Maker Education is such a valuable role. These stories will bring you the latest information and tales of maker educators who area spreading the maker mindset. Help others learn how to make things or how to think like a maker at makerspaces, schools, universities, and local communities. The importance of maker education can not be understated. We appreciate our educators.
I’ve built a lot of stuff with wood in my life, but I do not consider myself a “woodworker” by any stretch of the imagination. When I evaluate a project that uses wood, personally, what I look for is the maximum cool result for the least amount of technical skill and work. Here, then, are ten of my personal favorite bangiest-for-the-buck wooden projects from the vault. Enjoy!
To teach children about complexity theory, a group from Indiana University created an electronic game called BeeSim using LilyPad Arduinos and XBee radios: During the game children wear a Bee puppet wrist band with embedded electronics to allow for game play. The children have a finite amount of time (45 seconds) to collect and deposit […]
OK, so, it’s not really that hard to learn to read a resistor without a special tool, but ever since I saw the free downloadable nuclear bomb effects computer I have had a soft spot for these circular slide rules. And this one from Rob Ives might make a cool gift for a young maker to get him or her painlessly over the hump. [Thanks, Rob!]
This month’s Open MAKE/Young Makers program is Saturday, Feb 19th at the Exploratorium in San Francisco. The theme is cardboard. Featured makers will be interviewed by MAKE’s Dale Dougherty in the McBean Theater between 1 and 2pm. This month’s makers are: The Cardboard Institute of Technology has been building a large installation in the Tinkering […]
Veteran Hack a Day writer Caleb Kraft has written a thoughtful response to Phil’s yesterday editorial Why the Arduino Won and Why It’s Here to Stay (which also got a nice mention on the official Arduino Blog). It’s worth reading in its entirety, but the short version—which you’ll appreciate if you’ve ever had a skilled hacker flame you for using an Arduino when a much simpler circuit could’ve done the job—is that those who have the skill-set to do without the Arduino should stop poking fun at those who don’t, and help educate them instead. Hear, hear!
Anybody else heard of this Google thing? Apparently it’s some kind of search engine, or something. Anyway, looks like they occasionally riff on their own logo to mark certain events, and today they’ve got a cool one for Thomas Edison’s birthday. Michael Cavna has written a little puff piece at The Washington Post, and I thought this line was worth repeating:
[N]ote to Google: What we really want to see on July 10 is a doodled birthday tribute to the mad and mighty Nikola Tesla, whose electrical developments arguably hold even greater common currency today.
I concur. Yay for Edison’s inventive spirit, worth ethic, and triumph over disability! Boo for his thunder-stealing, cruelty to animals, and Homer-Simpson-esque shameless self-promotion! And yay Tesla, for his genius, humility, and kindness to animals. And yay Google, whatever the heck it may be! [Thanks, Lish!]
The New Edison-Style Cup Phonograph Kit from the Maker Shed uses the same principles Thomas Edison used to make his original recordings. The Gakken version replaces Edison’s waxed pipe and stylus with a plastic cup and a needle, but the end results are the same!
