Uncategorized

Always a cool project with so many directions you can take them. I wonder how many years in a row (k-12) you could do rockets and kids would still be interested? NASA has a great 133 page Educators Guide https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/rockets-educator-guide-20.pdf Obviously, there is lots of STEM involved in working with rockets, but there are many… Read more »

Ceramic Tile Coasters… I thought I would try making a wedding present of ceramic tile coasters that were colored. I am trying the “sharpie” method (etch it, color with sharpie, use rubbing alcohol to remove excess). The only flaw with this method it you cant avoid the part you want colored, so you remove some… Read more »

Grocery Getter Nation is a nonprofit in South Central Indiana that works locally to eliminate school lunch debt. I attended their fundraiser “Gassers Under Lights” at Wagler Motorsports Park on July 29th. Originally we were going to laser cut personalized car ornaments, but with the temperature pushing 90’s, I figured the laser wasnt going to… Read more »

CSTA Indiana and nextech put on “CSPD Week” for Indiana k-12 educators at the end of June. There were full days of formal learning and evenings of informal networking/learning. There was even a bunch of swag for attendees. I contributed a “Robot Playground” on 3 of the nights. I gathered a variety of “robots” (many … Read more »

The Monroe Maker Experience –  digital fabrication PD for educators in Monroe County Community Schools Corporation (MCCSC) Last week I spent 3 days with 2 teacher leaders and 2 dozen of their fellow educators from a couple of MCCSC schools helping them with their digital fabrication skills. (There were 2 other lab sites with more… Read more »

Don’t tell me that LED’s don’t make EVERYTHING COOLER!!!

If you are going to do Maker Education / Maker Centered Learning Professional Development, you better have your learners making something. If the session is about pedagogy, I give them a bag/pile of craft stuff (pipe cleaners, straws, coffee stirrers, craft sticks, pom poms, buttons, googly eyes, index cards, colored pencils/crayons, tape, glue stick, hot… Read more »

My goal was to assemble 10 micro:bit based robotics kits for around $100 each. I also wanted to show some variations of components, like 2 different motors and 3 different servos. There are no building parts in these kits, just components. Use cardboard, recyclables, craft stuff, laser cut or 3D printed parts, or LEGO’s you… Read more »

I have been working on having something to make for the Grocery Getter Nation event at Wagler Motorsports Park the last weekend in July. Maybe a dragster shaped keychain, maybe personalized, maybe an ornament…but I also want to get their logo on it. Those ideas are too small for the logo to come out well,… Read more »

Last week we went to Crawford County for one night of their 4H Fair to have some #STEM stuff for people to see and do. We had a 3D printer printing out a small gnome and the laser cutter working on a variety of trinkets that we left for people. We also had some things… Read more »