Connect with Dr. Jennifer Miller-Ray

About Dr. Miller-Ray

Category: project-based learning

Reflective Teaching ~ Exploring My Makerspace Literacy Research Approaches and Classroom Practice

Currently, I teach six graduate education courses at Sul Ross State University, which is a small rural university serving 898 graduate students and a little over 2,000 undergraduate students. The institution is a Hispanic serving institution, serving low income students (Jenkins, et al., 2017). I am working with many rural schools in the Big Bend area to include Presidio ISD. Presidio ISD is a STEM school, and serves a population of 1,350 students to include demographics of 96.6 % Hispanic students and 93.4% economically disadvantaged students (2015). Presdio ISD is located on the Rio Grande river, located on the Texas-Mexican border. In addition, I am working with Maathon ISD, which is a rural district serving over 70 students to include a demographic population of 67 % Hispanics and 87 % economically disadvantaged students (2015). I am also working with several districts in the Trans-Pecos area.

My learning goals this academic year is to grow as an educator and continue improving my Ph.D. research initiatives at the University of North Texas investigating makerspace literacy environments that centers around a project-based learning 4 career STEAM model targeting elementary and middle school programs. My knowledge regarding the reading process has definitely changed and improved this semester. Perhaps the most significant change includes reevaluating my approach to really center on balanced literacy approaches that really think about transactional theory in action during professional development and instructional design approaches. Transactional theory centers on “how readers respond to the books that engage them and how these experiences can be enacted in classrooms” (Galda, 2013, p. 6). Transactional theory is rooted in Vygotsky’s social constructivism and principles of language and cognition, “which centers of teaching reading and writing highlighting creation of environments and activities in which students are motivated and encouraged to draw on their own resources to make live meanings” (Rosenblatt, 2013, p. 148).

What will I eliminate in the future? I will eliminate some of the STEM quantitative measures I have used in the past. These instruments were only used to show interest and attitude toward STEM and never measured the impact on the overall impact of literacy. Previously, I would give this instrument before and after a STEM makerspace camp or at the beginning of a semester and at the end of a semester to gauge interest. I utilized the makerspace project-based learning model and only measured the impact of interest. The model did incorporate reading prior to the makerspace PBL and a written reflection after the experience. The pre and posttest utilized in two published studies found statistically significant findings but failed to measure the impact on reading and literacy. The learner would take the STEM Semantic pre-test, read text from their content area, participate in a KWLH 21^st century learning activity, participate in a makerspace project-based learning activity using challenge cards mapped to curriculum, and reflect via writing about the experience. At the end, learners would take another post-test, the STEM Semantic survey. I have not really considered the empirical design approaches to include journaling during the entire makerspace process and/or video recordings to include in portfolios in research approaches. In the past, I have used only quantitative measures to gauge student or teacher interest and confidence levels pre and post over a period of time. While the instruments we used at the University of North Texas are widely accepted as strong and valid instruments, I now realize that a mixed method approach to include journaling throughout the experience and video interviews and reflections would add further depth to capture the impact of the STEAM makerspace challenge cards before and after literacy events. In addition, I feel this would really add to the field of sociolinguistic issues discussed this semester. I now have a stronger understanding on how to leverage native language and family cultural heritages in the makerspace model to not only improve literacy in English Language Learners but also to value the funds of knowledge to this process.

How can this approach help increase literacy opportunities for English Language Learners? First, I need to strengthen the collaborative dialogue, which I feel is strong in the KWLH activity. However, I can improve the scaffolding of my model to include previewing a picture book, vocabulary discussion, incorporating a story map, repeat reading of the story, compete the KWHL activity, and then encourage discourse after the makerspace activity. In addition, I can encourage video procedures and or reflections throughout the makerspace process. This will provide a visualization component that others may find beneficial and highlight the impact of the activity. Repeating readings can be used to measure fluency. The makerspace PBL activity using the challenge card concept could also include visualization to incorporate sociolinguistics highlighted in this course.

Tan, Barton, & Schenkel (2018) describe the impact of “meaningful and prolonged engagement toward focused complex projects through making experiences and found that children’s rich funds of knowledge anchored in children’s existing social networks provide community enthnography as a pedagogical approach (p. 77). Bringing in the “community wisdom” through makerspace activities brought about rich conversations that can really leverage experiences connected to curriculum in their own community (Tan, Barton, & Schenkel, 2018, p. 81). Range & Schmidt (2014) highlight the importance of schools and community organizations to tap into prior knowledge in makerspace activities and suggest that “students drive the process of designing projects and soliciting makerspace community for help” (p. 8). While I agree this is true, I still think many students need facilitation of such projects through a focus that may connect to core curriculum content, showing that topics can be extended to real world scenarios relevant to their community.

