Tinkering with Tinkercad

Over the past few years 3D printing has become more popular and affordable to schools and the general public. Students all over the world are being exposed to programs like Tinkercad to create 3D objects and print them right in the classroom! 

"3D printing in education is unique compared to other technologies. The mindset of the student becomes one where it is okay to fail and encourages experimentation in their learning." - Dale Nicholla 

3D printing along with the Design Thinking Process (Emphasize, Define, Ideate, Prototype, Test) allows kids to create object to solve every day problems. Check out these second graders that designed a foot for a chicken they hatched in class! 

Our MakerClub kids were not quite making chicken feet today but they had a great time learning how to use Tinkercad with Mr. Marten. The few times I walked in to see what they were creating and I was surprised to see how quickly they picked it up! Tinkercad is a FREE program kids can use at home on any type of computer to design projects. I can't wait to see where they take it. 

However 3D printing is not for everyone, so in true MakerSpace fashion we had some other awesome creating going on today. We broke out the green screen for the kids to play and act in front of. The boys also got to test out the ramp they made last week with the Sphero (robotic ball that is controlled by the iPad). 

Reverse Engineering-Fancy For Take Stuff Apart

Reverse engineering is taking apart an object to see how it works in order to duplicate or enhance the object. The practice, taken from older industries, is now frequently used on computer hardware and software.
Margaret Rouse 

Tonight MakerClub had fun taking stuff apart. The kids worked with a partner or individually to take apart a old appliance or toy from home. Some of the students were able to begin creating something new out of the pieces they saved from their appliance/toy, some took their object home, and some are going to continue to work on it next week. It's so cool to see the perseverance in the kids as most of them worked the entire hour and a half pulling apart one object with screw drives and hammers (don't worry we all wear our safety glasses). 

Reverse engineering/take apart is a cheap and easy way to run a MakerSpace. The appliances came from the students home, the tools (Two 15 pack of screwdrivers), 20 googles, and tool box to store them, all for $50 at Harbor Freight Tools. If you scroll down this blog you will see some of the cool things our Summer MakerClub kids made from parts of appliances/toys. 

Kids use and learn so many skills from taking apart stuff. Perseverance as I mentioned above is one of them; along with communication and collaboration, problem solving, critical thinking, design thinking, basic engineering, and simply how to use common house hold tools. There was a lot of righty-tighty lefty-loosey today. 

And in true MakerSpace fashion we had some kids that just wanted to do their own thing and follow their own ideas. Oliva and our Adrian College helper Jessica made a great mural out of cardboard and markers. Some of the boys made a awesome ramp for a car that someone brought to take apart (of course that did not happen) The boys saved the ramp as we have more in store for it. 

Oh and did I mention, one of the kids found a worm in the Keurig he was taking apart!

MakerClub 2.0 Kickoff

The APS Makers are back at it! We held or first MakerClub 2.0 tonight. I am also happy to have APS Elementary Technology Teacher Mrs. Tracey DeMeritt and Technology Coordinator Mr. Greg Marten from Lenawee ISD helping out this year. 

The club consist of students Kindergarten through 5th grade and is held after school for 10 weeks. Each week the members will be exposed to materials that will bring their curiosity and imagination to life. This is an informal, playful, atmosphere for learning to unfold. A space with little directions, where making rather than consuming is the focus. A space where transdiciplinary learning, inquiry, risk-taking, thinking, crafting, tinkering, and wondering can blossom. 

For our first night we kept it basic and just created with cardboard and random recycled materials. It is so fun so see what the kids create, it tells me a lot about their personalities. 
Having cardboard, tape, and recycled materials is one of the easiest and inexpensive ways to "do" a MakerSpace. Check out this article on the Value of Creativity from the Imagination Foundation. 

"The world is moving at a tremendous rate. No one knows where. We must prepare our children not for the world of the past, not for our world, but for their 

world-the world of the future." -Maker Ed