Prioritized Makerspace Wish List

So much of this week was discussion of the idea that a makerspace isn't about the stuff that's in it, but instead it's about the work, facilitation, and ideas that develop in the space. That being said, I've found quite a few items through my work this week that would really help with workflow, organization, and productivity in the space.

1. Industrial kitchen storage rack for projects in progress
2. Cafeteria trays for smaller works in progress
3. Aluminum pans for larger works in progress
4. Pegboard and accessories
5. Power strips
6. Laser printer - Although with this one, I'm debating if it's worth waiting until the one with the built in ventilation system is worth waiting for (Glowforge is set to release it in November)
7. Some more flexible seating options - perhaps bar height counter big enough for a chromebook on knee wall and some stools
8. Shelves with tubs or some other type of "material" storage for cardboard, wood, other recyclables
9. Chibitronics sets

I'm at a point where we kept hearing over and over that it's not about the stuff, and I just kept thinking back to all the research and discussion and work we put into thinking about the makerspace this past school year. I'm in a place right now where I just want to jump in, organize what we have, and get to a point where we have a designated space to start with. This week reminded me and pushed me to be ok with not having all the great things I imagine there can be. It's a work in progress and will always be a work in progress. 

That being said, my goal is to get it set up to feel like a different space than it did last year so that we can hold a "grand opening" on the first day of school during student orientation. Hoping I can get others on board with this idea and encourage them to pull different things into their projects. Also going to start looking for available grants and funding to keep adding to meet some current needs, but also bring in some new tools I learned about this week that I think have great potential to impact students projects, student interest, and student learning. 

Here are some pictures of the MILL at the IU School of Education to serve as a reminder and inspiration. 

Maker Bootcamp: Takeaways for Student Orientation

So I don't feel ready yet to reflect on my work today as it still feels a bit scattered and incomplete. I do however want to latch on and spend a few minutes expressing my excitement of two, small maker projects that I definitely want to make happen during the first three days of school and student orientation.

I think both ideas fit our "Community" theme very nicely and they're a small, sweet introduction to the maker movement. They both encourage creativity but also help students make connections with each other, reconnect as a school community, and even make some connections with facilitators and those outside our building.

RULES BASED ART PROJECT

I think this one is so cool and really simple to setup ahead of time. It is also something that could

potentially remain on display for a good portion of the school year. The rules are fairly simple. Pick a shape from the sheet of pre-cut vinyl shapes and connect it to an existing line. That's it. You can take the line any direction you'd like. The line can cross over itself, backtrack, go up or down, as long as you're connecting your piece with a piece someone previously connected. I think there is some great debriefing that could go on with this activity and it could be done in individual advisory houses OR as an entire school. Right now I think I'm leaning towards doing this one as an entire school with a brief reflection in advisory houses if that fits into the orientation schedule during lunch.

This project seems to stem from a style of art called "Generative Art" or "Rules-Based Art". I really think there is something to be said about the idea of choosing a piece that speaks to you, allowing some individuality and choice in color and shape, while also giving you the parameters of connecting and collaborating with others in the community in order to make something interesting, beautiful and ever changing. Can't wait to see how ours turns out at orientation. Here are a few more photos of the process of creating the one from our Pathfinders MEC Bootcamp group.

MAKING CONNECTIONS "NEURON MAP" 

So this one came up in the Advanced Assessment Session elective today. Again, I think it is a perfect fit for the "Community" theme of orientation, but this one is also something that we could keep building on throughout the school year, especially if we set it up right from the beginning. I really want to talk this one out with some other facilitators to try to figure out how we can do it on something more permanent like wood, nails, and yarn rather than something temporary like poster paper, stickers, and markers. I think either material would work, but I really like the idea of it being able to withstand the test of time throughout the year and serve as a continuous art piece that is visible to students, visitors, and community members. 

