Jazzing up your makerspace with light sabers!

This year is our first year of having makerspaces on campus, so it's a year of recruitment and a year to get others interested. With that in mind, I spent the first few months of the year securing spaces and resources. By December, I was ready to bring in students so I started with a maker party - code your own ugly sweater or upcycle an old book into a purse, tool box, or other accessory.

Though only a few students attended our December maker party, they started to make use of the space in their own ways. They asked if they could return to finish. They asked if they could create more. They asked when there would be more. They wanted to keep using the space. In my idealistic vision, I imagined the space as a revolving door - a place for students and faculty to come in and innovate - with hours similar to that of a library.

As more students and faculty use the space, I'll have to solidify a few basic rules and offer some training courses on the tools. But, for now - for this first year - it's about engagement and recruitment.

So, I decided to finish off 2016 with monthly maker parties open to all students and staff during open lunches (a time when students are not required to eat in the dining hall and teachers do not have duties). For January, I hosted a Makey Makey challenge and a light saber creation event. I split up middle school and high school students for more personalized events and better crowd control.

Today, the middle school students entered - 15 of them (we only have 200 middle school students) ready and armed to make. I assumed all were in for the light saber creation, but was pleasantly surprised when several girls asked to explore the Makey Makeys. Some even asked if they could complete some of the projects from last month.

This is the completed version

We began with an introduction of the space and how to use it most effectively. This was an important step in this makerspace since the space is rather small and has not been fully defined for maker.

After a brief introduction to the space, we were ready to create. I found this great Instructables tutorial previously (which I still recommend consulting), which I used to guide the maker event. Before sharing this with students, though, I made one myself. ALWAYS make one yourself first.

First, gather the supplies. I sectioned mine off into various corners of the makerspace for better traffic flow.

Supplies:

• Clear tube guards for fluorescent bulbs (here are the ones he used). Get the T8 size. These make the blade portion of the lightsabers.
• Small 9-LED flashlight from Walmart. The kind needed are typically found on aisle-end displays and cost $1. Here's a link.
• A cardboard tube that fits both the flashlight and the plastic tube guard.We used wrapping paper tubes
• Duct tape (Any color)
• Electrical tape
• Peel-and-stick craft foam
• Cutting mat
• Hobby knife or scissors - we used scissors

Organization:

• Place items around the makerspace by step. For instance, the tube cards and the wrapping paper rolls were on the same table. 
• Determine what is best for your office.

Tube guards and wrapping paper rolls went on same table

Example in center. Idea (plastic) mats in center with each step at a different corner of table in counter clockwise order

Next, it's time to get to work! To make best use of the tubes, we cut ours in half. However, in the original example, he only cut off about 12 inches. It's up to you.

We used scissors to cut the rolls and the students (12-14 year olds) did great

Then, cut the wrapping paper rolls. We measured from the base of our hand/top of wrist to the tip of our middle finger and cut. This will be the shaft. 

Now, it's time to insert the flashlight into the wrapping paper shaft. Most wrapping paper rolls are too wide for the flashlight so we placed duct tape around the flashlight (leaving the battery end & seal open) until the flashlight could be inserted, but would not fall out if we held up the wrapping paper roll.

Duct tape of any color to top of flashlight

After, students inserted the clear tube into the wrapping paper shaft (with flashlight). Again, the wrapping paper rolls are typically to wide so we added duct tape to the base of the clear tube until it would insert into the wrapping paper shaft without sliding out easily.

Then, we removed the black plastic covering at the end of the tube. In it's place, we placed a piece of duct tape (sticky side up) on top of the hole (leave a little on the sides so that it hangs out - you'll clean this up later). Then, we put the plastic covering back on, securing the duct tape. To make sure the light does not escape, you may need to wrap electrical tape around the top and sides of the plastic covering. I had to do this for mine and so did the students.

Now begins the aesthetic stage. I put duct tape over my wrapping paper shaft for cosmetic effect. It was not necessary. I also put electrical tape at the end and top of the shaft to secure it and make it look more polished. In this step, you can cut out the peel and stick foam to add grips to your shaft. Be creative and have fun.

In the final step, we colored the tubes with permanent marker. And, then, we used a low grade sand paper to sand down and diffuse the color. This helped diffuse the light.

Now, your students are ready to wage light saber war. And...hopefully, this will help jump start your makerspace. The key is finding topics that catch your students' attention. Here is a list of our maker parties for reference.

