Children's hands working on a crafted page with construction paper, pipecleaners, and make makey board

Literacy and Media Lab

Oct. 15, 2019

Bridget Dalton, from CU Boulder's School of Education and Build a Better Book has been working with students at Lafayette Elementary School to incorporate digital literacy into accessible materials for students who have visual impairments. Read full article

Attendees for Professional Development posing in front of a Star Wars poster.

Build a Better Book Training Workshop

2020-2021 / Recruiting new partner sites for Build a Better Book! Apply online by November 1, 2019 for the training workshop on January 29 - 31, 2020, taking place in Boulder, Colorado.

for 3D Giving Day showing 3D printing pen and a book

3D Giving Day - December 3

Oct. 1, 2019

Build a Better Book and 3Doodler are bringing together schools to create tactile reading experiences for students who are blind or visually impaired. Sign up here until November 10 to be a participating school. Read More

Poster for Build a Better Blank workshop event at Glen Ellyn Public Library

Build a Better Blank

Sept. 17, 2019

Glen Ellyn Public Library in Illinois is hosting an introductory workshop on the Build a Better Book project on Wednesday, September 25, from 4-6 pm. If you are in the area, register to learn more about Build a Better Book.

SpecDrums ring on top of an Eric Carle picture book.

Webinar: Build a Better Book Project Showcase (July 25, 2019)

Build a Better Book project partners present a showcase of student projects completed in spring & summer 2019. Presenters include: April Chamberlain (Trussville City Schools, AL), Ian Matty (Mountain Lakes Public Library, NJ), and Stacey Forsyth (Build a Better Book). Project highlights include: audio-enhanced books created with SpecDrums and accessible...

Image from podcast website features three 3D-printed samples of student work, including a tactile book and game.

Teaching Accessibility by Building Picture Books for the Blind

July 31, 2019

Stacey Forsyth and Kathryn Penzkover discuss the project on The K-12 Engineering Education Podcast. Recorded during South by Southwest EDU (SXSW EDU) 2019 in Austin, Texas.

Tactile board game created by teens in a BBB Makerspace program.

Growing the Build a Better Book National Network (2019 STEM for All Video)

May 25, 2019

Short video describing Build a Better Book's professional development activities and the growth of the national BBB educators' network. This video was created for the 2019 NSF STEM for All Video Showcase.

Student uses Makey Makey to add sound to Where the Wild Things Are picture book.

Webinar: Build a Better Book & Makey Makey (May 14, 2019)

May 15, 2019

Hear how BBB team members and partner educators have used Makey Makey, together with other makerspace tools, to creatively make books, games and other products accessible for all with sound and interactivity!

Wave logo for the AERA conference

Event: AERA Conference

April 5 - 9, 2019, Toronto, Canada / Build a Better Book team members will present at a session on STEM Workforce Development at the AERA (American Educational Research Association) Annual Meeting in Toronto, Canada.

Tactile pieces of lasercut leaves and leaves made from wikkisticks.

Event: SXSW EDU Conference

March 4 - 7, 2019 / Build a Better Book: Engineering with Empathy. The Build a Better Book team will be leading a hands-on session at the SXSW EDU Conference in Austin, Texas!

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