So the way I'm thinking it could work is this: 

1. In advisory houses, students are given something with their name pre-printed on it (I'm thinking labels). Each advisory house has a piece of wood, maybe 18" x 18". They find a place for their name and stick it on the board (and maybe a little decor with markers or something to personalize it). 
2. Students then pound a small picture hanging nail into a spot on top of their label. Anywhere is fine as long as it is clear that it's associated with their name
3. Then they take a colored piece of string and make a connection with someone else in the class (friendship, advisory house members, siblings, coworkers, etc.) 
4. Next, in advisory house they're encouraged to make ONE new connection or make a connection with someone who is a "twice removed" connection or a "friend of a friend". Then they add a string.
5. Once we're finished in advisory houses, I'd love to have them hung up somewhere (hallway, commons, etc) so that students can then go out and make a connection with someone outside of their advisory house
6. I would also love to give all of our community members coming in for orientation as well as our community service sites a sticker and nail on other boards. As students connect with community members though sessions and service, they can add a string. 

I really love the idea of students not only recognizing the connections they have in our building, but also recognizing the importance of making new connections and connecting with community members and organizations. I think it is also a great way for us to welcome community members who come in to work with our students and recognize that they are now intertwined as a permanent part of our community. 

Prototype Project & Process Reflection [Frustration]

I'm crazy frustrated with things right now. I need to get a reflection out there so that I can remember three months from now when my students are ticked off and frustrated with me what this really felt like.

 Yesterday I was overwhelmed, but hopeful. Today I am frustrated with what we're being asked to do. I love jumping in and applying what we've learned as much as the next person; however, I feel like the WHY for our current task is unclear or even misdirected. I understand the goal is to encourage us to make and think about how to bring the maker mindset into our classroom, but some of the parameters of how and why we're doing that are conflicting with my values.

My first elective I did today had to do Visible Thinking Routines (which was amazing by the way), so I thought maybe I'd try that to try to dig into why I'm so frustrated with this current Prototype Project right now.

Initially I was thinking my frustration was with my group members, and while I think that's a barrier I don't think that is the source. Then I was thinking that my frustration was because I wasn't working in my content area, but that can't be it because the PBL Chopped Competition we did for NTAC was rooted in the idea of thinking outside the box and crossing content areas. I think some of the issues come from my being a "North" on the compass points, meaning I want to jump in and get things done the most efficient way possible, and with the short timeline we're on it's adding pressure to develop something solid in a short amount of time. I'm struggling with the way my group members are wandering in a lot of directions that seem incohesive right now, and I fear that we don't have the time to bring everything back together before the gallery walk tonight. 

Lastly, I think my biggest frustration, and the stem of it all really, comes from the very last entry in the care column. I want what I create to be useful. What my current group is creating is interesting, but not super usefull to me immediately upon my return to school. Also, I'm not sold that the final audience (high school camp students), is willing or useful to our goals. Why not pitch to each other for a CFG  or TUning Protocol? I just keep thinking the high school students are going to be EXHAUSTED, not invested, and just saying "Oh, that's a cool thing you made - cool story bro!". Then they're going to go on their merry way, and I'm not going to have anything productive or useful to implement in my school. 

p.s. What do you think of the cool makerspace logo I created this morning? #winoftheday

Designing the Space & Digital Fabrication

Today is Core Block 3: Digital Fabrication and Core Block 4: Digital Design Lab. We also had a lecture at the beginning of the day that included a panel of facilitators talking about their own makerspaces, which was awesome! That is where I'm thinking I want to spend some of my time today - developing layout, storage, and agreements for the space. I also want to develop some kind of curriculum piece that we can implemented during orientation or I can implement during one of my early projects. For example, the implemeneted a sticker task after the opening session today where we have to take a random sheet of vinyl stickers and apply them to a glass window on the lab. We have to...