Happy making!

Seeking Wonder Junkies

"Would like me to make you a birthday cake," my three year-old niece, Emma, screamed as she climbed onto the kitchen stool. 

"Of course! What will you make me?" I asked as she looked through the kitchen drawer for supplies.

"Ummmm...how about a dragon cake!" she squealed louder. "Dragons are soooo cute! The cake can roar and the dragon can jump out of it," she exclaimed, getting more animated as the ideas came. 

At three, Emma's a wonder junkie. 

Emma reached for every color of food coloring and dumped them in the icing. "No!" someone yelled from the corner. "You don't want all of those colors in there. Pick three."

At three, Emma's told how something is supposed to appear. 

Emma grabbed the plastic spatula of a thousand colors and dumped it on the cake, crumbling beneath her. What remained was a crater of color. 

She beamed. "Happy birthday, Christy! It's a dragon! Rawrrrrr! Do you like it?" 

What's not to like? 

(Dragons are fictional, right?)

We assign preconceived ideas of how something should be to tasks that are meant to be holistic. We assign random numbers to learning development. We say that a seven year-old must be doing a set of tasks and, if they are not, they are failing. We assign right and wrong values to art. We decide how a fictional character like a dragon should appear. 

In our efforts to standardize education, we've stopped behaving as wonder junkies. Somewhere along the journey, we have started behaving like correctional officers. Wonder does not need to be corrected. It needs to be cultivated and then, shared. 

I challenge you to bring back the wonder. Even in restrictive environments, there is room for wonder. There is room for making. We are all makers. But, only some of us recognize it. 

Recently, I took the wonder junkie challenge to my staff. Not only is it my first year at a private school, it's my first year at this private school, and it's the first year for my position at this school. It's a year of firsts. So, it seemed perfect to introduce the idea of the makerspace. 

To get the climate ready for the idea, though, involves patience and willingness to explore for a year. During that first year: 

1. Organize a focus group of students and staff who are excited about the idea of making (start with the passionate folks in order to generate momentum).
2. Meet monthly with the focus group to establish the direction of the makerspace. For instance, will you have a classroom-based makerspace, a library makerspace, an after school makerspace, or several makerspaces around the school. We opted for several smaller makerspaces that each focus on a topic of interest (coding, wearables, recycling, etc.)
3. Host monthly maker parties. I made this list for our school year. These should be both high tech and low tech activities to bring in a diverse crowd. Keep each party limited to two activities for easy management. I kept the parties to 45 minutes. However, I found that students came throughout the next few days to the space to finish; thereby encouraging the use of a makerspace
4. Hold a kickoff party. We did this in the form of a Maker Night or a Maker Faire. We staged nearly ten booths plus a photo booth and invited all staff, students, and families. 

Create a space for wonder. Once you create that space and cultivate the climate, allow for it to shape itself. 

The kickoff party started with 8 booths:

• 3D Printing
• Google Cardboard
• Cardboard Arcade Challenge
• Upcycling
• Raspberry Pi Tinkering
• Makey Makey Challenge
• Short Circuit Robots
• 6 Word Memoir Stop Motion Animation

However, it evolved into so much more. 

Students found duct tape, LEDs, cardboard, C-Cell batteries, and cell phones to make talking robots

Students wrote their life in 6 words, drew it, and then animated it with stop motion

Students disassembled old electronics and created new inventions

They turned computer parts into jewelry

They used SketchUp to construct their own structures and then, 3D printed them

They made their own virtual reality tours with Cardboard Camera

They turned cardboard into fortune telling machines

They made messes - lots of them. And, it was okay.

They created without instruction - only ideas

They explored

They turned bananas into music

They set up stands made from recycled materials

They turned books into art kits

They had snacks (for extra encouragement)

Most importantly, they had fun

 It evolved into engagement and excitement. There were no rules of what something was supposed to be or not be. It was holistic. 

We are born to be makers. We are born to tinker and explore. However, we have been trained to follow a formula.  

Break the formula and get started. We are 9 months into our maker journey. We do not know where it will go or how long it will take and we're okay with that. 

Making = Happiness

I like to make messes. I like to clean messes. I'm one of the few eccentrics out there who enjoy both. So, the idea of making intrigues me deeply.

