020 – Flying by the Seat of Your Pants with Laura Fleming

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[In This Episode][Guest Bio][Additional Notes][Text Transcript]

In This Episode

What is the best strategy for starting a makerspace in your school? How long should you take to plan your makerspace before you get started? Is flying by the seat of your pants a good idea or a bad one? What are the key features of an 8 foot tall DIY teeter totter? Stay tuned for the answers in today’s podcast. 

Our guest today is Laura Fleming.  Laura is a librarian and media specialist at New Milford High School in Jew Jersey.  A little over a year ago, she started a makerspace in her library, and the results have been unbelievable.  I’m not a big fan of spoilers, so let’s get straight to the interview.

Laura’s Favorite Quote

If you want to be happy, set a goal that commands your thoughts, liberates your energy and inspires your hopes. - Andrew Carnegie Click To Tweet

About Making

About Laura

Laura has been an educator in the state of New Jersey for 17 years.  She has been both a classroom teacher and media specialist in grades K-8 and currently as a Library Media Specialist for grades 9-12.   Laura is a strong advocate of using New Media and Vanguard Techniques for Interactive and Transmedia (multi-platform) Storytelling.  She has played a prominent role in education as a writer and speaker and has served as an educational consultant on next-generation teaching methods and tools. Laura has also consulted on Transmedia properties, working with producers to help maximize the value of their creations and toolsets for teachers and students. She is also the author of Worlds of Learning: Best Practices for Establishing a Makerspace for Your School (Corwin, 2015).

Laura’s goal is to create learning experiences that empower and equip students with necessary skills to effectively produce and consume content across multiple media platforms.  She is also driven to enable educators and cohorts in applying these innovative methods and cutting-edge technology in their fields of expertise. She is an educational consultant, thought leader and speaker on education, librarianship, and technology.  

Recently, Laura created a digital badge-based professional development platform in which educators all over the world earn badges in acknowledgement of their informal professional learning.  Her library Makerspace has garnered national attention and has served as an inspiration for schools across the country.  She is also a recipient of the National School Boards ‘20 to Watch’ in Educational Technology Leadership for 2014.

Her goal is to create learning experiences that empower and equip students with necessary skills to effectively produce and consume content across multiple media platforms. She is also driven to enable educators and cohorts in applying these innovative methods and cutting-edge technology in their fields of expertise.  Laura is an educational consultant, thought leader and speaker on education, librarianship and technology.

Additional Notes

Connect with Laura:

• Email: larfleming@yahoo.com
• Twitter: @nmhs_lms
• LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/pub/laura-fleming/24/58a/764
• Website: http://www.worlds-of-learning.com

TeacherLibrarian Journal Series

• Part 1: The Philosophy of Educational Makerspaces
• Part 2: The Environment and Tools of Great Educational Makerspaces
• Part 3: Practical Implementation of an Educational Makerspace

Link about “Flying by the seat of your pants”: http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/139400.html 

Text Transcript

 Coming Soon!

My definition of a #makerspace. What is yours? No two are alike. #edscapepic.twitter.com/sr1XP7hRQs

— Laura Fleming (@NMHS_lms) October 18, 2014

Great time moving from STEM to STEAM- LED art with our Advanced Art class as they plan out their superhero artifacts pic.twitter.com/6yZvKiHdrd

— Laura Fleming (@NMHS_lms) January 16, 2015

Just another day in our library 🙂 #tlchatpic.twitter.com/U7yjccA5oJ

— Laura Fleming (@NMHS_lms) October 2, 2014