Tom Hoffman and I spoke about SchoolTool at the Rhode Island Mini Maker Faire. This system helps remotely-located schools share data with national governmental ministries of education, through Ubuntu and SMS.
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
SchoolTool connects schools
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/08/schooltool_connects_schools.html
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August 28 2010, 11:30pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
The Rocket Project
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/07/the_rocket_project.html
There is certainly lots to debate about corporate sponsorship of education and sponsored editorial content, in print and online. We have these debates all the time here at MAKE. And I'm sure educational organizations have equally tough choices to make in terms of getting the funding for great educational programs, money that companies are all too happy to provide, for a branding opportunity. It's a dance, it can get awkward, but it can also be done right (we believe), it can be a win for everybody involved.
In most regards, this seems to be the case with the Sony/Intel sponsored Rocket Project. They took eight students from the California Academy for Math and Sciences, a magnate high school specializing in advanced science, and gave them an extraordinary opportunity -- design, build, and launch a rocket into the stratosphere -- all within 60 days, using Sony Vaio laptops to design and control the mission. The resulting rocket measures 29 feet tall, weighs over 500 pounds, and is capable of reaching the stratosphere. The students were crash-course-schooled in rocket science by Tom Atchison, Director of the Association of Rocket Mavericks, and a leading light in the high-power rocketry community.
The Rocket Project website and videos are a little overwrought for my taste, they feel too much like laptop commercials disguised as educational content, rather than educational videos sponsored by two tech companies. But in the midst of that, the story here, the journey these teens are on, seems genuine, and I'm sure they're having an experience they'll remember for the rest of their lives.
The rocket was supposed to launch today (7/22), but now it looks (according to a post on the Sony Electronics FB page) that the launch will happen within the next 24 to 48 hours. Can't wait to see how it all turns out.
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July 23 2010, 12:30am | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
Experienced-based education and the 21st century workforce
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/07/experienced-based_education.html
MAKE editor and publisher Dale Dougherty was in town (DC) this week. I always enjoy hanging out with Dale and talking about what we're currently most excited about, in science, technology, the maker community, etc. He got most enthused when recounting his experience of Sridhar Vembu's talk at last weekend's Foo Camp. He did this post-talk video with Sridhar and wrote an O'Reilly Radar piece about it:
At Foo Camp 2010, Sridhar Vembu, CEO of Zoho, gave a talk called "Alternatives to College." I was so excited by what he had to say that I wanted to be able to share it more widely -- after all, only two people came to his talk. So I recorded a video interview with him.
Sridhar's efforts at Zoho and their development center in Madras tell us something about how to develop a 21st century workforce by tapping into those who would not normally go to college. In short, his answer is not to prepare them for college but to prepare them to be productive in the workplace -- and to do that preparation in the workplace.
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Fast-tracking: Alternatives to college- Tags:
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July 2 2010, 1:00am | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
ITP summer camp in NYC this June
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/04/itp_summer_camp_in_nyc_this_june.html
ITP, a graduate program located in NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, explores "the imaginative use of communications technologies -- how they might augment, improve, and bring delight and art into people's lives." This June, ITP is launching its summer camp, a month-long blending of an unconference and artist residency:
Be bold. Make something this summer. Come to ITP and learn to use the latest tools. For 30 years ITP has been a hub of experimentation in art, media and technology. For the first time this June we are inviting non-students, working professionals from the New York City area, to come to ITP on weekends and evenings to make stuff, hear speakers on the cutting edge, collaborate with people from diverse disciplines.
It's a mash-up of an artist residency and a summer camp for adults....
The creative charge of ITP camp will come from the community of participants sharing their ideas, their skills, their criticisms and their passions with each other in small, informal groups. We're creating a flexible structure, an Un-University, that will be responsive and supportive to the group we select. The structure is based on "unconferences" such as foocamp or barcamp, where presentations and discussions form in response to participants' interests and projects.
ITP's facilities--its faculty, resident tutors, and equipment--will be at your service. The creative atmosphere will help you generate ideas and implement projects and possibly broaden your own network and community of innovators and thinkers.
What's the cost? It's $1600 for the month, though participants can get paid for running fully enrolled instructional sessions, and there are discounts (in addition to the discounts listed on their page, ITP has extended a 10% discount to Make: Online readers. Use code 700 when paying).
For more information, including where to apply, see: ITP Camp for grown ups.
And the answer to an all-important question from the FAQ:
Do you provide housing?
Read more | Permalink | Comments | Read more articles in Education | Digg this!You should check Craigslist for June Sublets or Dorms at NYU (Check Enrolled in Class, Course Name: ITPCamp w/ O'Sullivan, leave course number blank).
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April 27 2010, 6:00pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
Why educators love Maker Faire
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/04/why_educators_love_maker_faire.html
Maker Faire Bay Area is just about a month away, taking place on May 22 and 23 at the San Mateo Fairgrounds. Every year, Maker Faire strives to inspire, educate, and entertain curious and creative learners of all ages. It celebrates arts, crafts, engineering, green design, food, music, science and technology and brings together communities who embrace the DIY spirit. One of the things I love most about the Faire is seeing all the amazed and curious young makers, their eyes lit up with inspiration at what is possible in this world. We always welcome students and teachers to come and check out all the Faire has to offer. We asked hundreds of educators, "Why do you want to come to Maker Faire?" Below is just a sampling of the responses we got. If you are an educator, check out our Educational Outreach page for more information on getting your students involved in the Faire.
"Last year I was in geek heaven. Wanna do it again. Paper airplanes, blimps, destructo-robots, flaming bubbles, flashing lights. Ah, me!"
