Visible Learning: Pedagogical Documentation in the Makerspace

November 21, 2017 Archivist Critical pedagogy, Inquiry-based learning, Makerspaces, Observation (Educational method), TMC5 2017 Papers 0

Melanie Mulcaster

By Melanie Mulcaster

Visible Learning: Pedagogical Documentation in the Makerspace

Mulcaster SiteAbstract

Presented in three parts, Mulcaster shares background, theory and an accompanying website project that investigates emerging research on makerspaces in learning and pedagogical documentation.

Part 1 provides discussion on pedagogical documentation literature in connection with emerging makerspace literature.

Part 2 focuses more closely on the maker movement historically in education and pedagogical documentation in the Reggio Emilia approach, tying the underpinnings of both together and succinctly charted them.

Part 3 details the action research components of the project and introduces the project’s professional learning website, summarizing the researcher’s reflections and providing an extensive reference list. The co-planned and taught project professional learning website illustrates makerspaces and pedagogical documentation in the learning commons at Ms. Mulcaster’s school using award-winning new fiction (primary grades) and non-fiction (middle grades) as maker gateways.

TMC5_2017_Mulcaster_Pt1.pdf: Visible Learning: Pedagogical Documentation in the Makerspace

TMC5_2017_Mulcaster_Pt2.pdf: Bringing it All Together: Pedagogical Documentation and Maker Practices in Schools

TMC5_2017_Mulcaster_Pt3.pdf: Professional Action Inquiry Research Project

Main project site: https://sites.google.com/pdsb.net/visiblepedagogymakerspace/

The Forest of Making: https://sites.google.com/pdsb.net/forestofmaking/home

Melanie MulcasterMelanie Mulcaster is a teacher librarian (and novice maker) at Hillside Public School, in the Peel District School Board. She contributes and acts as virtual facilitator for making with Teach Ontario, a branch of the provincial government’s agency, TVO. Melanie collaborates and co-teaches with her peers and colleagues to promote and foster twenty first century thinking and skills, supporting the evolution of unique, modern engaging programming that tailors to student interests, needs and skill sets especially in the emerging arena of library and classroom learning commons makerspaces.