“Making, Thinking and Creating:” is the topic of the Keynote address by Dr. Kylie Peppler of Indiana University at the 3rd Make: Education Forum, which will be held Friday, September 22 at the New York Hall of Science in Queens. The Make: Education Forum is organized in partnership with Make:, New York Hall of Science and MakerEd, and hosted by Dale Dougherty (Make:), Dr. Margaret Honey (NYSCI), and Dr. Trey Lathe (MakerEd.)
This year, the Forum will feature talks on computational making, maker toolkits for education, and professional development for maker educators. (If you’d like to review previous editions of the Make: Education Forum, check out 2016 and 2015.)
”As makers now join the ranks and become the designers of today’s newest learning technologies,” says Dr. Kylie Peppler, “they are transforming the landscape and creating toolkits that help us to better grasp concepts hidden in our prior tools.” Her presentation will look at how new maker toolkits are expanding the possibilities for making, thinking, and creating today. Dr. Peppler, an artist by training, is an Associate Professor of Learning Sciences at Indiana University where she serves as the Director of the Creativity. She is also the Chief Learning Officer at Collective Shift/LRNG.
We will have presentations from several developers of maker tools and toolkits. Dr. Jie Qi is the co-founder and creative director of Chibitronics, which makes hardware kits that blend paper craft, circuit building, and programming. You might be familiar with the “circuit stickers” from Chibitronics. In her talk “Programming Papercraft,” Jie will talk about how her work aims at building electronics as a medium for creative self-expression. “I will share some of my own experiences in creating paper electronics artworks — discovering the magical possibilities of using technology to make artwork come to life, as well as using art to make technology beautiful and personally meaningful.”
Micro:bit is a small, low-cost microcontroller developed by the BBC in the UK and introduced into the US this summer. It’s a terrific new platform for learning computational making. Hal Speed, head of North America for the Micro:bit Education Foundation will give a talk titled “Get Creative, Get Connected, Get Coding with Micro:bit!”
Math can be another way to explore the connection between making and thinking. George Hart, a research professor in the engineering school at Stony Brook University, will give a talk titled “Making Math Visible.” His project is about having students create mathematically rich objects that highlight the beauty of mathematics and then serve as the focus for mathematical conversations.
“Re-thinking Professional Development for Maker Educators” is the subject of an afternoon panel moderated by Trey Lathe of Maker Ed and David Wells of New York Hall of Science. As schools begin to see the opportunity to expand maker education, how will they offer the training needed to develop and support maker educators. What are new approaches to helping educators become competent and capable as makers and educators?
Luke Bauer, the principal of the Urban Assembly Maker Academy, has had the opportunity to not just start a makerspace, but to start an urban public school with a maker-minded philosophy. It goes beyond just making activities but involves building a school environment that fully supports making and creativity, and developing skills for future success. Luke is a teacher and administrator working in both middle and high schools since 2002. In 2006, he began working at East Bronx Academy for the Future (EBA) before becoming the founding principal of Urban Assembly Maker Academy.
We will have hands-on interactive sessions in our lab before the Conference begins, during lunch as well as from 3 to 4pm at the close. In addition, Make: Author Kathy Ceceri will organize a lunchtime making activity called “Make A Light Up Origami Jumping Frog.”
We’d like to thank our sponsors Microsoft and DK Publishing with additional support from Beagleboard, Bose, Dremel, and Milder Office Furniture.
The program begins at 10am and goes to 4pm with registration opening at 9am outside the auditorium at the New York Hall of Science. Cost is $95 per person, which includes a ticket to Maker Faire on the weekend. For those who are interested, we will offer a behind-the-scenes tour of Maker Faire at 4pm.
Check out more information about the Education Forum and register for your ticket today.
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