-- Barry, a high school science teacher in Emeryville"The students do not get much exposure to art, music, technology, or other creative pursuits. I am trying to bring these activities into my classroom and give my students more opportunities. I want to come to Maker Faire to get inspired, find ideas I can implement at school, and meet like-minded makers!"
-- Jessica, a middle school teacher in Oakland"We are not real thinkers until we learn how to incorporate our human inventions into the problem-solving required of us in the future we do not know. Maker Faire is where technology, art and creativity hold hands to push the boundaries of the specialization most educational institutions force thinkers into. Keep being effortlessly original."
-- Melita, an art teacher in Corte Madera"Art helps the students have fun, blow off some stress, and even lessen the effects of traumatic events in their lives."
-- Quarry, who works with high school students in San Francisco"Special Education students often need hands-on experiences as motivators for learning. Attending Maker Faire will allow me to explore simple and challenging projects that I can bring back to the classroom. Many students are inspired by project-based learning. They realize math and science can be interesting, achievable and fun."
-- Amy, a special education teacher in San Mateo County"I went last year, just as an overview...it was amazing! There was so much to see. This year I want to focus on projects that are inspired by Green themes...recycled and rediscovered."
-- Kirsten, a high school art teacher in San Francisco"I took my students to Education Day. It was an amazing experience for them. They got to see and experience the creations. The highlight was talking to the Makers."
-- Saber, a science teacher in San Francisco"Maker Faire is the perfect combination of art, science, and hands-on learning that students can experience with their parents. My family attended the Bay Area fair last year for the first time and spent 8 solid hours of non-stop exploration. I wanted all my sons' peers to have the opportunity to experience such an amazing learning opportunity."
-- Deborah, a parent and PTA member in Santa Cruz"As the enrichment teacher, my goal is to find unique and creative ways in which to make my students active learners in the areas of math and science. I encourage my students to be risk-takers, and to explore their inquiries through experimenting and problem-solving. Each year I encourage my students to attend Maker Faire because I feel Maker Faire is doing what I strive to do within my classroom."
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-- Amanda, a Elementary School teacher in Hillsborough- Tags:
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April 14 2010, 9:00pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
Open MAKE at the Exploratorium: Exploring sound
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/04/open_make_at_the_exploratorium_expl.html
Dale reports that the last Open MAKE event at the Exploratorium was a great success. The above videos show the three featured makers for the month: Walter Kitundu, Ge Wang, and Krys Bobrowski. The Exploratorium's blog has more:
The event got off to a great start as the Young Makers got busy soldering piezo microphones to audio cables, so that they could start exploring the museum in a new and unusual way: by trying various surfaces and exhibits to see what sound they make when amplified by a contact mic!
Read more | Permalink | Comments | Read more articles in Education | Digg this!During the portion of the day open to the public, we offered several activities: some focused on listening to the "ancient technology" that are vinyl records through homemade amplifiers, and by biting a metal piece, through bone conduction; another asked visitors to build contraptions make music and rhythms by banging on a central bell; and finally Modesto from the Teacher Institute had everyone making membranophones!
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April 7 2010, 7:30pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
View from inside a running 4-stroke engine
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/03/view_from_inside_a_4-stroke_engine.html
Ever wonder what was going on inside your car engine, but were too afraid to open up a hole and just look? Here's a video made by someone who did just that (ok, maybe it took a little more effort). Can you identify all 4 of the strokes that go into a single cycle of the engine? [via neatorama]
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March 30 2010, 9:00pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
Hacker Helpline, like free office hours for physical computing questions
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/03/_hacker_helpline_is_a.html
Musician, artist, engineer and programmer Eric Singer is starting an interesting project, called the hacker helpline. For a few hours a week, he'll be taking calls on Skype to help answer your questions about building physical things:
Hacker Helpline is a new service from Eric Singer of the League of Electronic Musical Urban Robots. For a few hours a week, Eric will be on Skype, ready to answer your questions about projects, electronics, software, robotics, physical computing, etc.
Read more | Permalink | Comments | Read more articles in Education | Digg this!To contact the Hacker Helpline, open Skype and add contact "hackerhelpline". Then look in the Mood section to see dates and hours. During those times, you can chat in and get help (or get queued up for help if a previous chat is active). A/V chats are supported (even preferred...it's nice to see who you're talking to).
Hacker Helpline launches on March 23rd at 10 am EST.
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March 19 2010, 4:00pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
UK's first Fab Lab opens in Manchester
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/03/uks_first_fab_lab_opens_in_manchest.html
Wish you had access to tools like milling machines, 3d scanners, and laser cutters, but don't have the budget or space to keep them at your home? Well, if you are a resident of Manchester, you might be in luck. The Manchester FABLAB, an open workshop with all of the aforementioned tools and more, will be opening up next week. They aim to provide a free place for people to build noncommercial projects:
The Manchester fablab is a creative workspace in Manchester where you can pretty well make whatever you can think of. When we say anything we do mean pretty much anything. There's about 35 fablabs (fabrication laboratories) around the world so far and people have made all sorts of things from T-shirts to robots. The fablab is open for use by individuals, community groups, schools and companies.
Read more | Permalink | Comments | Read more articles in Education | Digg this!The Manchester fab lab will be equipped with many different machines including laser cutters, milling machines, 3D scanners, embroidery and sewing machines which are mostly controlled by simple computer programmes, so you don't have to be an machining or computer expert to use them.
We are going to be open for use at the beginning of 2010. As always there are a hundred things to think of and a few more we haven't thought of.
