This Week In Maker Classes: Playing With Data, Lasers, and MicroBit

MakerCampus is growing quickly and the classes we are lining up are very exciting. We’ve got something for everyone! This week you’ll have opportunities to mash data around in interesting ways, Learn how to make cool stuff on a laser cutter, and explore the capabilities of the Micro:Bit.

Playing With Data

Explore ways to create music and art using data. No math or programming experience required! During these two sessions, we’ll train the computer to play some tunes using machine learning, we’ll create interactive visualizations of data, and investigate why everyone is making such a big deal about data.

This class will show you how data is used to make beautiful fun things. We’ll use weakinator to create music using machine learning, we’ll explore p5 to make interactive visualization of data, and we’ll use codap to investigate some data sets.

• Playing with Data – January 26, 2021 @ 3:30 pm – 5:00 pm PST

Glowforge and Inkscape Basics: Getting Started

From the class teacher, Michael Horton – I’ve taught hundreds of teens to use a Glowforge laser cutter to make keychains, earrings, cell phone cases, engraved tiles, and more. We use the free Inkscape software to make our vector designs. I’ll walk you through the basics of designing a teardrop dangle earring and loading it into the Glowforge app to cut. Then, we’ll walk through the app settings and the physical setup of the laser. Then, we’ll let the Glowforge do it’s thing and a beautiful earring will come out.

• Glowforge and Inkscape Basics: Getting Started January 27, 2021 @ 10:00 am – 11:00 am PST   – $5.00

Make Stuff with micro:bit

Make stuff. Learn to code. Have fun. In this class, you’ll join Maker Camp host and real-life educator, Sandy Roberts, as we explore, craft, and create together using the micro:bit.

The micro:bit by the BBC is an easy-to-code, inexpensive microcontroller designed to introduce kids to physical computing. By using Microsoft MakeCode, young coders can transform the micro:bit into a myriad of devices from game controllers to secret message senders, robots to weather stations. With tons of technology nestled into a board smaller than a credit card, the micro:bit provides many avenues for discovery and invention. In this workshop, we’ll build four different hands-on projects that explore a wide variety of applications for the micro:bit. Class size is limited!

• Make Stuff with micro:bit  January 28, 2021 @ 3:00 pm – 4:30 pm PST  – $100.00