4th Grade Science & the FabLab

4th-6th grade Lower School Science teacher Jami Muranaka and the FabLab got together to help the students learn about data collection. At the beginning of the year, Ms. Muranaka teaches her 4th grade students about the scientific method and how to collect data. This year, the FabLab created the car chaise using "BoxMaker". We laser cut the car "body" with numerous axle holes and cut various size wheels.

In science class, the students set up their cars with the same axle placement and wheel size. Then they tested them by letting them roll down a ramp and then measured the distance they traveled. They did 3 trials each, with different amounts of weights...first, 0grams; second, 10grams; and third, 20grams. The students then found the average distance traveled for their car, next they found the average distance traveled for the class. The final step is to graph the results.

After all this is done (which was about a week), students are able to experiment with their cars by changing the axle placement, wheel size and weight of the car, to see which configuration will travel farthest.

1st Grade Optical Engineers-Part 1

During the beginning part of the first semester, all 1st graders will be coming to the FabLab to learn to be Optical Engineers. Using a unit from the "Engineering is Elementary" program from the Science Museum of Boston, they will be learning about the characteristics & properties of different materials and how those materials interact with light. This program covers all aspects of S.T.E.M (science, technology, engineering and math), is hands-on, project based and allows the children to work in cooperative groups.

The Lab was reconfigured for these lessons, so that each small group had a table/work space, as well as giving us a group meeting area, highlighted with our word wall.

The Lab is up and running...

Last night (September 18th), was our Lower School Open House and the FabLab was up and running. The pictures below are of what things looked like before the parents come to visit. It's a big change from a month ago...August 18th was my 1st day on the job.

This semester I am teaching all the 1st graders using two units from Engineering is Elementary (a program the Science Museum of Boston) and I am assisting the 4th grade science teacher during their science time. I am also running the FabLab and working with the other classroom teachers and students on any projects that need use of the Lab. Next semester, I will be teaching the kindergarteners two EiE units and have the rest of the time to work with all the classroom teachers and students in the Lab.

Now, more about the 'Iolani Lower School FabLab...

We are still a work in progress...but we've come a long way in a month. Thanks to all those who have supported this program...from the faculty at the Sullivan Center (if you haven't checked out this place, go to http://www.iolani.org/sullivan-center), to the office staff in the Lower School. I want to especially thank our administrators, Dr. Timothy Cottrell, Head of School, Dr. Karen Neitzel, Assoc. Head of School/Dean of Studies, Larry Kahn, Chief Information Officer, Linda Look, Interim Dean of Lower School, and Zachary Linnert, assistant Dean of Lower School for all their support and encouragement. I am very honored to be working at 'Iolani and be part of this program.

Here's a look around the Lab:

Epilog Mini 60 Watt  24x12 inch Laser Cutter

MakerBot Digitizer, Sense Hand-held 3D scanner, &

Silhouette Cameo Vinyl cutter.

HP LaserJet 500 Color Printer/Scanner/Fax/Copier & 

4 Printrbot Assembled Simple Metal 3D printers

Besides the above machines, we have 10 MaKeyMaKeys, 8 Sparkfun RedBoards, 10 Mac Book Airs (which we use to run the machines...except for the Laser Cutter which is using a Dell Optiplex 9020). All the students at the school have iPads so we can run 123D Design and Scratch Jr. The 3D printers and the laser cutter have their own email account to make transferring of files easy...we also us Apple's AirDrop. 

The tables around the outside of the room are stationary (that's where the 3D printers, laser cutter and 3D scanners are). The other tables are on rollers and we can reconfigure the room  however we like. The rolling "Z" boards were made in the Sullivan Center lab...2 are double sided white boards and the other is a peg board. The walls around the room are painted with dry erase marker paint and we have a rug if we want to sit on the floor in a group.

All this wouldn't have been possible without the tireless effort of Blake Tsuzaki. Blake is an 'alumni who went from Kindergarten through 12th grade at 'Iolani and now is a sophomore at Santa Clara University. This young man was in the lab every day, setting up, programing, debugging, testing, etc. I am extremely grateful to him for his commitment to 'Iolani School and for all he has done this summer to get Lower School FabLab up and running.

Blake Tsuzaki

'Iolani Class of 2013

Setting Up The Lab

Last week at the FabLab, we were able to start moving the stored stuff out and start bringing the new stuff in. Thursday and Friday was spent getting things open and set-up. Thanks to Blake (an 'Iolani alum who's currently a student at Santa Clara) and Korry (a current 'Iolani Upper School student) for all their help getting things put together, tested, calibrated, and up and running. Without them, I would still have things in their boxes.

As you can see, we are starting to get things organized. The pics below show the equipment we are going to have this year. In future posts, I will make a list of all our equipment.