Fablabs Basics:- The fablab is free to use for non-commercial use. (A small charge applies if you are a commercial company)
- We aim to provide free basic materials like wood, plastics and electronic components for non-commercial use (Not gold or diamonds!)
- We have lots of different machines to use and don't worry we'll help you learn how to use them
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March 19 2010, 1:30pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
Do It Proper with Copper
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/03/do_it_proper_with_copper.html
I love all of the instructional videos that are now available online. At this point, there are probably very few trades where you couldn't get a decent starter education in the subject just by studying videos (and other materials) at trade association websites, online trade mags, and YouTube channels.
The Copper Development Association is producing an excellent video series called Do It Proper With Copper which illustrates proper techniques for joining and using copper in different architectural and plumbing apps. Dig those giant 8lb "soldering coppers" (irons) in the above "Copper Sheet Fabrication" video (which, as the vid points out, actually only weigh four pounds -- they're rated in pairs). [Thanks, Dale!]
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DIY: Do It Proper With Copper Video Series- Tags:
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March 18 2010, 12:00am | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
Professor destroys laptop with liquid nitrogen
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/02/professor_destroys_laptop_with_liqu.html
Physics professor Kieran Mullen of OU apparently has a hard-and-fast rule against laptops in class. To drive the point home, he staged a public execution of one by freezing it in liquid nitrogen and smashing it against the floor, where its broken remains were left as a warning to others. Of course the whole thing is staged and the laptop in question was old and worthless, but hey, any excuse to freeze stuff with LN2...
[via Engadget]
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February 26 2010, 8:04am | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
Videos from recent Open MAKE event
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/02/videos_from_recent_open_make_event.html
Here is some video footage of kids making Bristlebots and Blinkybugs at the recent Open MAKE day at the Exploratorium.
Learning Studio: videos from Open MAKE!
Mark your calendars: The next Open MAKE program at the Exploratorium will be on February 27, 2010.
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February 23 2010, 5:00pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
Introduce a girl to engineering today
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/02/introduce_a_girl_to_engineering_tod.html
The 18th of February has been designated as Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day, an offshoot of National Engineers Week.
A few days ago we asked Dr. AnnMarie Thomas, a professor of engineering at the University of St. Thomas, to share her thoughts on the occasion. If you haven't read her guest editorial, please do check it out. However, the gist was that it's our responsibility to let girls -- and everyone else! -- know that engineering and other technical vocations are options.
The IAGTED page lists activities going on nationwide. But there are things we can do as individuals to encourage girls to pursue technical careers. As AnnMarie wrote in her editorial,
I challenge all of you makers out there to introduce a girl to engineering- pick up a soldering iron, go on a factory tour, visit a windmill, or share the beauty of Bernoulli's equation. And feel free to include her little brother, father or mother!
So, readers, what are you going to do? Leave a comment.
[Image: Argonne National Laboratory]
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February 18 2010, 2:00pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
Beam Camp: A haven for makers
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/02/beam_camp_a_haven_for_makers.html
Brian Cohen is co-director of Beam Camp, a residential summer camp that meets for four weeks each summer in New Hampshire. Beam Campers hone their maker skills with hands-on, minds-on activities throughout the day. The campers' time is organized through a collection of domains, and each summer there's a large-scale Beam Project that involves everyone in actively thinking and building around the themes of the project.
Read on for an interview with Brian about Beam Camp and its place in the maker community.
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February 13 2010, 1:00pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
Learning Objects for Electronics, a free electronics tutorials website
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/02/_make_subscriber_matt_writes.html
MAKE subscriber Matt writs in to share this comprehensive electronics tutorial site, Learning Objects for Electronics:
This is a site developed by my good friend Pat Hoppe and his colleagues at Gateway Technical College in Racine, WI. He made these flash animations to help his students practice the basics of electronics; Everything from units, resistor color code, logic gates, filters, op amps, transistors, and even how to use your Ti-86. As a HS electronics teacher, I am very grateful to Pat for the hours he spent mentoring me, and I use this site quite regularly with my students. He's a great man, and this is a great site for our Make: comrades. Enjoy!
There are 277 different modules in total, covering all of the things mentioned above and more. It was developed for educators to use in their curriculum, but it looks like it could be a good resource to learn something new, or even get an extra bit of review in before that upcoming test.
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February 10 2010, 6:00pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
Exploring the business of making
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/02/exploring_the_business_of_making.html
For the next few months, in concert with our "Your Desktop Factory" themed issue of MAKE (Volume 21), we're going to be exploring the world of "maker business," turning your passion for making things into a means of making money. We'll look at everything from casual commerce, selling small numbers of goods online, at places like Etsy and the upcoming Makers Market, to the running of a more serious and sustainable small business. We'll be talking to, and have guest articles by, maker businessfolk across this spectrum, from those just starting out, to those who are making a comfortable living as self-employed makers. We'll also be touching on everything from the most philosophical questions of why to the more pragmatic nuts and bolts of how.
Do you run a small "maker business?" If so, we'd love to hear from you. If creating such a business is something you've thought about, what questions/concerns do you have? What would you like to see us cover in this series? Let us know in the comments, or email me (gareth at makezine). We'd love for this series to be a useful service to you, especially if going into such a business is a fantasy, but you have nagging questions or reservations that hold you back, or just need a little encouragement from those who've made this sort of career change work for them.
