Summer School...Session One (week 2)

Week two started with the Silhouette Cameo vinyl cutter. Each person started by making their name out of vinyl. Next, the students were given a challenge to come up with a quote, saying, or to create a "logo". With one cutter there was a line waiting, but while each student worked with the software, the others were either planning their project or working with Scratch, littleBits or made more circuits.

Next came the Epilog Mini Laser Cutter. Students were shown how to create a box using "Box Maker" (http://boxmaker.connectionlab.org/) and how to import it into Inkscape. From there they arranged the pieces on the screen and added things like their name, shapes or numbers. We cut out the boxes and the kids glued them together.

Following this, the students were asked to draw a picture. They were first asked to draw it with pencil, then trace over it with black Sharpie marker. Each kid scanned their picture as a .jpeg and emailed it to a Mac Book Air. From there, they downloaded it and opened it with "Preview". They cropped it, exported it as a PDF and imported the PDF into Inkscape. Next they scaled the photo and drew a box around it, making sure the size was 0.001 inches (to make sure the laser cutter would vector it). Last, the students emailed their file to the laser cutters dedicated email address, where we "printed" them.

With these two projects under their belts, the students were given the design challenge of making a wa'a (that's Hawaiian for voyaging canoe...like the Hokulea...check out http://www.hokulea.com/ for more if you are interested). They were shown an example and asked to design their own...first on paper (with measurements) and then design it on Inkscape. We made prototypes out of cardboard, made any improvements needed and made the final cuts on wood. The wa'as were glued together and went on display.

Summer School...Session One (week 1)

This summer I am teaching three sessions of summer school. The first session started last week. We have 12 students (raising 4th-6th grader)...6 boys and 6 girls. We started by introducing the students to the engineering design process. I introduced electricity & circuits, and gave the class a design challenge. Using copper tape, a LED and a coin cell battery, they had to make a simple circuit. Next they were asked to come up with an interactive board that could be used to teach the kindergarten students some concept.

Next we introduced Scratch programing. The kids started by playing games on the Scratch website, and looking at their scripts. Next they were given a design challenge to make program Scratch and create a screen that move the sprite, had some interaction with the keyboard, incorporated sound and have some "communication". After that, we introduced them to MaKeyMaKey's and playdoe.

Next came littleBits. We put out project cards and asked them to create two different one. After that, they could design and create systems of their own.

It was a great first week. Next week we'll move on to the vinyl cutter and laser cutter.

The School Year's Over...What's Going On This Summer?

Our last day of school was Thursday, June 4th and our first day for next year isn't until August 24. So what's going on in the Lab this summer? We are offering three different sessions to introduce the Lab and all it's tools to our 4th-6th graders. Our first session will be a half-day (12:30-3:30) class for 6 weeks. The next two sessions will be all-day (8:00-2:30) for 1 week but the first week is girls only and the second week is just boys.

We will post from time to time over the summer so keep checking back.

Top 10 Things Learned From A First Year S.T.E.M/FabLab/MakerSpace

In homage to the great David Letterman, here are the "Top 10" things learned during the first year of the 'Iolani Lower School FabLab. All are equally important and will be considerations as we plan what will happen in the Lab in year two.

#10...The laser cutter is the work horse of the Lab.
     If you can only buy one machine for a space like this, get a laser cutter. There wasn't a week that went by that the hum of the laser and the roar of the vent wasn't heard in the Lab. From kindergarten garden stakes, to 2nd graders making name tags, to 6th graders creating catapults, to gifts made for our retirees, our Epilog Mini vectored and rastored it's way through wood and cardboard.

#9...Look for and teach the "Teachable-Moment".
     Are 2nd graders too young to create in 3D? Nope. We had two 2nd graders decided they wanted to make something on the 3D printer so very little help, they did. More then once as a matter of fact. First I had them draw a picture of what they wanted to make. Then we talked about how they would create it using standard shapes. Next, I set them up with 123D Design and told them to play around. Before I knew it, they were ready to print. One of them also learned how to use the 3D scanner to print something they made out of clay. We also had a class of 2nd graders making pedestals for statues they created. Some of them wanted to make circles but had never used a compass. One mini-lesson later they knew about radius, diameter, and they were making circles everywhere.

#8...Kids love to make stuff.
     There is never enough time for a kid to complete a project in one class period. They love to make stuff and are so focused and on task. Seldom did a student come in one time, make something and leave. They came in multiple recess periods or during study halls. And it doesn't matter what material they are using. We had kindergarteners making towers out of plastic straws, third graders making buttons for the business they created in their "mini-society" on the laser cutter, second graders building pedestals out of cardboard. If you put stuff out...they will build.

#7...Teachers have great ideas.
     This being the first year of the Lab, I wasn't sure how the teachers were going to make use of the space. After a hands-on visit to the Lab during our professional development day in August, and a quick visit to the Lab with their class the first few weeks of school, our teachers got creative. Every grade made use of the Lab this year...some for multiple projects. I have already been talking to a number of teachers about new projects for next year. We also have teachers that have been doing "making" projects in their classes for year. Our Kdg-3rd grade science teacher has her 3rd graders design and create space craft at the end of their space unit.

