My plan is to have our 3rd grade IDEA Lab students make their own journals to use for brainstorming, sketching, planning, and note-taking.

Here are some sources of inspiration and instruction that I found helpful:

• Make a notebook from a paper bag in 5 minutes
• DIY smash style book
• How to make a loop pen holder (video)
• DIY perfect bound

I got out the sewing machine last night and asked my wife how to use it.  She showed me how to stitch a binding through sheets of paper and a construction paper cover.

Below are prototypes I built showing the binding, lined pages, and a pocket/envelope at the back of one journal.

I also want to have students add paper circuits (activity guide) to their journals to have them turn on a light or make a sound or some other interactive feature.  Here are instructions from Jie Qi and a helpful tutorial. 

— Tatian Greenleaf

This summer I attended some wonderful workshops which I'll be drawing from in order to teach tinkering classes this year.

• Making Space at Lighthouse Community Charter School
  

• Design Do Discover at Castilleja School
  
• SparkTruck Teacher Corps at Stanford d.school
• Art of Tinkering at The Exploratorium

 — Tatian Greenleaf

This video is a great introduction to what Making is all about.  I also love this slide show of Maker activities. 

— Tatian Greenleaf

I will be adding Tinkering & Making resources to the Resources page as I come across them. 

— Tatian Greenleaf

Last year, we began to transition from a more traditional Computer Lab to an Open Lab that could better accommodate a variety of activities including the 3rd grade IDEA Lab tinkering class co-taught by Thad Reichley and me.

This year, we plan to further this transition by removing furniture, re-designing the space, and adding tinkering and Maker materials and tools. 

— Tatian Greenleaf