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From MAKE magazine:
MAKE Volume 21 is the Desktop Manufacturing issue, with how-to articles on making three-dimensional parts using inexpensive computer-controlled manufacturing equipment. Both additive (RepRap, CandyFab) and subtractive (Lumenlab Micro CNC) systems are covered. Also in this issue: instructions for making a cigar box guitar, building your own CNC for under $800, running a mini electric bike with a cordless drill, making a magic photo cube, and tons more. If you're a subscriber, you may have your issue in hand already, and can access the Digital Edition. Otherwise, you can pick up MAKE 21 in the Maker Shed or look for it on newsstands near you!
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February 8 2010, 5:00pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
Study structures with straws
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/02/study_structures_with_straws.html
The forces that affect buildings and other structures can be modeled inexpensively and quickly by using the humble drinking straw. Usually, the projects built with drinking straws are rapid build. Storage can be an issue if you plan on having students work the design over multiple classes, or saving the structure for reference. This really becomes a problem if you are doing the same project with a full load of 5 classes. By doing the project in a single class period, you can easily reuse the straws, having students discard any cut ones and replenish them with new for the next group.
For fasteners, there are a few options. Tape can work, but is hard to remove if you are reusing straws. This can be good if you are aiming for a more durable product. Sewing pins can be used over an over again. Having students count out the pins they need and keeping them in plastic cups is works for multiple classes. As a new batch of kids collects their supplies, they just check to see that the last group left the right number of pins in the cup. This can occur at the same time they get the straws they will need. Some towers are built with paper clips as the fastener. If you do this, you may give the option of using wire cutters and pliers to modify the pins.
In introducing the ideas of the project, you will want to discuss the forces of tension, compression, torsion and shear. As students build, they should be able to recognize the forces that affect buildings and other structures and devise ways to compensate for them.
Often in straw towers, you will want to incorporate the differences between live load and dead load. Sometimes called dynamic load and static load, you can model them by having the tower hold a weight, representing the live or dynamic load. You can also have students become more aware of factor of safety and failure analysis of their structure.
The building of these towers can lead to a competitive situation. You can have students all build with the same materials, and set the grades on how high the towers stand while holding the live load. One way of doing the calculation is to set the highest and lowest possible grade, 100 and 75 for example. Then you measure the towers, identifying the tallest structure. If the tallest tower is 50 inches, then each inch is worth 1/2 point. The group with the tallest load bearing tower gets the 100. A tower that holds the live load at 40 inches would get a 95. The group that has the ball on the floor gets the 75. The other groups in between get grades based on the height of the ball, or other load.
You can also use a project like this to examine the forces affecting a building during an earthquake.
Have you built a straw tower as a student, or have you used the project as a teacher? How well does a project like this work in homeschooling? What techniques work well, and what resources are really helpful?
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February 7 2010, 6:00am | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
Using paper airplanes to learn about flight
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/01/using_paper_airplanes_to_learn_abou.html
Need a way to help the youth around you learn about flight? Try out paper airplanes! Most people know how to make a basic paper airplane, but there are other designs out there, some even claiming to be the ultimate paper airplane design. Inside the Dangerous Book for Boys is a two page section on paper airplanes with a few alternate designs you may have not tried.Some of the concepts you'll want to feature are Lift, Drag, Thrust and Gravity. A project with such inexpensive materials as this is also a great way to help make students aware of the Design Process. By using working paper models, you can also help students grasp airfoil design and theory. By adjusting their designs and making additional iterations, students can see real examples of how and why planes fly.There are some great resources for understanding flight and designs for paper airplanes. Share with us the comments how you have used airplanes in the classroom as a student and teacher.
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January 31 2010, 2:00pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
Rubik's Cube lesson plans
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/01/rubiks_cube_lesson_plans.html
Teachers, need a topic for an upcoming class? Why not teach the cube?
The You CAN Do The Rubik's Cube program is designed to get the country's youth engaged in math and science in a fun way! The Solution Guide and lesson plans have been designed to help educators engage youth in grades 3-12 and special education programs with hands-on education activities that are aligned with standards set by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM), State Curriculum Frameworks, and the Partnership for 21st Century Skills. Lesson plans show teachers and youth leaders how to use the Rubik's Cube as a memorization, sequencing, problem solving, and confidence-building tool. Furthermore, the cube provides a visual way to teach math disciplines like fractions, measurement, geometry, and algebra - and sense of accomplishment!
The program comes with a kit packing cubes, "solution guides", DVD and CD, stickers, activity sheets and certificates.
More:
- Origami Rubik's Cube Card
- Bronze Rubik's cube
- Rubik's Cube cake
- Rubik's Cube Mosaic Puzzle
- RuBot II - The Rubik's cube solving robot
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- Education
January 20 2010, 3:00am | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
More playing card (and pencil) geometric constructions
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/01/more_playing_card_and_pencil_geomet.html
Inspired by George Hart's work (our Math Mondays columnist), Flickr user fdecomite has been constructing these awesome geometric models out of playing cards, pencils, paper, and other materials.
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More:
Math Monday: Playing card contructions
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January 19 2010, 5:00pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
"Letters, we get letters..."
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/01/letters_we_get_letters_1.html
Yesterday, our fantabulous Director of Retail Marketing, Heather Harmon Cochran, sent the following email to the internal Maker Media mailing list. I thought I'd share it with you all. (The images above are of the Dalek plushies referred to in the letter.)
To: Maker Media
Re: I love our customers
During the Christmas season, the Deluxe Electronics kit sold out really quickly, so a couple of people were backordered. Anyway, I wrote to them to let them know and got into this charming conversation with a guy who wanted to buy the toolkit with Make: Electronics for his daughter for Christmas. I was thinking she was maybe 12; turns out she's 24 and they do projects together all the time. (He's an EE, and she's coming to electronics from the craft side.)For any of you Doctor Who fans, she knitted a TARDIS as a present to her boyfriend and she and her dad equipped it with LEDs. Then they also worked on a Dalek. Apparently, it responds to hugs.