In conclusion, this course has helped me to really improve my understanding on how to better design literacy instructional design approaches to incorporate a large focus that centers on the transactions of the reader, text, language, culture, authentic making design process, writing, and reflection. I hope to revamp my approaches to really center on how such creative processes might not only engage interest in STEM but also build to improve cognition approaches toward multiple literacies in a mobile makerspace research environment that investigates reader response theory, or transactional theory

Galda, L. g. (2013). Learning From Children Reading Books: Transactional Theory and the Teaching of Literature. Journal Of Children’s Literature, 39(2), 5-13.

Jenkins, R. W., Stedman, S. W., Teusher, D. D., DeLaGarza, H. R., Acosta, A., Anwar, S. J., Paredes, R. A. (2017). Texas Public Higher Education Almanac.

Marathon ISD, (2015) Retrieved April 13, 2018 from https://schools.texastribune.org/districts/marathon-isd/marathon-isd/.

Presidio ISD. (2015). Retrieved April 13, 2018, from https://schools.texastribune.org/districts/presidio-isd/.

Range, E., & Schmidt, J. (2014). Explore, plan, create: Developing a makerspace for your school community. School Library Monthly, 30(7), 8-10.

Rosenblatt, L. Transactional theory of reading and writing. In J.B. Cobb, & M. K. Kallus (Eds.), Historical, Theoretical, and Sociological Foundations of Reading in the United States (pp. 13-66). Boston, MA: Pearson.

Tan, E., Barton, A. C., & Schenkel, K. (2018). Equity and the Maker Movement. Science and Children, 55(7), 76-81.

April 13, 2018
Round as a Tortilla Makerspace STEAM Literacy Event
Moll, Amanti, Neff, & Gonzalez (2011) describes the importance of education programs leveraging a child’s fund of knowledge through connecting with families and involving a holistic approach toward learning activities and learning environments. Makerspaces can serve as a quality environment to facilitate activities to incorporate balanced literacy approaches to meet the needs of diverse learners. Range & Schmidt (2014) suggests “successful makerspaces, particularly in education environments, balance practicality with creativity and collaboration to serve the needs of the school community” (p. 8). Tan, Barton, & Schnekel (2018) highlight that “children’s funds of knowledge were recruited by engaging them in community ethnography, which informs of the making design process” (p. 77) via a makerspace environment. The purpose of this activity is to align a purposeful makerspace activity to topics explored in Pre-K and kindergarten using the book by Thong & Parra (2015), Round as a Tortilla.

Repeated Reading Strategy

Day One
1. The teacher will introduce the, Round is a Tortilla, to their students. The teacher will show the front cover, back cover and conduct a picture walk. Remember to read the story enthusiastically, and with expression.
2. After reading, ask why questions to allow time for students to make inferences and to measure understanding of story events.
3. Begin the a KWHL: What do we know? What do we want to know? How will we find out? What have we learned? How will we find out?
Send home a Round as Tortillia Makespace STEAM Event letter to invite parents to the school library and to participate in making items from the story. Include 4 challenge card ideas in the letter with a link to the video. Invite the makerspace community. Your librarian should be able to help you facilitate this process.

Day Two

The teacher will conduct the second read-aloud to enrich reading comprehension and provide further engagement opportunities through a book talk, and highlight vocabulary.
1. Add more frequent questions.
2. Ask children questions to think beyond the story with completing a KWHL, What have we learned?
3. Introduce 4 STEAM Makerspace Challenge Cards and Makerspace activities. Here are some ideas. Encourage students to make their own challenge card but remind students that cards should connect to elements found in the story.
  1. Journalist: Be a storyteller and make a story about shapes in your community.
  2. Scientist: Be a scientist and investigate the process of making masa and round tortillas. Be a computer scientist: Make a game with squares and other shapes.
  3. Artist: Make a weave of shapes to use as a rectangular flag as represented in the story. Make an oval necklace.
  4. Engineer: Engineer a sail for a boat that you make.
Day Three: Makerspace STEAM event in the library. Students will make items that represent elements in the story with their parents and makerspace community.

Repeat the reading of the story. After the activity, ask the children, What have you learned?

This activity connects to Moll’s ideas of knowledge as it involves the child’s entire community in the literacy process. Children can learn how their culture connects to classroom topics through the art of making. Elders can help children learn how to weave, code, build, and apply STEAM principals through everyday activities.
April 5, 2018
Literacy in Making: Purposeful Makerspaces Connect to All Disciplines

Many people connect the makerspace movement to STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) activities through a project-based learning approach. As many are aware, the makerspace movement, founded by Dr. Seymor Papert’s (1991) theory of constructionism, is not a new learning theory or approach. Many schools and programs fail to really embrace the full power of Dr. Papert’s learning theory, which centers around social and intellectual practices to include the skill sets of problem solving, engagement, sharing expertise, and literacy (Tucker‐Raymond, Gravel, Wagh, Wilson, Manderino, & Castek, 2016).

