Month: May 2016

May was a month of much self-reflection for this maker mentor.  I started thinking about how I could lessen my footprint on the daily programing.  We have been to ask to think about our collaborations with other programs and people in the library system.  And lastly, I’ve wondered about my place in this program and the future of the program… Read more →

This is what I love about Maker Jawn. I’m sitting on a 6 foot plank to keep it still while one of our Makers furiously hacks it with a saw. Sawdust flies up into our noses and settles on the carpeted floor. The table shudders, the saw grinds and barks at the wood.  After a 4 inch piece of wood… Read more →

Creating an environment for informal learning takes a lot of compromise. The kids who come to the maker rooms at our libraries are not required to be there for any reason, and can participate in any way they like. I’m not a teacher or instructor, but more of a guide to help the makers figure out what they are interested… Read more →

Some of the most important skills we strive to teach within our space are resiliency and openness to failure. As a Mentor whose primary responsibility has been to float between our program locations as support staff and to assist in staff transitions, how can I expect that my mere presence in our space will invite Makers to engage in an… Read more →

Intergenerational Programming   One of the many things that I realized as a Floater Mentor is that we continuously have little to no intergenerational programming at many of our sites. There is usually only a few of the older teens who attend Maker Jawn Programming on a regularly basis. Some sites may have more than others, but overall not as much as… Read more →