I can't wait to see what they do with Make: Electronics!
In the Maker Shed:
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Make: Electronics
Our Price: $34.99
Want to learn the fundamentals of electronics in a fun and experiential way? Start working on some excellent projects as soon as you crack open this unique, hands-on book. Build the circuits first, then learn the theory behind them! With Make: Electronics, you'll learn all of the basic components and important principles through a series of "learn by discovery" experiments. And you don't need to know a thing about electricity to get started.- Tags:
- Education
January 8 2010, 8:30pm | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
A Make: Electronics lab journal
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/01/a_make_electronics_lab_journal.html
Tech author Jim Kelly (who's written a stack of books on Lego Mindstorms) has decided to do all of the 35 experiments in Make: Electronics and to document the entire process. This is likely to be immensely helpful to others who are using the book as a self-taught course in electronics. He's done the first three experiments so far, and adding new content every day. If you're studying the book and doing the projects, you should follow along. And thanks so much for doing this, Jim! What a great service to the maker community.
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In the Maker Shed:
Make: Electronics
Our Price: $34.99
Want to learn the fundamentals of electronics in a fun and experiential way? Start working on some excellent projects as soon as you crack open this unique, hands-on book. Build the circuits first, then learn the theory behind them! With Make: Electronics, you'll learn all of the basic components and important principles through a series of "learn by discovery" experiments. And you don't need to know a thing about electricity to get started.
- Tags:
- Education
January 8 2010, 4:00am | More »
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I posted to blog.makezine.com
Make your own Wii smartboard
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/01/make_your_own_wii_smartboard.html
In these budget conscious times, schools who want to integrate modern interactive technologies have a choice, buy a SmartBoard , or build your own for a fraction of the cost. Johnny Chung Lee has done some of the groundbreaking work with the Wii, the build instructions and downloads can be found on his site. In addition to the Wiimote, you'll need an infrared light emitting pen, which you can build yourself for short money.
Since the Wiimote can track sources of infrared (IR) light, you can track pens that have an IR led in the tip. By pointing a wiimote at a projection screen or LCD display, you can create very low-cost interactive whiteboards or tablet displays. Since the Wiimote can track upto 4 points, up to 4 pens can be used. It also works great with rear-projected displays.
Rather than spending thousands of dollars per classroom, students and faculty could make them in-house while helping to transform the school into a more technology-rich learning environment. With a project like this in your school, it could be a great way to do some electronics, system design and get a taste of mass production of the components. While this may not fit in to your current curriculum to have students build these systems, it could be a great way to collaborate across subject areas, or it could provide a great after school club activity.
Has your school built one of these $40 smartboards? How well do they work in comparison to other interactive display systems? Let us know about your experiments and experiences in the comments. [Thanks Rachel!]
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January 2 2010, 9:00pm | More »
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Chain-link bagel? Meet Möbius doughnut
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/12/chain-link_bagel_meet_mbius_doughnu.html
In response to guest author George Hart's "Mathematically-correct breakfast" piece in last week's inaugural "Math Monday" column, the folks at Serious Eats New York wanted to know "Why should the bagel get all the geometric jollies?" So they made themselves a "Möbius doughnut." Sweet.
(The finished product is actually NOT a Möbius strip, but two interlocking rings, just like the bagel, with each half achieved via a Möbius cut.)
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And Now, We Present the Mobius Doughnut- Tags:
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December 12 2009, 10:05pm | More »
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Young people making handcrafted holiday items at Providence Fab Lab
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/12/providence_youth_making_handcrafted.html
The youth from AS220's Broad Street Studio program have been making (and selling) some very cool things in the Providence Fab Lab at AS220 Labs:
Kafumba is a member of AS220's Broad Street Studio youth program, which offers arts and technology workshops to at-risk and under-served youth at AS220's building in downtown Providence and inside Rhode Island's juvenile prison.
This holiday season, Kafumba and about 30 other youth, are taking a product design class at AS220 Labs, taught by AS220 Labs staff and a designer from the Providence-based medical device product development firm Ximedica. The young people have been making and selling handcrafted merchandise in AS220's Fab Lab -- a suite of personal fabrication equipment and software created at MIT's Center for Bits and Atoms. They include a laser cutter, milling machine, and a vinyl cutter....
Kafumba, a freshman at Community College of Rhode Island, is picking up his ESL credits there and plans to transfer to a four-year art school next year. He is working in AS220's Fab Lab to improve his college portfolio.
This work is being done on a shoestring budget. The young people at AS220 Labs have accomplished all this in the Fab Lab with a $500 supply budget that is quickly dwindling.
Youth making handcrafted holiday merch in AS220 Labs
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December 11 2009, 5:00pm | More »
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Introducing "Math Monday"
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/12/introducing_math_monday.html
We're thrilled to be introducing a new weekly feature here on Make: Online: Math Mondays. Every week, guest author George Hart, from the newly-formed Museum of Mathematics, will post a fun, experiential, puzzling little item, exploring some intriguing aspect of mathematics. The Math Museum is dedicated to raising people's awareness of the wondrous mathematical patterns and structures that exist all around us. They do this through such experiential means as their Math Midway, a traveling circus of hands-on exhibitions, that brings math to life in tangible and fun ways... and now, through a weekly column on MAKE.
