Standard: Cultivating Effective Instructional Design to Co-plan, Teach and Assess Learning.
Theme: STEAM /Maker Pedagogies
Growth Phase: Established
Growth Indicator: Teacher-librarians co-design experiential projects with teachers and students to address real-life problems.
This issue of Ontario School Library Association (OSLA) journal The Teaching Librarian focuses on innovation in the SLLC. Includes articles on tinkering and making.
Whalley, K. (ed.) (2022). The Teaching Librarian 29(2). Retrieved from https://accessola.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/2022-January-TingL-29-2.pdf
An Ontario elementary school LLC has a brand new “Fab Lab – the French term for makerspace and short for “Laboratoire de fabrication”. The teacher-librarian worked with the school and school council to build understanding and fund this “collaborative, hands-on learning space where students from all grades will be able to grow, learn and explore using critical thinking, problem solving, creativity and more!” The Fab Lab’s engaging website includes many photos, illustrated curricular connections, makerspace examples with “plenty of high-tech, low-tech and no-tech resources”, and also choice boards for use at home.
Aradj, L. (2023). Fab Lab. Retrieved from https://sites.google.com/tdsb.on.ca/llpsllc/fab-lab
An Ontario teacher-librarian explores the integration of coding and robotics in elementary education to enhance student engagement and develop 21st-century skills. Through action research her case study involving Grade 5 students highlights the positive impact of coding and robotics activities on student focus, cooperation, and problem-solving abilities, while also addressing the challenges of resource availability and teacher training. The findings suggest that coding and robotics can significantly increase student engagement and reduce behavioral issues, preparing students for future high-tech careers.
Clements, S. (2025). Improving student engagement with coding and robotics: An elementary school case study. Paper presented at the Treasure Mountain Canada 8 Symposium, Toronto, Canada. https://researcharchive.canadianschoollibraries.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/TMC8_2025_Clements.pdf