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!

Two workshop participants sharing ideas.

Training: New Partner Sites

February 28 - March 1, 2019 / Congratulations to our sixteen new partner sites! The Build a Better Book network is expanding with new partners representing eleven different states, libraries, schools, makerspaces, and community partners working with physical and learning disabilities. We are excited about the diversity of the new sites and their outreach to new communities.

2018 - 2019 School Year Build a Better Book is partnering with Technology Student Association in support of their middle school and high school competition category for Children's Stories. This year's theme for Middle School is a Tactile STEM Book. Students will design a tactile picture book that explains a STEM concept of your choice for children with a disability. The High School there is a Multi-Modal Picture Book. Students will design a book with tactile and auditory features that enrich the storybook e

Event: Technology Student Association /

2018 - 2019 School Year / Build a Better Book is partnering with Technology Student Association in support of their middle school and high school competition category for Children's Stories.

3D Model of a hatching chicken and an egg in a nest.

Exhibit: Norlin Library/ University of Colorado - Boulder

Through Spring 2019 / Tactile books created by students in the Pre-Collegiate Summer Camp at University of Colorado - Boulder will be on display at Norlin Library.

Dalton, B. & Musetti, K. (2018).

Dalton, B. & Musetti, K. (2018). Tactile picture book making and multimodal composition: Students design for equity in English Language Arts. In (Eds) E. Ortlieb, E.H. Cheek, Jr., & P. Semingson, Best Practices for Teaching Digital Literacies (p. 195-213). London, UK: Emerald Publishing. Doi10.1108/52048-04582018000000915

Tactile graphics help illustrate human body structures.

Build a Better Book: Creative Design in Library Makerspaces (2018 STEM for All Video)

May 14, 2018

Build a Better Book's second video for the NSF STEM for All Video Showcase provides an update about the project, including program impacts. This video received a Facilitators' Choice award in the 2018 STEM Video Hall Showcase.

Chicago Lighthouse logo

Update on the Build a Better Book project (radio interview)

Jan. 13, 2018

Build a Better Book team members Shalini Menon and Stacey Forsyth provide an update on the project to The Beacon podcast.

Pages