Makerspaces and meeperBOTS
I love makerspaces. In my undergrad, my final paper revolved around the creation and implementation of makerspaces, and as my library system expands, I've loved seeing our new makerspaces be developed from the ground up. Access to creative pursuit and development makes me geek out, and I love to work with patrons of all ages to create and/or learn something new. STEM tools and programming is especially interesting to me, particularly with younger patrons. Developing an interest in STEM at an early age is important, and can set kids moving towards skills and abilities they continue to develop as they learn and grow.
When selecting a makerspace tool for review, I was particularly interested in finding something that could be made into a "kit" in my own library. CCPL, like many libraries, does not have a makerspace in every branch, but that doesn't mean that the makerspace can't come to the library anyway. Our library (and the state library too, for all interested parties!) sends out kits for use that can do any number of things that a makerspace might facilitate. Slime creation, brush bots, button making, and upcycling materials name only a few of the kits that can be borrowed from our programming department. In investigating a makerspace tool, I wanted to find something that could be sent from library to library in the form of a kit, as well as used in a stationary makerspace.
What I found were meeperBOTS. In a post titled "Step Up Your STEM Programs With MeeperBOTs!" on the Demco "Ideas and Inspiration" blog, Elesa Swirgsdin & Holly Storck-Post go into extensive detail about these awesome and intuitive robots and how they can be utilized in STEM programming. MeeperBOTS teach valuable STEM skills such as "engineering, problem solving, critical thinking and even basic coding." MeeperBOTS are simple to utilize, and could easily be sent from location to location for use. All that is needed is the meeperBOT itself, a mobile device to control it, and legos to build and create on top of it. Other things like styrofoam bricks and other such obstacles can also be included at the kit creator's discretion.
Though I would utlilize this awesome STEM activity in the form of a kit, I think the meeperBOTS could be used to great effect in all types of environments, inside or outside of a makerspace. The versatility of being able to control the meeperBOT from any mobile device makes the experience a fluid one that can be begun and mastered in a very short period of time. I think that meeperBOTS are a valuable addition to any library seeking to add a STEM component for their younger patrons' creative outlet.
When selecting a makerspace tool for review, I was particularly interested in finding something that could be made into a "kit" in my own library. CCPL, like many libraries, does not have a makerspace in every branch, but that doesn't mean that the makerspace can't come to the library anyway. Our library (and the state library too, for all interested parties!) sends out kits for use that can do any number of things that a makerspace might facilitate. Slime creation, brush bots, button making, and upcycling materials name only a few of the kits that can be borrowed from our programming department. In investigating a makerspace tool, I wanted to find something that could be sent from library to library in the form of a kit, as well as used in a stationary makerspace.
What I found were meeperBOTS. In a post titled "Step Up Your STEM Programs With MeeperBOTs!" on the Demco "Ideas and Inspiration" blog, Elesa Swirgsdin & Holly Storck-Post go into extensive detail about these awesome and intuitive robots and how they can be utilized in STEM programming. MeeperBOTS teach valuable STEM skills such as "engineering, problem solving, critical thinking and even basic coding." MeeperBOTS are simple to utilize, and could easily be sent from location to location for use. All that is needed is the meeperBOT itself, a mobile device to control it, and legos to build and create on top of it. Other things like styrofoam bricks and other such obstacles can also be included at the kit creator's discretion.
Though I would utlilize this awesome STEM activity in the form of a kit, I think the meeperBOTS could be used to great effect in all types of environments, inside or outside of a makerspace. The versatility of being able to control the meeperBOT from any mobile device makes the experience a fluid one that can be begun and mastered in a very short period of time. I think that meeperBOTS are a valuable addition to any library seeking to add a STEM component for their younger patrons' creative outlet.
These are so cool! I love the versatility of controlling them from any device and I love that you can use them with LEGO and create all kinds of activities for them. Your ideas about kit-making are great, too--I think the idea of sharing the kits with other branches makes this a much more plausible and practical idea for libraries working with a smaller budget.
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