That Makerspace is Getting Closer
- Paige Dersham
- Jul 17, 2015
- 3 min read
Documenting the Creation of the Exploration and Learning Hub - Part 3
Getting the 3D printer seemed to help get us moving again. Liz set up a Donors Choose account too. We went to our PTA and pitched our idea. We asked if they would just give us enough money to buy 5 Hokki stools for each class, sort of as a proof of concept and starting place. They loved the pitch and agreed to give us the money for the stools. This also upped the level of interest about our project in the building. Parents stopped us to ask us questions and they came up with reasons to need to be in our room to see the changes we were making.
In April we were asked to a longer pitch to a combined PTA-CSC meeting. We worked together on a Google Slides presentation and met with Meegan again to make sure we knew what our message needed to be. The group decided that at the school auction on May 8th we would present our idea and there would be a paddle raise to fund our project with the idea that the school would work to change all of the rooms over time. This sent Liz and I into nervous panic mode as we cleaned up our presentation and wrote our speeches. (Check back for video of this amazing night)
I will say that May 8th will go down as a one of the most profoundly moving moments in my teaching career. Liz and I wandered around the auction nervously waiting for our big moment, which was the last part of the evening. When we got up on stage our slide presentation didn’t really work so that left the pitch to our words alone. The parents response was amazing! Liz and I watched in awe as paddles were raised again and again. When it was all done we had raised almost $40,000. I am still overwhelmed at the generosity of the parents and their trust in our vision.
That was enough money to get all we wanted and to start getting some furniture in other rooms as well. We sat down with the vendor we would be using to get all that we had planned for. We also got to do a webinar with the designers where they created our class 3 dimensionally in front of us. Meegan sat in on my session and helped pick out colors, change dimensions of furniture and brainstorm new idea. We ordered everything on June 14th. We just got word that they will be in our building August 5th to put up our share walls and put all the furniture together!
We plan to give special tours of our rooms at the lemonade social the school holds the week before school starts. We want to keep that buzz going so that we can do more in our building. I plan to document the year as we learn how to use this new space. It is going to require rethinking how we teach and how kids choose to do their work. So although the planning, research, funding, and waiting is almost done. The original idea, a portable maker station is closer but still needs materials and tools, but I have the space and the 3D printer to get it started. The real work is about to begin.
Comments