We still have a ways to go, but it's exciting to think about all we are going to be ale to do for our students in this space. Last Thursday, we were able to welcome the Lower School staff into the lab and show them some examples of how they can utilize the lab this year. 

I can't wait to get started...kids come on Monday.

CMK 14

"Constructing Modern Knowledge" in Manchester, NH was amazing. From July 8-11, over 200 educators met for, "a minds-on institute for educators committed to creativity, collaboration and computing. Participants had the opportunity to engage in intensive computer-rich project development with peers and world-class faculty."

For 4 days, we asked questions, imagined answers, made a plan, created, tested and improved. We did that over and over...sometimes taking steps backwards, other times totally changing what we wanted to do. In the end, we had a creation that did what we wanted it to. We used modern technologies (MakeyMakey, Scratch) as well as simple machines (like ramps, wheels and axles). We were kids again...we were students...we had the freedom to try things, to fail and try again. It was process and project, and it was a great experience.

This was our group and our creation: All 4 of us are from 'Iolani and it was great to work together. We started out thinking about sustainability (which is an important theme at 'Iolani) and how we could create something along that theme. We came up with making a Rube Goldberg machine that, when it sensed that sunlight was bright enough, it would turn off the lights. So we used a Lego Mindstorm light sensor and robotic arm to activate the machine and drop the ball. The Rube Goldberg machine was a series of ramps which dropped the ball on a switch. The switch was made with Legos (using a wheel and axle, lever and fulcrum) which activated a Scratch program via a MakeyMakey switch. The Scratch program showed a "movie" that turned off a light when the sun came out. We also had a visual alarm which was blue when the room was dark but turned red when the sun came out. This was made with a Lillypad board and program. We also used the Lego Mindstorm program to collect data about how many times the sun came out and how long we had the lights on or off.

       Patti, me, Jackie & Mike

The institute also invited some great speakers to motivate and inspire us. Dr. Mitchel Resnick, who, among other things, is the head of the Lifelong Kindergarten group at the MIT Media Lab. Dr. Edith Ackermann, who is currently a Visiting Scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, School of Architecture, and a Visiting Professor at the University of Siena, Department of Communication. We also heard from Pete Nelson, the preeminent treehouse designer and star of the hit TV show "Treehouse Masters" on Animal Planet. Our last speaker was Cam Perron, a rising Junior at Tulane University. Cam came into the national spotlight on the show HBO Real Sports, which highlighted his amazing contributions to the Negro Baseball League research and it's players.

I would like to thank Dr. Gary Stager, the founder & host of this amazing event and the wonderful faculty he put together to help us all in this learning experience...I had a great week on so many levels.

Creating the Lab

It’s the beginning of July and the pictures below show what the FabLab looks like. A lot of stuff has been moved out over the past few weeks. Eventually everything will be gone…except for the big box in the middle of the room. That’s a sink and it’s going to be installed along one of the walls. Other work will take place over the summer, including replacing the windows. Once the work is finished, it will be time to move in the equipment and furniture.

Great Workshop

From June 19th -21st I attended the “Design, Do, Discover” workshop at the Castilleja School in Palo Alto, CA. “This two-day workshop is for educators who are passionate about hands-on learning and interested in the practical implementation of these experiences in the classroom or lab setting. In particular, the focus is on integrating digital fabrication, making, and physical computing projects into the daily life of a K-12 school.” 

It was great! After an introduction we were given a brief presentation on the “Maker Movement” and how Castilleja has incorporated it into their curriculum. Next, we went through a process to identify possible problems we had in our classrooms. After that, we got into groups to decide what problem we would tackle. Lastly, we signed up for 4 different workshops where we would work on creating the solution to our identified problem.

This is where things got “hands-on”. Workshops included using 3D printers, laser cutters, and programmable microcontrollers (like MakeyMakey). We attended 2 sessions a day and had “Open Lab Hours” at Castilleja’s Bourn Idea Lab to work on our project. At the final session on Friday, each group presented their creations. 

The workshop was officially over, but there were 2 site visits set up for Saturday morning for those who could attend. We went to the Burke School in San Francisco and the Lighthouse  Charter School in Oakland. Both these schools had new labs for their lower schools which started in the fall of 2013. 

As great as the hands-on workshops were, these visits gave me a ton of ideas to bring back to ‘Iolani as we set-up our Lower School FabLab which will open this Fall. I am excited to be part of ‘Iolani School’s commitment to STEM education, design thinking and the Maker Movement.

Mahalo! to the “Design, Do, Discover” organizing committee: Angi Chau, Jaymes Dec, Diego Fonstad, & Ann Greyson. Next year’s workshop is scheduled to be hosted by Marymount School, New York, NY.