At the age of five, I wanted to sew my mom a purse. But, I didn't want to ask her for the sewing machine and I knew she'd say I was too young. So, I found some fabric at school, found a pair of childproof scissors, and grabbed a stapler. I cut out a purse of my own and stapled it shut. Then, I found some popouri in the bathroom and poured it in her purse. Her purses always smelled like lilies so I assumed she carried them around. It wasn't until I gave her the purse that was only a myth.

I wrapped the purse in newspaper and made her a hand-drawn card. With a gigantic smile on my face, I handed her my prized creation. My mom stuck her hand in the purse and immediately scolded me for using the stapler. But, I didn't care. I had made my first purse. I was an artist.

A few days later, I went to my parents bathroom and saw my purse, staples and all, hanging from the bathroom door as an air freshener. I had never been more proud. At that moment, I knew I was born to make.

I've never stopped making.

From the nickname of "mess-maker" to my storage box of "junk" in the garage, I was ready to recycle anything.

I have created mosaic coat hangers from cabinet doors, stained glass tables from barn doors and windows, light sabers from wrapping paper (let's face it - who hasn't?), purses from old books, and that's just the start.

When I started sharing my projects with others, my friends called me the "crafty one." But, I never understood why it had to be a thing. Why couldn't they do it too?

Making gives me inspiration. Making is a part of me.

But, I'm no exception. We are all makers. We are all inspired by making. My 3 1/2 year old niece loves nothing more than to create something. She feels empowered.

I challenge you to make something. Feel empowered. Add more making to your classroom. Create a space for invention and innovation.

Do it.

Finishing what I started

Procrastination. That's not a word I typically associate with myself, but it's a word I'm learning reflects on me fairly well. And, I'm not the exception.

I'm one who lives by to-do lists. I get anxious when others don't complete their tasks by certain times each day. As a child, I used to call my mom at lunch each day if my brother had not already completed his chores. Yes, I was that kid. I am still that type-A person.

But, when I reflected on myself and my own stress, I realized I have procrastinated on myself - not my tasks, but myself.

I read an article recently that focused on "what should you be learning now" to do what you want in the future. Who do you want to be? What do you want to be? When you know that, you should direct yourself in those directions. Your decisions should be based upon that.

I'm in the process of moving right now, which means cleansing time. I've moved a lot. In some ways, I hate it. It stresses me. I'm a pack rat so I have a ton of stuff. I love to craft so I never want to throw stuff away because I never know "when I could upcycle it in the future." However, as I clean and pack, I go through each item and decide if it needs to stay with me on my next stage in my journey. A few days ago, I discovered a note I wrote to myself in 2009. And, it's one of many that I have found over the course of 25 years that I have written. What remains constant is my love for art, nature, exercise and family. That's why I feel stressed when I don't get time for each of those.

I am diligent about doing art multiple times a week, but that still doesn't feel like enough. I've wanted to merge art into my job for a while, but I realized that I've put it off. I've stopped taking classes to learn new things. I've stopped making it a priority. I put it aside so I could get through my week.

I was reactive. I was not purposeful.

When I look back on my life, I don't want to ask "was that it?" Life needs to be purposeful. I don't want my life to be a series of reactions to events. Rather, I want it to be about purpose - a purpose I set out to create.

So, starting January 1, I decided this year would be about finishing what I started.

What did I start?

• Books - countless books - I've started but have not finished
• Art projects - I do a lot of art, but I have also started a lot of art, been side-tracked by another art project and finished it instead. I was reactionary.
• Travel - I do travel, but there is more that I want to see
• Career - I want to set out to make art, exercise, and nature a priority - not something I find time for. I let this go.
• Writing - I've started many writing projects and have put them aside to finish something else. This year, I want to finish those things.
• Purchases - I get into buying habits around the holidays and I find it hard to break them. I want to spend less, save more. I want to use the items I have and use them in new ways.

In finishing what I started, I hope to make 2016 a year of purpose. Going forward, I want to keep moving toward my purpose. When I reach my last days, I want to be able to say, "that was one hell of a journey!" I don't want to ask, "was that it? Was that all?"

What final question or statement would you make to yourself? 

Drop Attack

There's nothing like a start to a blogging series that begins with a drop attack, is there? To help bring awareness to Meniere's disease, I'm using this blog to recount my own journey with the disease and to search for a cure. I'm focusing on health, happiness, adventures, reflection, and humor. Today, I begin with health. Stay tuned to more as I recount what Meniere's is as well as I manage mine.