8th graders in ELA at Linton Stockton JH were practicing to be technical writers. Their task was to build a gingerbread house from given materials (5″x7″ cardboard & craft stuff), then create the instructions on how to replicate what they made. They had to include a BOM (Bill of Materials) as well as measurements. Instructions are difficult to write – how much detail is too much or not enough is a tough question. We talked about how “twist the pipe cleaners” will get a different result if the builder is in 3rd grade or 8th grade.

There was so much creativity in the classroom. There were only a couple of different ways to build the house, but so many different ways to decorate it or augment it. The STEM Director & I created 5 3D print shapes that they could choose from to print and add to their house. Snow/ice days limited their work, so they are going to have to finish in January.

6th grade ELA students were tasked with thinking of/designing an artefact that symbolized a person that was central to their life, someone very important to them. They had the option of 3D design in Tinkercad or creating with craft materials (cardboard, craft sticks, pipe cleaners, buttons, pompoms, cotton balls, straws, yarn…)

After making, they will write a narrative about the person and tie in the artefact.

There was a flurry of activity and lots of sharing ideas on how to make something. They also worked with proper tools for each job (cardboard scissors or Chompsaw to cut cardboard, mitre shears for craft sticks, wire snippers for pipe cleaners).

Not everyone got done in one day. We had planned 2 days with me, but snow canceled one of them. They were hoping to do more the following day without me.

I have spent several days at Linton Stockton working with Elementary and JH & HS. Sometimes one teacher, sometimes one or 2 students, sometimes a classroom of kids on a variety of skills/tools.

We did some laser testing and prototyping of engraving a stock cutting board. Then we showed 2 kids how to design and laser their own. This lead to one of them wanting to laser engrave a piece of wood for their latest hunting trip.

We helped an educator learn how to use a makey-makey and a micro:bit. We saw some awesome projects by different classes.  We even helped 2nd graders 3D design & print an ornament (we gave them a file via tinkercad classroom that they could copy. It had an ornament back, a text to change to their name, and 6 shapes that they cold choose 3 from to put on the ornament.

I went to Owen Valley High School to work with a group of makers during their “Patriot Time”.
Mrs. L & I chose “DIY ceramic coasters”. 
Which is putting a vinyl sticker on a square/round ceramic tiles, then sealing it.

I took my 2 Cricut Joy and they have their large Cricut. I showed then thenounproject.com for a place to get images (SVG). Then we learned how to use Cricut Design Space and finally the machines. Everybody got at least one sticker cut and some got it applied. They only had a half hour, so it was a quick activity. I left the box of ceramic tiles so they can continue to do more on other days.

Because of the short timeframe, we did not get to sealing, so I left a couple of options for them to try (ModgePdge & Acrylic Enamel Clearcoat). Mrs. L had purchased a can of minwax polycrylic as a 3rd option.

I spent 2 afternoons with a few students at Shoals HS getting started with the micro:bit. We started with basics of getting emojis to show and using buttons A & B to make different ones and different timings. We then went to connecting an LED and coding it to do various blinks. The final thing we worked on was LED/neopixel strips. One person decided they wanted to see what they could make the cutebot do.

Recently I have been down at the Orleans Public Library. We have been talking for a while about a makerspace in the library. I wanted to get them started with 3D printing and using a Cricut, get them some hands on experience and training, so I loaned them each of those and did an afternoon PD for each. With the Cricut, we cut some vinyl stickers of various words and images and some cardstock Christmas trees and snowflakes. For 3D printing they printed some small snowflakes, some large snowflakes, a Christmas Tree, and a flexi rex. They are so excited they started window shopping for the machines and accessories to budget. Now they need to find time to play during their work day. (I was bad and didnt get any pics of their stickers. 
 

I was also there for a Saturday to do Holiday Paper Circuits. It also happened to be a time when a local author did a reading of their newly published Christmas Book “Two Lists for Christmas: The Christmas Kindness-List“.

(here are some pics from previous work with OPL)

I spent Patriot Hour with 11 students in the library making some winter themed paper circuits. I like using the templates from makerspaces.com because there is a template on the back of the coloring page.

They all did great. We even talked a little Chemistry with conductors and Periodic Table.

