Mind the Intersection

As a driver, you're very conscious of intersections. You pay attention, become aware. You yield or stop at these crossing points. In much the same way, I was paying attention to my own teaching and learning, and I was noticing that my students needed a more hands-on approach to reading and writing. (How often with the latest fidget spinner fad had I heard kids say that it helped them focus?)

With the evolution of makerspaces in elementary schools, I began to wonder how to intersect maker education with literacy instruction. I had been asking around my school if anyone wanted to collaborate in this inquiry project but there wasn't much interest initially. However, this spring, both the school librarian and the Learning Assistance Teacher (LAT) said that they wanted to come on board. We're all reading Make Writing by Angela Stockman (more about this in another post) over the summer and we plan to have a few planning meetings in August. I'm so excited!

As a reading intervention teacher, I want to integrate makerspace while teaching reading skills/strategies and acknowledging the reading-writing connection. I believe that each of these elements can be a springboard or catalyst for the next learning experience. The making, reading, and writing are all equal players. They are never meant to be the carrot or the stick; although, they could certainly be the hook to grab a student's attention and spur on new ideas.

My initial mental model looks something like this:

It's the intersection of these elements that has me on alert! I'll be watching and paying attention to how this new model for literacy instruction might change my teaching and improve student learning.