We hope you'll make George feel welcome, and that you'll get a good educated kick out of what he'll be offering up each week. This week, he starts by offering up... breakfast. -- Gareth
Mathematically-Correct Breakfast
Start your day right by making this challenging bagel cut, and see if you're really awake yet. Can you figure out how to slice a bagel into two congruent halves which pass through each others holes, like two links of a chain? Hint: The motion of the knife follows the surface of a two-twist Möbius strip. If you hack up a dozen bagels and still haven't solved the puzzle, you can check out the instructions here.
[Editor's note: Although the cream cheese might make it hard to discern, these two bagel halves are continuous and inter-locked.]
All About George:
George W. Hart is a research professor in the computer science department at Stony Brook University, NY. He holds a B.S. in Mathematics and a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, both from MIT. He is the author of a linear algebra monograph, Multidimensional Analysis, (Springer Verlag, 1995) and a geometry text, Zome Geometry, (coauthored with Henri Picciotto, Key Curriculum Press, 2001). Hart is a sculptor developing innovative ways to use computer technology in the design and fabrication of his artwork. His sculpture has been exhibited around the world and can be seen at www.georgehart.com. He is also very active in developing novel construction workshops as ways to communicate the richness and excitement of mathematics. Currently, Hart is on sabbatical, working to start up the hands-on Museum of Mathematics. Read more | Permalink | Comments | Read more articles in Education | Digg this!- Tags:
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December 7 2009, 2:00pm | More »
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"Scientists and engineers ought to stand side by side with athletes and entertainers as role models"
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/11/scientists_and_engineers_ought_to_s.html
Interesting quote from today's big education announcement (MAKE is part of it!). Reminds of when Dean Kamen says "We are what we celebrate"...Mr. Obama said academics should be receiving an athletic-like focus. And as he presented a set of initiatives intended to improve the science and math scores of American students, he announced that the White House would begin holding an annual science fair starting next year.
“If you win the N.C.A.A. championships, you come to the White House. Well, if you’re a young person and you’ve produced the best experiment or design, the best hardware or software, you ought to be recognized for that achievement, too,” Mr. Obama said. “Scientists and engineers ought to stand side by side with athletes and entertainers as role models, and here at the White House, we’re going to lead by example.”
He added, “We’re going to show young people how cool science can be.”
Mr. Obama presented the “Educate to Innovate” campaign on Monday. Sally Ride, the first American woman in space, was on hand, along with students and dozens of scientists and other administration officials. After speaking for about 15 minutes, the president inspected the “Cougar Cannon,” a device made by two students that is intended to scoop up and toss moon rocks.
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November 23 2009, 6:40pm | More »
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STEM resources for teachers
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/11/stem_resources_for_teachers.html
This weekend I had an opportunity to attend a renewable energy workshop organized by the Southeastern Massachusetts Achievement and Retention in Technology group at Bristol Community College. The morning was packed with teachers sharing their lesson and unit ideas on ideas based around the STEM subjects of green technologies and energy.
The college offers a Lending Lab for tools and lab equipment that most schools are unlikely to stock. Through using these equipment resources, teachers can get their students' hands onto enough materials to for a series of lessons on windmill design, hydrogen cars, air purity testing, and more. Teachers shared their experiences in bringing this equipment into their classes and how it affected student learning.
The NEED Project was a new one to me, focusing on bringing the ideas of energy systems to the classroom. Their site has an extensive collection of materials organized by grade level that are ready to implement in the classroom, from background information to student handouts. Chuck Lawrence of Upper Cape Regional Technical High School shared his experiences of having his students evaluate the energy use of educational spaces in the school, and has encouraged his students to help their families understand their use of energy from environmental and financial perspectives.
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November 14 2009, 7:00pm | More »
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Cigar box music player
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/11/cigar_box_music_player.html
Cigar boxes are great containers for loads of things. I had a bunch on hand after going to the local wine shops and asking for donated cigar boxes. Inspired by the Rock and Roll Speakers project in Fashioning Technology, it seemed like a good idea to have my students build their own music player embedded in a cigar box. This is a major project, taking several weeks, though it probably could be done by an individual in an afternoon without introducing many of the concepts we've worked on.
Box preparation
The boxes are pretty well made, and we found that we could sand them and coat them with spray paint. Boxes with colorful printed designs can be left unpainted. We have a vinyl cutter, so a lot of class time has gone into making custom multicolor stickers from photos. We're using the Threshold tool in Gimp to convert the image to a high contrast black and white, and then importing it to Open Office Draw to add a border. Having a border makes the sticker weeding process much easier.Speaker insert
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Using some scrap cardboard a metal ruler, utility knife, and careful measurement, we made an insert to hold the speakers and cover up the electronics. The speakers sound much better when enclosed. Just putting them inside the box improves their sound even without the cardboard insert. The speakers are secured to the cardboard with hot melt glue, and some students are making speaker grilles for further protection.- Tags:
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November 8 2009, 12:00pm | More »
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MassTEC Conference
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/10/masstec_conference.html
Last week, at the annual MassTEC conference, an interesting collection of science and technology teachers gathered to share experiences and information. Here are some highlights:Johanna Bunn, of the Boston Museum of Science, introduced the Engineering the Future curriculum, with interactive demonstrations of hands-on projects introducing students to structures, fluids, and electricity.
The forum on the Massachusetts state science and technology curriculum frameworks introduced a series of strand maps that show how the concepts and possible activities in the various STEM subjects interrelate. Their hope is that existing and new courses could be designed so that they step students through learning ideas within courses and how the courses could build upon each other. Right now, the maps are static PDFs, but their goal is to have them be more interactive in the way they connect projects and concepts.
