History, Part 2: Preparing for Makerspace Year 1

Steve Gagnon, DLS, and Ashley Healey, LMS, are the dynamic duo of Stratham Memorial School’s newly rolled out Learning Commons Program. With a combined 45 years in education, they’ve seen the evolution of Makerspace culture and have dabbled with a wide variety of materials and structures both within the classroom setting; within a block of a unified arts schedule; and within a blended, collaborative, learning format as they’re now experiencing. They’re excited to share their journey with you.

Read Part 1  Read Part 3  Read Part 4

You crafted your vision and set the stage for a new learning experience. Talk to us about preparing for Year 1. What shifts did you make in terms of physical, philosophical, or curriculum changes?

ASHLEY: Before getting started, Steve and I worked together, along with administration, to create some overarching goals that could drive our vision. As mentioned in our first post, we’d be taking the current library curriculum and merging it with the technology curriculum to create a “Learning Commons” experience for our school.

STEVE: It quickly became apparent that it would take more than just Ashley and me to pull off what we had planned for working together. Years ago, our school had a Technology Coordinator who handled the technology budget, supported teachers, and maintained hardware and software. There was also a technician and a librarian aide. 

We decided to request that our administration add a media/technology support professional who, instead of working in an independent position, would work in a position that would report directly to both of us as support.

ASHLEY: Having worked with Danielle Devlin (affectionately known as Danie), in the classroom for the past six years, she was a no-brainer for the role. She’s creative, innovative, and just “gets” kids. Steve and I both agreed that she would be perfect for the role we envisioned supporting our programming. 

STEVE: After hiring Danie in the support position, our first task to tackle was physical space. My Makerspace moved rooms quite a bit before connecting with Ashley. At first, I started in the computer lab room, which was right next to the library. From there, I moved to the modular and then to a classroom on the second floor. These moves were all the result of student needs within the building, but none were really designed to support an integrated, accessible space. 

Now that I was going to be working with Ashley, it made sense for me to move back to the old computer lab, as it connects to the Library, so we could blend the Makerspace and the library into the Learning Commons. My move was straightforward, as I had done it many times before. Ashley, on the other hand, had a different situation.

ASHLEY: To really give you a sense of what our library looked like before, you must understand how vastly different the programming and space operated philosophically. The previous librarian viewed the space as her classroom and thus most of the day it was inaccessible to those not in the middle of their unified arts class. Additionally, it was jam-packed with books and furniture, which was really limiting and didn’t allow for fluidity and flexibility. We donated tons of books, bringing our collection from 21,000 items (grossly over the recommended book-to-student ratio) down to 11,000, breathing life into the space. By removing large, bulky furniture, we made space for Makerspace items, including LEGO® bricks, K’NEX®, a 3-D printer, electronic cutting machine, iPads, Chromebooks, and more, to be included in the physical space. It was important for our vision to be a feeling, not just an idea. The space transformation was truly striking.

STEVE: As we worked on the space, we also thought it would be essential to create a visual for the staff, students, and the community to understand how our new three-person team would work. We came up with the image below after trying out some different visual representations. The Venn diagram shows how we each have our own responsibilities but also shows how the overlapping nature of our positions allows our Learning Commons idea to work effectively.

ASHLEY: With a vision crafted, an accessible space created, and staff educated about the shifts, it was now time to welcome the students! Join us in our next post as we highlight the success and challenges of our first year.

More in this series:

• History, Part 1: Setting the Stage for an Integrated, 21st-Century Program
• History, Part 3: Preparing for Year 1 of an Integrated Library and Makerspace Program - The Learning Commons
• History, Part 4: Putting the “Maker” into Our [Library] Space!

ABOUT THE AUTHORS:

ASHLEY HEALEY

Teacher Librarian, Stratham Memorial School, New Hampshire

Ashley Healey is a National Board Certified Teacher with a passion for reading, writing, technology, and maker culture. She’s dedicated to creating dynamic, inclusive library spaces where students can explore new ideas, develop critical thinking skills, and expand their imaginations.

Ashley serves as the PreK-5 Teacher Librarian at Stratham Memorial School in Stratham, New Hampshire. She also teaches graduate courses at the University of New Hampshire’s Summer Literacy Institute and is the Field Director for the UNH Writers Academy for Youth. Find her at @ashleyhealey.bsky.social.

STEPHEN GAGNON

Digital Learning Specialist, Stratham Memorial School, New Hampshire

Steve Gagnon has worked at Stratham Memorial School since 1993, teaching Grades 3-5. He spent two years as the assistant principal and is currently the Digital Learning Specialist for the school. In 2014, he converted his school’s computer lab into a Makerspace, which continues to grow and thrive today. Steve’s students love the Makerspace program because it enables them to use technology to create meaningful learning experiences. Steve is the New Hampshire Society for Technology in Education (NHSTE) 2012 Pat Keyes Technology-Using Educator Award Winner. Find him at @jstevieg.bsky.social.

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