#6...Get out and learn from others.
     Before the Lab was even set up, I was sent off to some great learning experiences. "Design, Do, Discover" run by Castilleja School (CA-thanks Angi) and Marymount School (NY-thanks Jaymes), and "Constructing Modern Knowledge" (thanks Gary Stager) were amazing. I would encourage anyone (classroom teacher, S.T.E.M. teacher, administrator) to attend both these. I got so many ideas and made some amazing contacts...the success of the first year of this Lab is in part to these two events. I also need to recommend getting out and seeing other Labs. Thanks to the Lighthouse Charter School (CA-thanks Aaron) and The Katherine Delmar Burke School (CA-thanks Jenny) for opening their doors and letting me take lots of pictures.

#5...You gotta have friends.
     The S.T.E.M./FabLab/MakerSpace world is still young and a fairly small community. The best networking group for me is "Resources for K-12 Fab Labs and Makerspaces (https://sites.google.com/site/k12makers/). This is an amazing collection of professionals posting, questioning, answering and sharing on any and every topic of interest to school Fab Labs and Makerspaces.

#4...Share what you know.
     As teachers, we sometimes stay to ourselves in our own classrooms and seldom share our ideas with anyone other then our grade level team. If you're part of "Maker Movement" in schools, that doesn't work. Since we opened our Lab in August, we have had a constant stream of teachers, administrators and students from other schools (and even our state university) come through our doors wanting to know what we are doing. I have also taken "The show on the road" and have been honored to present at the National Science Teachers Association S.T.E.M. Forum this past May. I am also hoping to present at a number of other conferences over the next year or so. I know we don't have all the answers, but I have found that sharing our journey with others has been appreciated by everyone I have spoken to. I have also shared technical info as I've solved problems in the Lab...I tried "NinjaFlex" filament on the 3D printer. The settings can be tricky with this type of material so when I got it to a place that I was happy with, I posted those on our blog. Those have been the most viewed posts.

#3...F.A.I.L. is not a 4-letter word.
     "First Attempt In Learning" = F.A.I.L. I have a number of quotes on the door into the Lab. As the students enter in they can read them and it sets the tone for what's going to happen behind the door. Some of my favorites are: "I have not failed 10,000 times...I've successfully found 10,000 ways that will not work." Thomas A. Edison; "I've heard tell that what you imagine sometimes comes true." Grandpa Joe (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl); "If you're not prepared to be wrong, you'll never come up with anything original." Sir Ken Robinson; and "Imagination is more important the knowledge." Albert Einstein.

#2...Change happens.
     As we look to next year, we have made some changes and additions to what goes on in the Lab. Starting with this summer, we are offering 3 different summer school classes. One will be a 6 weeks, half day program to introduce 3rd-6th grade students to everything in the Lab through both teacher inspired projects to project of the students own creation (this class filled up in the first hour registration). The other two classes will be 1 week, all day but will be gender specific. Boys will one week, girls will be the next. As of today, our girls class is filled with 14 ladies and our boys have 6. (That brings up another topic that we'll discuss in the future.) Another change will be our schedule next year. This past year I had 3 specific grades/topics to teach (kindergarten, first and fourth grades). This coming school year, the schedule for the Lab is wide open...teachers are encouraged to sign up for days and times that fit in with projects they have going on in their classrooms. The last thing that will be different in the 2015-2016 school year is that we are offering grade specific mini-session. Teacher will sign up for a 90min session on a topic specifically aimed to help their students better use the Lab during the year as they come up with project ideas. Based on the projects that each grade did this past year, these are the concepts we are offering:
   2nd grade: Scratch Jr on the iPad
   3rd grade: MaKey MaKey & Scratch
   4th grade: Laser cutter & Inkscape
   5th grade: 3D printer & 123D Design
   6th grade: Circuits, soldering and littleBits

#1...I am so blessed to be here.
     I know I said these 10 things were not in any order, but "The #1 thing learned from a first year S.T.E.M./FabLab/MakerSpace" is....I am so blessed to be here at 'Iolani School. 'Iolani is a unique place...there are very few schools that I know of that are like it. The history, the tradition, the alumni, the parents, the kids, the staff and the administration are all amazing. One group, in particular, has made this Lab and the learning that is going on here happen. There was a quote that came across Twitter the other day..."Students take risks when teachers take risks. Teachers take risks when school leaders take risks" (Brad Currie). 'Iolani is taking a risk by investing in this aspect of education. Not just at the Lower School but in the Upper School with the Sullivan Center for Innovation and Learning (take a look at this http://sullivan.iolani.org/). The support and encouragement that comes down from the "Top" is empowering.

5th Grade Makes Game Pieces For Language Arts Class

One of our 5th grade teachers assigned the students to make a board game about a book they read. There was certain information that had to be included in the game (characters, setting, theme, etc.) but the rest was up to the students. Some of the kids came into the Lab to make pieces for their game board. Here's a few of the things they made.

Boxes for game cards

Decorations for their boards

 Tokens for their games

Game pieces