Maker Mindset Day 2 - It's All About That Tech

Day 2 of the NCCAT Maker Mindset session was all about technology.  We started the day with Scratch, moved to Makey Makey, on to Microbits and finished the day with Tinkercad.

Scratch
Our day began with Scratch.  Our trainer, Jason Lineberger, showed us a few things made with Scratch and showed us how to view the code they used to produce it.  Jason sets up his makerspace activities as a series of challenges.  Our first challenge was to make the sprite move left when we pressed the left arrow, right when we pressed right and up when we pressed up.  He showed us the basic move command.  Through trial and error we had to make it work.  Challenge 2 was to have the sprite move to center when we pressed the down arrow.  Challenge 3 was to have the sprite draw a line as it moved.  The final challenge was to have it draw a multicolored line that grew incrementally as it moved and could be cleared when you pressed the down arrow.

Playing around with Scratch in this manner helped me to better learn how to use it.  It also helped to learn that I could "look under the hood" of projects created by others to learn how they had written their code.  I want to set up a Scratch challenge station that has a series of quick programming activities students can complete in just a few minutes when they come to the library.  If they complete  "X" number of activities they can earn a badge for Scratch.  This will tie into and reinforce what they are learning in CTE classes as well.

Makey Makey
This was the tool I had most wanted to explore.  I have used Makey Makey with students and pre-made tools in scratch like the piano, PacMan, etc.  What I hadn't understood about Makey Makey is that you could use Scratch with Makey Makey to create your own programs.  Discovering that was probably my OMG moment of week!  Learning to program my own Makey Makey band and beginning to follow their Twitter feed has opened my eyes to all that I was missing.

I've since discovered you can make interactive posters, books, dioramas, and so much more.  I'm planning on using Makey Makey as a challenge station similar to my plan with Scratch.  There is a Makey Makey training session in December sponsored by the NC Science House that I really want to attend.  I know students can take this stuff and run with it, but I want to learn more for myself as well.

Microbits
Microbits remind me of a mini Arduino.  They have built in LEDs that you can control, respond to shaking (like for a pedometer), have buttons to input information and a whole lot more that I didn't learn about.  Our challenges were to make it light up with a design, switch between 2 designs, scroll text, create a pedometer and play rock, paper, scissors when you shake it.

Microbits use block coding similar to Scratch.  This along with the built in functions made it much more beginner friendly than the Arduinos we have.  Using the Arduino beyond blinking LEDs and spinning motors still intimidates me.  Microbits on the other hand were quick and easy to learn - mainly because I didn't have to connect everything to a breadboard or pins.

Microbits run between $15 and $25 depending upon where you find them.  I purchased one for myself so that I could try them out.  I can use this to help students begin to learn and understand the Arduinos.

Tinkercad and 3D Printing
Of all of the things we did today, I was most comfortable with Tinkercad.  This is free online software that can be used to create items to be printed on the 3D printer.  PCMS students used this tool to create the objects you've seen in some of my earlier posts.

Tinkercad can have a little bit of a learning curve.  I watched quite a few videos to help me learn how to move the screen to view the object at different angles, how to create holes and how to merge objects for printing.

A couple of group members mentioned they used the free online version of Google Sketchup.  I haven't played with that tool in quite a while.  Those in my group that struggled with Tinkercad found that Sketchup was easier.  I still finished me design in Tinkercad, but I'm definitely going to explore the use of Sketchup on our Chromebooks for the new school year.

When we use Tinkercad at school, students use their school Google account to login.  They create their item on their Chromebook and download the file.  I have students email their finished files to me along with the color of the filament they want to use.  This helps me keep track of workflow if I have several students creating projects.

We had several students design and create their own items for the 3D printer that weren't a part of projects.  One group of boys designed their own lures.  We printed them being sure to include loops for attaching fishing line and hooks.  They took them home and sanded, painted and attached hooks.  They would take pictures of them to show me the final product.  They would evaluate the results after a fishing trip or two, revise their design and want to print more.  I was pretty impressed with their ingenuity.

Expanding our Makerspace
Things like this Maker Mindset training really make me love what I do even more.  I get really excited when I think of ways students can use the tools we have as options for projects they do in their core content classes.  Every little thing I can learn will in turn help our students.  Who knows, one of the students I work with could become the next great inventor!