Category: Making a Makerspace

Classroom Project, Home Makerspace, Maker Eduation, Maker Project, Making a Makerspace, This Week In the Classroom, WoodworkingLeave a comment

This Week in the Classroom: Top Ten Middle School #MakerEd Challenges (Plus Two!)

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Top Ten Middle School #MakerEd Challenges (Plus Two!).jpgThis Week in the Classroom I’m going to explore a variety of design challenges that I use in my classroom. I designed each of these projects to prompt students to explore the engineering design process, learn basic scientific concepts, such as forces and loads on structures, learn executive functioning and soft skills, and develop presentation skills in a variety of media. These projects are designed to be super flexible in practice. I can extend these projects, compress the time, develop thematic elements. None of these projects use expensive materials or electronics. Some of these project briefs I use nearly every year, in nearly every course. They are simply that good.

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Classroom Project, Education, Home Makerspace, Maker Eduation, Maker Project, Making a Makerspace, This Week In the Classroom, Tool ReviewLeave a comment

This Week in the Classroom: The FunKey Super #MakerED #STEM Review

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This fall I have introduced a new tech platform into my practice.  The FunKey  unlocks tons of potential in a classroom.

Do you want a board that reads keystrokes and plays like a MakeyMakey but with at a size and price point for a real classroom?

FunKey does that.

Do you now need a board which takes different sensory inputs and outputs as light, sound or motion?

FunKey does that.

Do you need a board which can help you teach programming?

FunKey does that.

Want a kit that comes with a variety of sensors, so quick and easy to hook up, students can create medical devices in a class period?

FunKey does that.DSC_7606

What doesn’t it do?

Teach.  But that’s what teachers are for.

Let’s set up a few projects with a basic kit and see how we can put it to work in the Maker  classroom!

 

In full disclosure, I received a pair of FunKey Super boards in return for a blog review, but all opinions are my own.  Innovations, on the other hand, those belong to my students.

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3D printing, CAD Lab, Computer Programmning, Maker Eduation, Making a Makerspace, This Week In the ClassroomLeave a comment

#MakerEd in the Classroom: Exploring #3DPrinting FAQs & Resources

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This week I will answer some of the most common questions about 3D printing I get asked as a Maker Educator by administrators and classroom teachers.  Last summer, I published a similar guide for the Home #Makerspace!

3D Printing FAQ

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Classroom Project, Making a Makerspace1 Comment

Top Five Maker Projects for the Beginning Maker Ed Teacher

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Do you want to get into Making and Maker Ed? Don’t know where to start? Don’t have a makerspace? No problem! Here’s five ideas, classroom tested, which can be built using a minimum of tools for students in the K – 8 grade scale.

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If you are wondering how to connect these projects back to standards, check out PBL Through a Maker’s Lens and a free webinar at www.woodshopcowboy.com.

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Making a Makerspace, This Week In the Classroom, This Week In the Shop2 Comments

Making a Makerspace: Top Five Materials in an Educational Makerspace

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This is part four in my “Making a Makerspace” series.  You can catch the other articles here.

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Makers use stuff.  Lots and lots of stuff.  Sylvia Libow Martinez & Gary Stager dedicated an entire chapter to the various materials necessary for a makerspace to function in their book, Invent to Learn.  I’m just going to go for five: the top five materials in an educational makerspace!

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Classroom Project, Education, Maker Eduation, Maker Project, Making a Makerspace, Music, This Week In the ClassroomLeave a comment

Making A Makerspace: Top 10 Tools in a Maker’s Classroom (2012)

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This year was a big year in the STEaMworks (STEM focus, art driven, work/project centered: the STEaMworks), my self-styled Maker classroom.  We (and the Math/Sci Team) built a lot of projects: rockets, rocket cars, derby cars, catapults, simple robots, box-making, bench-making, bridge-building, sail-testing, music making, spirographs, pendulums, 3D prototyping, CAD models, Arduino projects, Alice computer programming, Art Cars, shed construction, a digital STEM Fair and more.  I’ve just typed that up and still can’t believe it!  Nine months and so much sweat, math, science, art and tears.  How did we (my co-workers and rock-solid team, my students and my very … Continue reading Making A Makerspace: Top 10 Tools in a Maker’s Classroom (2012)