About me
I’m Laura Sanders, and I am the head librarian at an independent K-12 school in Canada. Although I manage the primary and secondary libraries, my day-to-day work is in the secondary library, where I teach information literacy skills to students in Grades 7-12. I am fortunate that our school has an excellent Fab Lab where students can study design thinking. As the library and the Fab Lab are adjacent to each other, I’ve long wanted to find a way to integrate the two spaces together more seamlessly.
My students have a great deal of access to tech, but after nearly twenty years in education I am seeing that a growing lack of opportunity to interact with physical objects during childhood is leading to increased difficulty with troubleshooting and problem-solving. I believe that makerspaces are uniquely positioned to address this issue.
I am a Canadian still working at a Canadian school, but I did teach English Literature and Drama at an international school in Korea for several years, and I still bring that experience into my current work.
At the moment, my level of experience with digital fabrication in education is limited. Although I have completed some projects, such as vinyl signage for the library, they were not pedagogically oriented.
I am still not certain what I will do for my first Field Activity, but I expect that it will have something to do with wayfinding in the library. I would also like to attempt some wood engraving, so my project may involve that.
Student Agreement
The Fab Learning Academy is responsible for:
- Teaching principles and practices between technology, learning sciences, and innovative practices in education.
- Arranging lectures, recitations, meetings, and events for the class.
- Evaluating and providing feedback on student work.
- Offering clear standards for completing assignments.
- Certifying and archiving student progress.
- Supervising class preparation and reviewing prospective students, instructors, and labs.
- Providing central staff and infrastructure for students, instructors, and labs.
- Publicizing the program.
- Promoting a respectful environment free of harassment and discrimination.
- Encouraging a diverse, accessible, and equitable community.
I am a Fab Learning Academy student, responsible for:
- Attending class lectures and participating in reviews.
- Developing and documenting projects assigned to introduce and demonstrate skills.
- Allowing the Fab Learning Academy to share my work, with attribution, in the class for purposes compatible with its mission.
- Honestly reporting on my work, and appropriately attributing the work of others, both human and machine.
- Working safely and leaving workspaces in the same or better condition than I found them.
- Ensuring that my tuition for local and central class costs is covered.
- Following locally applicable health and safety guidance.
- Recognizing limits on lab and staff time.
- Promoting a respectful environment free of harassment and discrimination.
Signed by Your Name
Fab Learning Academy 2026