas about some great picture books to use for storytelling along with a followup makerspace activity for students. Looking through some of the ideas is a good reminder of how interdisciplinary these storytelling and library lessons can be connecting learning from English language to science, math, history, art, and music.

*Image by FreePik

After reviewing some of the wonderful ideas from these sources and from Ms. Diana's TED Talk, I began to revisit my last storytelling experience with manipulatives. There were so many things that made this storytelling challenging from changing voices for different characters, to figuring out how to read a book and handle multiple manipulatives, all while videoing myself. The characters I chose to use were simple printable characters that I laminated and put on a stick. Using 3D printed characters would have been an awesome addition to this storytelling. Adding a makerspace activity to this for students could have included anything from having students reenact the story in parts like a play to having them create their own version of the troll. I think this just reiterates how a makerspace can make a fuller, more memorable experience for students.

Aside from just the things that a makerspace could have added to this storytelling experience, I would like to reflect on my process for this book. I initially chose The Three Billy Goats Gruff, because sometimes a good story just speaks to you. The simple plot and storyline, repetition, and characterization all made this book one I felt would be good for a storytelling experience. I initially tried to memorize the book so that I could do it without the book, but I just couldn't get it all memorized in the time I had. I also wanted to stay true to the wording the author had intended instead of summarizing for this book. Where I ended up landing was pulling up the e-book on my computer screen at the same time as I used the characters. I recorded it repeatedly, and I never could get it just like I wanted it. I would forget one of the voices, and I just wasn't as expressive as I wanted to be. I tend to be a perfectionist, though, and I need to remember that every day in a school is a work in progress. Nothing ever goes as planned, but making the best of any situation can go a long way.

What I'm Reading: Myths

• Skarp's Ghost from the collection Across the Rainbow Bridge by Kevin Crossley-Holland.

• The Book of Mythical Beasts & Magical Creatures by Stephen Krensky

• Explore Ancient Chinese Myths by Anita Yasuda

• Beware of the Grove of True Love by Roshani Chokshi in The Cursed Carnival and Other Calamities edited by Rick Riordan

• Monsters 101 by Cale Atkinson

• Gravity Hills by Virginia Loh-Hagan

• Sinbad: Sailing into Peril by Marie P. Croall and Clint Hilinski

References:

Barnett, M. (2022). The Three Billy Goats Gruff. (Jon Klassen, Illus.). Orchard Books.

Martzog, P., & Suggate, S. P. (2022). Screen Media are associated with Fine Motor Skill Development in preschool children. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 60, 363–373. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecresq.2022.03.010

TEDx Talks. (2014, October 27). Maker Kids and the Future of Storytelling. {Video}. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hC3vqyCCus