Martha Cyr, Director of K-12 Outreach at the Worcester Polytechnic Institute, showed the TEACHEngineering site, which has resources for K-12 teachers. The site's search engine allows teachers to find curriculum and projects that map to many states' frameworks, and loads of scientific and engineering concepts. The curriculum tools on the site have a consistent look and feel and have been tested by STEM teachers.
Nate Ball of Design Squad told of his experiences in backyard, garage, and kitchen making. Though his school in Oregon lacked a hands-on technology and engineering program, his childhood was filled with adventures of the making sort. His rigorous personal projects and academic record led him to MIT, where he discovered what engineers do. When WGBH uncovered a need for youth to understand more about the realities and techniques of engineering, he was in a group of students who helped to develop possible projects for the show before he tested for and ultimately filled the role of host. The show encourages creativity, teamwork, and real world problem solving. The third season of Design Squad has just begun airing, and the site has lots of curriculum resources, and full episodes of the show.
If you are involved in an organization helping to prepare teachers and their students for a lifetime of making, pass along some links in the comments.
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October 25 2009, 4:00pm | More »
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Bildr: componentized, crowdsourced DIY how-tos
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/10/bildr_componentized_crowdsourced_di.html
What Bildr is attempting to do is very admirable. It makes good sense. It will be glorious, if it happens. Something similar has been talked about in tech DIY circles for years. The idea is to create a visual Web-based library of componentized instruction sets, "building blocks," for doing various hardware and software constructions. Put a bunch of these components together, and you have all of the instructions you need to execute a multi-part project. It's extraordinarily ambitious, but when you look at other crowdsourced creations, such as Instructables and Wikipedia, it just seems so doable. But to make it happen, it'll need LOTS of love, care, sweat-equity, money, and people power. Let's hope it happens, 'cause... how cool would such a resource be?
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October 19 2009, 7:01pm | More »
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Junkbot student videos
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/10/junkbot_student_videos.html
As a summation assignment for the CD scrounging, battery pack and junkbot projects, students made videos showing their junkbot. In the videos, which were made on whatever equipment they had available to them, they were to show the 'bot, explain what they did to make it and explain a bit about how it works. Part of the project was a writing assignment had them write about their Junkbot and tell about what they learned in the project. Not all of the students put the videos online, instead emailing them in. Having the videos online definitely creates a better, more lasting record of the project.
Grayson writes in his video notes:
Three things I learned about components that I did not use on my junk bot are things about LEDs, stepper motors, and potentiometers. I learned that LEDs only allow electricity to flow in one direction. If you hook up an LED backwards, it will not light up. Another thing I learned is that you cannot control a stepper motor without a computer chip. They are controlled with many coils and one person cannot run one with a single battery pack and a motor. I also learned that potentiometers (variable resistors) control the amount of electricity flowing through a circuit. Potentiometers can control things such as volume, motor speed, light intensity, etc.
What are your classroom projects this year? Do you have videos or photos that you could share with us to show off the creative makers you're working with? Post up some links in the comments, and add some photos to the MAKE Flickr Pool.
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October 11 2009, 7:00pm | More »
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How-To: Time lapse movie from photos
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/10/how-to_time_lapse_movie_from_photos.html
Sometimes you want to tell a story that takes a while to unfold. One of the beauties of digital photography is that you are not limited by how many shots are on the roll of film, now you can shoot until your camera's card is full. With the high capacity cards available now, you can shoot a very large amount of high resolution photos and barely fill your card.
In this project, we'll use Windows Movie Maker, which comes bundled with the operating system on many computers. If you have a Mac or Ubuntu machine, keep looking. iMovie surely has a process similar to this, and I haven't found a good way to work with movies on Ubuntu. Add your thoughts in the comments if you know of good software for other other platforms. All the windows machines in my classroom run on XP, I have heard that Moviemaker is a bit harder to find in Vista.
Making movies and sharing them online is a great way for students to sum up what they have learned from doing a project. By using the video description, students have a place to park a written explanation of what the project helped them learn and what the photos depict. They can write the text in any word processor and then add it to the video description when it is uploaded. If they need to alter it later, they can just edit the notes by logging in and making the changes.
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October 10 2009, 4:00am | More »
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'Logicomix' - A Comic Book About Logic, Math and Madness
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/10/logicomix_-_a_comic_book_about_logi.html
Book Review - 'Logicomix' - A Comic Book About Logic, Math and Madness - Review @ NYTimes.com...Well, this is unexpected -- a comic book about the quest for logical certainty in mathematics. The story spans the decades from the late 19th century to World War II, a period when the nature of mathematical truth was being furiously debated. The stellar cast, headed up by Bertrand Russell, includes the greatest philosophers, logicians and mathematicians of the era, along with sundry wives and mistresses, plus a couple of homicidal maniacs, an apocryphal barber and Adolf Hitler.
Improbable material for comic-book treatment? Not really. The principals in this intellectual drama are superheroes of a sort. They go up against a powerful nemesis, who might be called Dark Antinomy. Each is haunted by an inner demon, the Specter of Madness. Their quest has a tragic arc, not unlike that of Superman or Donald Duck.
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October 2 2009, 11:00pm | More »
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Math Midway
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/09/math_midway.html?CMP=OTC-0D6B48984890
Last night PT and I got to check out the Math Midway (soon to become the Math Museum), including the square trike PT already posted. Check out their website and mine and PT's photos on Flickr. That other lovely lass in the pictures is Alicia Gibb from Bug Labs.
The Math Midway is in NYC until October 14th, at the Urban Academy, after which it will travel to the Da Vinci Science Center in Allentown, PA. This group of exhibits wants to turn into a full-scale museum, so if you're interested in getting involved, now's a good time!