1. Pick a random shape from our sticker set
2. Join the individual shape to the existing ones until we create a continuous line across windows

I love this idea, and I think I'm going to try to figure out how to implement this as a part of orientation in August because I think it fits really well with our community theme and can serve as a cool art piece for the rest of the year.

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CORE BLOCK 3: DIGITAL FABRICATION

This session was pretty interesting, but a bit overwhelming with the number of steps I would have to take students through. Although, I think the concept of having students hand draw pieces (or even design them in Google Drawings) in order to cut them out on the Cricut machine IS feasible as far as price and ease of use. I could see our Spanish facilitator encouraging students to use this and/or even the history teachers having students do some of this to 3D model different timelines and scenes for gallery walk displays. By using the Cricut to cut the pieces, it simplifies the number of steps we'd have to do on the laser cutter.

Through this activity, I started questioning what the Cricut can do that I haven't explored yet. I know the software is pretty limited, but this activity opened up some 3D possibilities that I hadn't thought of before. After some exploration I found this other blog post from "Hey, Let's Make Stuff" that shows the different materials that a Cricut can cut.

CORE BLOCK 4: DIGITAL DESIGN LAB

In this core block we explored our different options for designing including CNC machines, vinyl cutters, laser cutters, and 3D printers. This is the expensive stuff (mostly). Since we already have  a CNC lathe, I'd like to focus on how to make that more usable because it cannot be used in its current space because of noise and ventilation. We also have two 3D printers, but again these are going to be about relocation and that is in another colleague's wheelhouse anyway. I think a regular Cricut would meet the majority of our needs. I'm mostly interested in the laser cutter machines. I think they have a lot of potential to be useful in project design across multiple content areas for both cutting and burning wood and different types of materials. I could see multiple applications with Future Con, the combined history/humanities classes, and science. I think that the laser cutter would even connect with the Rube Goldberg machines we latched onto yesterday, which crossed multiple disciplines. My struggle right now is whether or not the initial cost of the machine ($3500 at the lowest end), plus the cost of materials is really worth it. I am also unsure at this time what programs/software are needed. I'm intrigued, but some need to knows I still have are...

1. Can we use CAD? 
2. Can we use Illustrator? 
3. What file types does it print? 
4. How does it get from my device to the machine? 
5. How precise would it need to be (because the cheaper ones aren't super precise) in order to do some of the building of gears and other functions? 

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MAKECODE ROTATIONS

Makecode is very similar to Scratch but also has a handwriting ability using JavaScript. I'm interested in this, but after one session with the MicroBits, I was overwhelmed. I'm a little happy that I did not do any of the coding tracks this week because I don't know if my brain would have been able to keep up.

I actually ducked out and sat to work on reflection during the second rotation, but I'm hoping that is enough of a brain rest to jump back in to the third one with Chibitronics.

At this point, I'm extremely overwhelmed. I'm not panicking, but I'm at my limit. My brain is flooded. I feel so scattered that I just really can't even latch on to any one idea to begin to develop because my thoughts are all over the place.

I'm hoping to get some clarification on the Passion Project/Prototype thing we're supposed to do over the next few days. I'm really hoping I can do one if not two things...

1. Start laying out a document and Google Site with the basics of the makerspace
1. What do we have? 
2. How do people check things out? 
3. How can/should the space be used? 
4. Basic tutorials (written and video) for what we have
5. Resources for what we have
6. Room layout/arrangement/organization
7. Grant ideas for funding for most immediate needs
   
2. How can I use the Rube Goldberg machines as a possible final deliverable for the Dystopian Book Study portion of Future Con. I think this is a big one I want to develop because I think students would be particularly interested in it. We could incorporate a lot of basic plot information into the machines, but I also think there has to be a way to have students incorporate theme and characterization as well - maybe through an oral comm presentation piece. I also love the idea of making the students connect their machines to show how all the books are interconnected or similar somehow. 