I was helping out at a couple of FabLabs and Makerspaces in the region. 
The big thing we did at one was design and laser cut a wooden ornament for each PreK student. They will sign their name to the ornament. We also were doing some order checking because a materials order got all messed up, some doubled, some tripled some single…

At another, the most fun was using the XTool F1 Ultra to laser engrave some metal tumblers. We also had to edit a sticker design to get the cut line to be the shape of the image (I used Lightburn to trace because I never get good results with Adobe Illustrator) There were also lots of projects discussed.

We were working with a Cricut for the 3rd space. They were so excited talking about the possibilities of what they could create and have available to clients. All 5 created a sticker to put somewhere, some had words, some an image & words. Then we tried cutting cardstock snowflakes – they were a pain to get off the Standard cutting mat. Though it was a little easier with the Light Grip. We also stuck a pen in a tool slot and wrote something.

I have a school with some First Graders that would like to build a small cardboard community. I am thinking something like a  Christmas village at this time of year, but not necessarily. I created some laser templates to cut out. I did a 4″x4″x4″ with a peak roof, a 4″x4″x8″ with a peak roof, 4″x6″ front/back with 4×4 sides and peak roof (the peaks are 2″ above the other height) and a 4x4x4 with a slanted roof. (the dimensions are the rectangles and the roof triangles are added to the sides). I designed the roof pieces to stick out a little.

Here are the links to the cuttle files

https://cuttle.xyz/@makervan/4×4-slanted-roof-Ktk9xGFz261s

https://cuttle.xyz/@makervan/4×4-building-afWOvF0GIXRC

https://cuttle.xyz/@makervan/4×6-building-zjXLzjpEHxTA

https://cuttle.xyz/@makervan/4×8-building-jsVZoGa4dU8K

It took about 1 minute to laser cut the 4×4 pieces and a couple of minutes to assemble with masking tape. After building it, I was wondering if maybe a 3×3 would have big enough…but not sure if 3×3 would give kids enough space to add….windows doors decoration color……

Yes, you can laser cut a rubber stamp.

Here is a nice video about using an XTool laser and XTool Creative Space to create the stamp. They do the same image as a positive and a negative. For a positive stamp, you engrave away the material around your image, leaving the image raised. For the negative, you engrave the image and leave the material around it. If you use text or anything with a direction, you have to flip/reverse the image. XTool Creative Space is free (and I think it is called XTool Studio now). You need an XTool laser connected in order to do many of the steps in the design

I have Cuttle, a vector design software that is browser based. They have a free account that allows 5 files and 10 downloads a month, otherwise a subscription for unlimited. They have accounts for K12 education.

I got a SVG from the noun project (free, but need account to download).
I imported into cuttle and resized.

Now I need to invert the image…. create it so that it makes a positive stamp.
I created a rectangle that was bigger than the image and set Fill to black (any color would probably work) and Stroke to none

Then I changed the Fill on the snowman to white (could use any color but black) and put it on top of the black box.
Because I made the box 2nd, it will be in front of the snowman, you have to “send it to back” under Edit.

Now I need to subtract the snowman from the black box using Boolean Difference under Modify.
Select both, Modify, Boolean Difference

One final thing, we want to cut this out. Create another box the same size and give it a red Stroke and no Fill. Align them and export the svg

The black will be engraved, creating a raised snowman.
But I did not reverse the image , so the hat will point to the right in the stamp.
Now I need to find settings that will work for my laser.

What if we want text….
(I am doing this one in yellow)

I needed to use the Edit tools to Align and Group the image & text. Then Flip it.

Now I need to make sure my box is larger, and put the snowman on top/in front, then Boolean Difference.

One final thing, we want to cut this out. Create another box the same size and give it a red Stroke and no Fill.

Align them, then export the SVG and bring it into your laser software and set the engrave & cut settings as needed.
You will have to clean some rubber ash/dust off.
Then glue it to a block (someone used Elmers Rubber Cement)
Many people engrave the image on one side of the block.

(you could create this in Lightburn (a laser control software) or Adobe Illustrator, probably even Corel Draw)
(some people put foam in between rubber & block

Glowforge settings from ppl on the web

Engrave settings 310 sp  90 pwr 450 lines per inch

Cut settings 130 sp F pwr 1 pass