TMC8 Roucaud

 Increasing Student Engagement and Well-being through STEAM in the LLC and Beyond 

by Victoria Roucaud

The aim of this paper is to reflect on the following question: “How can STEAM/STEAM stations, experiential learning, and Makerspace based projects enhance students’ sense of belonging, well-being and engagement in a (K-6) Library Learning Commons and beyond?” How can a boomerang effect be created from classroom to LLC, and LLC back to the classroom? In order to fully confront these questions, we will look more closely at what S.T.E.A.M in an LLC consists of and how it enhances student engagement, examine literature and data that reflects findings around these overarching questions, as well as unpack and explore ways to ensure this valuable learning is taking place inside and outside of LLC partnerships. This paper will also reflect student street data around STEAM/experiential learning and well-being collected through Google surveys sent out to the student population at this K-6 school. 

Victoria Roucaud is a teacher-librarian at the Toronto District School Board. She lives in Toronto with her husband and two children. She is passionate about the Library Learning Commons model and student-centered inquiry based learning through STEAM and collaborative makerspace projects. She regularly shares what students are reading, making, and doing on her LLC website’s latest news page, or through her social media PLN: @vroucaud.

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