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Spent the evening enjoying Bloomington and campus. I graduated from IU in 2010 so it's awesome being able to walk around campus and go to some of my favorite food place. After dinner at Mother Bears and a 25 minute walk to Baked for fresh cookies, my mind felt fairly refreshed. My roommate and I also met up with someone else from our district as well as two people from our class. I even brainstormed ideas for my Prototype Project! Hoping tomorrow is going to feel more productive!

PD Palooza - Is it really only Monday?

It's day 6 of my Professional Development Palooza. Last week I spend five wonderfully, awesome days with my fellow facilitators. I haven't even mentally come down from that high or had the chance to quietly debrief so I'm a bit overwhelmed today. I will do a more in depth debrief on NTAC sometime this week, but overall there was a lot of learning about my fellow facilitators as collaborators, as learners, and as colleagues - especially the PBL Chopped Team.

But that's for another day.

Today is the end of my first day at the Infosys Pathfinders Maker Educator Bootcamp at Indiana University. I have been so excited about this workshop since I was accepted back in March; however, I'm mentally drained.

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So after stepping away for a bit and coming back to my notes, I've had a few revelations.

THE PRODUCTS AREN'T THE MOST IMPORTANT PART

I found myself saying this a lot this past trimester -- PROCESS OVER PRODUCTS. One of the facilitators shared the quote, "It's not about the stuff that we make, it's the meaning we make" - Jay Silver, CEO Makey Makey. I firmly believe that students learn more throughout the process than they do with creating a perfect product, but I'd not connected this with making and the makerspace. The idea that it's not about the final product someone makes, but instead what they take away from the process (fails, struggles, inquiry, learning) is far more important.

CONTENT INTEGRATION IS KEY

I was so excited to walk away with a great variety of ideas and ways to integrate the content with the making. I've listed a few examples of what I heard today below. The "ah-ha" piece here was the fact that quite a few of the ideas have to do with storytelling.

Rube Goldberg machines (LOTS HERE) 

Math: Have a group collaborate to create a Rube Goldberg machine. You can direct what it needs to do or you can let them be creative. Set guidelines. Then, using content specific technical writing, they have to write step by step process instructions for another group (measurements, angles, etc.) When they're finished they disassemble it and trade with another group, who then has to build the same thing using only the group's directions.

Science: This would work with the ecosystem project we created for the PBL Chopped Competition. Students learning about invasive species and their effect on ecosystem's health could create a Rube Goldberg machine to show the process/effects.

Social Studies: Works great for anything chronological (Wars, Presidential Elections, etc.)

ELA: Use to follow plot lines/arcs in a story, illustrate theme, and even compare/connect multiple texts.

Found Poetry

(Blackout poems, six word memoirs, magnet poetry)

Individual - describe characters in a book, outline theme in a book, write original poetry, teach parts of speech

Collaborative - have students complete a piece individually then ask them to rotate (similar to a Chalk Talk) and add on to the previous student's work. Or you could also have groups create a piece and then tell them that they have to integrate and connect all the group's pieces together into one large class display

Memes

These are great for reflection, temperature checks, exit tickets, character profiles/traits, analyzing different perspectives in stories

WONDERS, QUESTIONS, & NEED TO KNOWS

I wonder how some of the work will be "authentic". How will students connect to a real world audience or do real world work? I think the latter is going to be easier or better connected to making that the first, although my film literature project is a prime example of a project that meets both expectations. I just wonder that if students build a Rube Goldberg machine how it will go beyond simply "a cool thing they do and turn in to the teacher". Something I want to explore further over the next few days.

FINAL THOUGHTS

At this point I'm tired and slightly frustrated. Looking over the schedule tomorrow, I'm overwhelmed with how little processing time we get. There is almost no time to reflect on what we're doing or time to really dig into next steps for our maker space, culture, processes, etc. We're making something for the "Passion Project", but I have yet to really clearly see what that is (a product? a project?) and what kind of feedback I should expect from the visiting students.