Escambia School Media Centers Honored For Makerspaces In Innovation Centers

May 25, 2016

As part of the Escambia County School Superintendent’s Vision 2020 plan, school district library media specialists were challenged last summer to transition their school’s libraries into Innovation Centers and to rethink floor plans and material usage to create Makerspaces.

“It was exciting to see so many schools’ Innovation Center Specialists look for ways to reinvent their space and shift their mind sets,” said Superintendent Malcolm Thomas. “Spaces that were previously used for storage or teacher workrooms were cleared out and cleaned to become student Makerspaces. Students had a place to be creative and keep their projects to finish on another day.”

A rubric was created to track each Innovation Center’s progress with implementing Makerspaces. Library media specialists and principals completed the rubrics and provided documentation of their efforts. The rubrics and documentation were reviewed by a committee and eleven schools are being honored as being “exemplary” in their design and implementation of the Makerspace opportunities in their Innovation Centers. The Innovation Specialists at these schools are being awarded $250 from the Superintendent’s Circle fund to support the Makerspaces in their schools and further develop ideas and creativity.

Exemplary schools honored for their Makerspaces and Innovation Centers were:

·         Ensley Elementary (Library Media Specialist, Myra Palmer)
·         Ferry Pass Elementary (Library Media Specialist, Valerie Kaye)
·         Northview High (Library Media Specialist, Alison Robinson)
·         Oakcrest Elementary (Library Media Specialist, Michelle Lingo)
·         Pine Meadow Elementary (Library Media Specialist, Debby Dorough)
·         Ransom Middle (Library Media Specialist, Crystal Roberts)
·         Tate High (Library Media Specialist, Mitzi Allen)
·         Washington High (Library Media Specialist, Alisha Wilson)
·         Weis Elementary (Library Media Specialist, Jennifer Kemp)
·         West Florida High (Library Media Specialist, Linda Quinn)
·         Woodham Middle (Library Media Specialist, Hazel McCormack)

Innovation Center Specialists have also worked hard this year to find ways to fund specific ideas. Many received grants from the Escambia Public Schools Foundation. Twelve schools each received part of a $28,000 grant from the Panhandle Public Access Network that allowed them to purchase some big ticket items.

“Some used grant money to buy items like Minecraft, small robots, circuits, and even 3D printers,” added Sheila Brandt, ECSD’s Media Services Coordinator. “We also saw amazing examples of recycling. Even the packing material that came in the boxes with the new Chromebooks were repurposed in creative ways, such as a model of Shakespeare’s Globe Theater created with the material at Washington High School.”

“As librarians, none of us ever want to see kids stop checking out books. This transformation has not meant that, in fact some schools saw an increase in their checkout rate,” Brandt added. “Instead, we are excited to see increased levels of energy and excitement when students come in to be creative, and they find a book for inspiration, or vice versa.”

“One rubric contained a comment from a high school Innovation Center Specialist that said that at first this seemed overwhelming,” added Thomas. “But now, she said she knows this was the most positive thing she could have done in her library for their students. It is my pleasure to present funds to these schools to help keep the innovations coming.”

Comments

2 Responses to “Escambia School Media Centers Honored For Makerspaces In Innovation Centers”

  1. Patricia McElfresh on May 26th, 2016 5:33 am

    Congratulations to our schools who met the challenge to create an environment that is inviting to all children, especially to my dear friend and former colleague, Myra Palmer at Ensley Elementary School. I had the pleasure and honor of volunteering in the Ensley Elementary School Innovation Center this school year and witness the awesome transition of the Media Center to an Innovation Center. Myra has always been creative and innovative both as a classroom teacher and Media Specialist. She has always challenged children to expand their minds and to reach for the stars. This recognition is certainly more than deserving for Myra Palmer and Ensley Elementary School.

  2. Kim Stefansson on May 25th, 2016 2:24 pm

    Thank you, northescambia.com for sharing our GREAT news!

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