BOOK: Play-based learning in 2015 Innovation Toolkit

[Matt Finch]

The American Library Association's 2015 Library Innovation Toolkit has just been published.

I co-wrote the chapter on working with children and young people, "Monsters, Rockets, and Baby Racers", with Tracie Mauro of Australia's Parkes Library. Our programs have also been successfully applied in schools, museums, and public spaces.

Drawing on Professor Jackie Marsh's notion of pop culture as children's folk culture, we take an immersive, play-based approach to learning. We draw together media, artistic creation, and roleplay to engage young library users. 

We share the principles underpinning play-based national-award-winning youth programs like:

• Big Box Battle - monsters vs. robots
• Live-action Angry Birds and underground monster adventures
• Curating urban myths
• Paint Like Michelangelo, plus chocolate pudding swamps!
• Book publishing for teens
• Time travel in the library 
• Zombie siege - video of the 2013 event, plus a report on the original 2012 project including "how-to" PDF 

You'll also find other great articles from librarians and educators around the world, on everything from library comics festivals to new ways of using digital media.

Check out the Library Innovation Toolkit now.

[Marita Thomson]

Fabulous stuff, Matt. I have just purchased The Library Innovation Toolkit (ebook) and have been having a look at your various activities via websites (starting with those above), especially at Parkes Library (I am a teacher librarian at a boys school in Sydney, and used to work in public libraries as well). Great ideas - thanks for sharing! 

[Matt Finch]

Thank you, Marita - feel free to get in touch through my site or on Twitter, where I'm @drmattfinch 

Good luck with all your adventures at the school :)

[Matt Finch]

Just a follow-up, Marita, that you may also enjoy our newly released TimeQuest materials from New Zealand: http://mcpopmb.ning.com/group/gaminginschool/forum/topics/timequest...