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October 1 2009, 12:00am | More »
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CD drive scrounged junkbots
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/09/cd_scrounged_junkbots.html?CMP=OTC-0D6B48984890
After exploring the innards of our CD drives, students in my robotics class are coming up with some clever junkbots. Here are a few of the first ones, more to come as they evolve. In both cases, by the end of the period, these student designed and made devices had been improved before the period ended.
As the school year begins, how do you help students understand the basics of electricity, manufacturing, and creating original devices? As a student, what are the best projects for the start of the semester or school year to get you excited to go deep and learn more?
More:
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September 19 2009, 4:00am | More »
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Attention Makers: Apply for a GO Ingenuity Fellowship
Got a wonderful invention or art project that you think will inspire the next generation of makers? The GO campaign is offering a number of GO Ingenuity Awards to help fund your idea. From their website:
The GO Ingenuity Award (GIA) is awarded to artists, inventors, and small business entrepreneurs to stimulate the next generation of "makers." Building on the momentum of Maker Faire Africa, GO Campaign will award one-year, one-time fellowship grants to individual applicants who are eager to share their skills with marginalized youth in developing countries in ways that educate and inspire youth to harness their own ingenuity. The GIA emphasizes the sharing of innovative artistry and technology in informal, hands-on learning workshops in places where youth already gather.[via Boing Boing]
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September 11 2009, 9:00pm | More »
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S.P.A.R.K. beginer robotics resources
http://hackaday.com/2009/09/10/s-p-a-r-k-beginer-robotics-resources/
We love to see educational resources appear. iRobot has put together Starter Programs for Advancement of Robotics Knowledge or S.P.A.R.K to serve as not only education, but amusement with the purpose of getting people interested in robotics. With sections divided into different grade levels, it is obvious that this is mainly meant for school aged kids. There are some games as well to keep them amused when they need a break. We looked around a little bit and it seems that they are still fleshing it out. We hope to see some structured content specifically created for education of youngsters. Right now it is mainly links to other resources.
[via botjunkie]
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September 10 2009, 9:26am | More »
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How-To: Classroom vibrobots
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/09/how-to_classroom_vibrobots.html?CMP=OTC-0D6B48984890
Vibrobots are an easy project for your maker classroom students and workshop participants. Relatively quickly, you can have people build their own small vehicle, construct a simple electric circuit and have the critter move around due to its' weighted motor. The materials are cheap or free, allowing you to encourage participants to take their creation home for further inspiration.
You may want to pair the vibrobot with the CD scrounging project. After scrapping the drives, you then have an excellent collection of parts perfectly suited for the vibrobot project.
Skills in this project:
Building electric circuits
Making a transportation vehicle
Working with the design process
Use of tools and supplies
Determining positive and negative voltageMaterials:
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This project is so flexible that you can substitute for just about everything on this supply list. Really, look around at the junk you have and figure out a way to use up some of the debris on hand before spending your budget.
You can get all the parts you need from scavenging computer CD drives
Battery holder, you can buy them or have participants make their own
Motors
Wire and other conductors
Rigid materials for the body
Springs are nice for feet
Zip ties
Hot melt glue
Nuts/bolts/washers
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September 6 2009, 1:00pm | More »
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How-To: Program a person
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2009/09/how-to_program_a_person.html?CMP=OTC-0D6B48984890
When introducing kids to programming, it's helpful to get them into the mindset of programming. Having this experience will help them to get the concept that they are in charge of what the code does. They should also see that there is a lot of programmed behavior in the devices and systems in our lives.
Supplies:
People
Paper
Pens/pencils
A space to work in, tiled floors can be handy for calibrating movesTools
NoneConcepts
Programming
Communications systems
Iterative or Design processTime frame
This takes at least 20 minutes to explain and do. After that, you could use it as a filler activity, where you use it to illustrate a concept in the language that you are learning.Mastery Objective
Students or participants will know how to create a very simple programming language so that they can command another person to perform simple tasks and explain where programming is present in other parts of their lives.Process
Have participants get together in groups of twos or threes. Big groups don't work as well.
Each group will need a piece of paper and a pen or pencil
Each group creates their own code of simple commands.
Their commands will be written on the piece of paper and then spoken to the programmed person.
The programmed person should not have to read the code, it should be transmitted to that person verbally, or on slips of paper in a sequence.
The programmed person will then carry out the written code as accurately as possible.
Students and participants should use the iterative process, where they try their program and refine it as they go. If they don't test out the program, it may not do what they want, their may be miscommunications or sloppy code that the programmed person does not follow well.
Have each of the groups or pairs demonstrate to the rest of the group what they have programmed.
Each group in turn has a person who calls out the code, and another person who executes the code.
Each person should think of several objects or systems that use programming techniques in their daily life.Keep it simple
Make a code of at least five lines of code, one command on each line.
They should avoid words like: "and," "next" and "then," which will have the effect of making commands more complex. Implied in the system is that the next line of code or simple command is "next" or "then."Don't make it impossible
Keep the commands realistic for your situation.
If you are limited on time, they should not repeat movements or events dozens or hundreds of time.
If you are limited on space, they shouldn't have commands like "run for twenty seconds" or "jump eight feet"
If you have regular human beings, they shouldn't have commands like "jump up three feet" or "lift the maple table top"Extensions
You could have them create a common syntax for their code, making it more consistent.
Create objects of groups of participants, that could all be commanded by one person acting as the transmitter of the code.If you try this out, please let us know how it goes in the comments. Send in some photos and video to the MAKE Flickr pool and tag it with ProgramAPerson.
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September 5 2009, 7:00pm | More »
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