A recent example of this in practice was provided to elementary teachers during a workshop in north Texas recently. Teachers read the book, The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind. This book was selected as there is both a chapter version and young readers edition of the true story. Also, William’s story connects to so many STEM principles that we often see in a makerspace. After reading the story, teachers identified main ideas and concepts, inferences were made, and filled out an upgraded KWL 21st Century Style chart that I have found to be very helpful from Silvia Tolisano (2015). Afterwards, teachers made an artifact serving 1 of four career STEAM roles using the following challenge cards. Afterwards, teachers would reflect via writing. A link to the presentation and challenge card concept can be located below.

The following week we implemented this strategy in a Navajo school in northern Arizona. Students were very eager to learn about topics presented and built windmill prototypes and took on a makerspace project using the challenge card concept. Cards were adapted to bring in diversity topics of the Elements, to honor Navajo beliefs and culture. Navajo students will share their project soon with a larger community.

Papert, S., & Harel, I. (1991). Situating constructionism. Constructionism, 36(2), 1-11.

Tucker‐Raymond, E., Gravel, B. E., Wagh, A., Wilson, N., Manderino, M., & Castek, J. (2016). Making It Social: Considering the Purpose of Literacy to Support Participation in Making and Engineering. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 60(2), 207-211.

November 29, 2017
Celebrating Diversity and Eclipse 2017 via a Makerspace K’e Activity

Jean Piaget stressed that “children have real understanding only of that which they invent themselves, and each time that we try to teach them something too quickly, we keep them from reinventing it themselves.” (Papert, 1999). As I continue to collaborate with makers and educators around the world, I like many before me see patterns preventing progress. Programs and strategies often talk of innovation and creativity, but fail to create systems and processes to provide a sustained action. Unfortunately, many are missing the mark. Makerspaces can serve as a disruptive change agent that can encourage diverse learners to create, invent, and in effect develop new knowledge.

During the last few months, I have had the opportunity to collaborate and coach a Navajo school located in northern Arizona through an Indigenous Makerspace Outreach program coordinated by NASA, the Indigenous Education Institute, the University of North Texas, and myself. Ideas on integrating a makerspace approach continue to take shape, which began in 2012 with a joint ISTE and NASA Multiscale Magentosphere curriculum initiative. I had an idea that I developed through my PLN that took traction. I collaborated with Sandra Wozniak, Tom Chambers, and Troy Cline on a STEAM approach that utilized 4 career stations. That STEAM approach was revamped through four separate NASA and state funded programs to include multiple STEAM camps in Texas and other locations around the world, a NASA Makerspace Launch activity in Florida at the Kennedy Space Center, NASA funded Makers’ Guild professional development outreach program located in north Texas, and now a NASA funded Indigenous Makerspace Outreach program. With each new program and idea, our makerspace project-based learning process grew.

Makerspace Connections to Literacy

Students and the entire Navajo school staff have read Sunpainters: The Eclipse of the Navajo Sun. After reading the story, students identify main ideas and concepts. Annelle Butler, a teacher at Spicer elementary located in north Texas helped me to revamp this concept to include a focus on complex text. Ms. Butler serves a very diverse student population, with over 14 languages represented in her classroom last year. Makerspace served to help Ms. Butler meet the needs of diverse learners. Students complete a KWHL chart to identify main ideas and themes.

A Navajo cultural teacher working with me, has weaved Navajo teachings into literacy activities to center on an understanding of K’e – The Kinship System. After developing a strong understanding of content, students then extend research as they fulfill a makerspace project based learning activity using challenge cards. After making an artifact, students will write and reflect on their makerspace design process, utilize informational text, and add content to their personal journals.

Making Through 4 STEAM Career Lens

The concept of making using a purposeful instructional design, can help diverse learners bridge the academic gap between the arts and the sciences. How does a purposeful design help? Purposeful design adds a focus to the design process, which aides in students knowing how to direct student-led passion projects.

Such a process is rooted in research, but often schools fail to understand the importance of purposeful design. It serves to provide enrichment toward classroom content centering around a central question. In this case, students are posed with the following question.

How does elements in the Sunpainters: Eclipse of the Navajo Sun represent K’e?

I worked with teachers during two online professional development training using Zoom and a face to face 3 hour training. Traditional Navajo beliefs center on the elements. The sun and moon are powerful deities in Navajo culture. The sun controls and regulates the universe, while the moon controls and regulates the earth. As a result, we will be honoring traditional beliefs indoors during this sacred time. Afterwards, students will participate on a makerspace event to reflect on activities during the last week through the lens of a scientist, journalist, artist, and engineer. Students will be presented several challenge card activities and will be encouraged to create their own makerspace challenge card. A representative of challenge cards are located below.

Students will showcase makerspace products in multiple community events during the next month. The program serves to be a model to other organizations. Teachers will continue to learn how to design makerspace challenge cards with me throughout the school year. In addition, students will reflect in writing journals on their design process. Additional activities will include weaving, sash belt looms, and other traditional Navajo arts.

Papert, S. (1999). Papert on piaget. Time magazine, (p. 105).

August 21, 2017