Why schools must lead maker movement

WHY SCHOOLS
MUST LEAD THE
MAKER MOVEMENT
Susan Wells
Founder, Camp TechTerra
ISTE MLN President-Elect 2015-
16
SusanSWells.com
wellssusans@gmail.com
@Wellssusan

In this session….
• Understand the foundations of a Maker program
• Discuss differentiated learner experiences for exploration, creativity and fun
• Learn how one curriculum provides a unique STEM learning experience
combining mobile technologies, coding, robotics, MakersEd, 3DPrinting,
science and the great outdoors
• Explore how a TechTerra certification for school-based staff provides the
knowledge and ability to easily and effectively incorporate STEM and nature
in classrooms
• Receive grant tips and opportunities to fund your own STEM coding-based
program

Foundations of
ScienceTechnologyEngineeringMath
• Making…thinking, considering, designing, imagining,
playing, creating; if you can think it, you can make it;
to solve a problem & enjoy the process to make life
better
• Coding…a beginning for microcontrollers, robotics,
3DPrinting…Making!
• Robotics…artificial agents guided by computer
programming; sophisticated work, purposeful and
authentic

And the “A” for STEAM?
• Why include the Arts…
• Makes us human. Makes life worth living. Makes
us better thinkers.
• Integrated throughout the curriculum, across all
content areas, at all grades

MakersEd Critical for Today’s Students
Constructivism & Making
Interaction of an individual’s experiences and ideas
=
new knowledge and new meaning
• Students at the center of the learning objectives and
activities
• Content integrated for engagement and authentic
meaningful experiences
• Powerful ideas, powerful exploration, powerful PBL,
powerful practice, powerful perseverance

Makerspaces
Dedicated Space
Charlottesville City Schools, VA

Makerspaces
Mobile Space Durham Public Schools, NC

What is coding/programming?
• Programming/Coding is the way in which a person tells a computer what to
do.
• A computer does not understand regular English…a computer can’t be told to
go wash the dishes. Programming is the way in which a computer is told to
follow directions and solve a problem.
• Using programming puzzle games in block language including Lightbot,
Kodable , The Foos… these games … teach basic programming logic or
thinking by combining the visual/pictures of typed language written (ie C++,
Java, Python) and what happens when you carry those instructions out.
• Why?... All students have the right to be creators not solely consumers.

Kids learning to coding:
• Planning…putting themselves in the robot/cute
monster/dinosaur/cat position and figure out how to
guide their character through the puzzle to solve a
challenge.
• Programming or putting their steps in
sequence/order.
• Testing, running their program to see if it works.
• Debugging, when it doesn’t work rerunning their
program, finding why not and moving directions or
taking them out to understand what the problem
was; fixing mistakes.
• Coolest part…everyone will fail, can’t learn
to code without failing, otherwise known as
“debugging!”

Physical coding…
beginning of teaching code … projection with Copernicus 3in1 interactive-easelor taped
floor grid

Favorite coding programs…
#1 choice youngest learners…LightbotJr
• Countable
• Teach from the grid
• No need to drag and drop
• Robot stays put as you re-run and debug
• Can easily rewind to practice
• Provides challenge for acceleration

Teaching Coding & Robotics
Coding
• Lightbot
http://lightbot.com/
• Scratch, Jr.
http://www.scratchjr.org/
• Kodable
https://www.kodable.com/
• The Foos
http://www.thefoos.com
• Robozzle
http://www.robozzle.com/
Robotics
• Birdbrain Tech
www.birdbraintechnologie
s.com
• Cubetto (youngest
learners) www.primo.io
• Lego
www.legoengineering.com
• EZ-Robot www.ez-
robot.com

Teaching Robotics
Purpose is to make the work
of humans lighter or
easier…replacing the human
worker…having students
consider what this means
for humanity…

• Instant engagement
• See and understand
cause and effect
• Complex critical thinking
• Requires communication
and collaboration
Robots fit into STEM curriculum

Creating with 3DPrinting
• Consider
• Imagine
• Solve
• Create

What is 3D Printing
• Scans an object and slices it
into layers which are then
converted into a physical
object.
• Extrudes filament… plastic,
metal, chocolate…
• And then…you’re holding in
your hand that which didn’t
exist in the physical world
moments ago!

11 Ways 3D Printing Can Be Used In
Education
• 1. Engineering design students can print out prototypes
• 2. Architecture students can print out 3D models of designs
• 3. History classes can print out historical artifacts for examination
• 4. Graphic Design students can print out 3D versions of their artwork
• 5. Geography students can print out topography, demographic, or
population maps
• 6. Cooking students can create molds for food products
• 7. Automotive students can print out replacement parts or modified
examples of existing parts for testing
• 8. Chemistry students can print out 3D models of molecules
• 9. Biology students can print out cells, viruses, organs, and other
critical biological artifacts
• 10. Math students can print out “problems” to solve in their own
learning spaces, from scale models to city infrastructural design
challenges
From-- http://www.teachthought.com/technology/10-ways-3d-printing-can-be-used-in-
education/

Making in Action
• Link to Camp TechTerra student made videos
• Watch Camp TechTerra below…

What is it?
Camp TechTerra brings together technology and nature to
help children better understand the world around them.
www.CampTechTerra.com
Camp TechTerra’s curriculum is inspired by Makers Ed and
Project-Based Learning.

Getting CTT Certified…
East Central University Ada, OK
July 27, 28, 29 2015
ECU-EDTech http://bit.ly/1HH5wyu
• Use your personal mobile devices, optimized for teaching and learning; add our
robots, drones, and 3D printers. We provide time & focus on grant writing to fund
your own program STEM tools.
• Activities and lesson plans for Camp TechTerra include Earth Science; Life Science;
Physical Science and Computer Science. Each core area has a focused lesson
plan with hands-on exploration. Coding instruction centers on coding with a
purpose. Focused lessons plans provide differentiated scaffold opportunities
understanding with collaboration.
CTT Certification with Shodor, National Resource for Computational
Science Education Durham, NC
September 2015

Finding Funds- Critical components of
successful Grant Writing
• Do the work to carefully plan your project
• Focus counts
• Investigate local sources
• My first large grant, over $100,000 came from the state. Started
small $20,000…demonstrated success, returned for additional
monies…
• Research…keep looking on a regular basis
• New grants are posted daily, mark your best sources and keep
coming back…when you target search areas and keep returning
you’ll find opportunity

Grant Source Categories
Classroom Funding Examples:
DonorsChoose www.donorschoose.org
Adopt a Classroom www.adoptaclassroom.org
Community Funding Examples:
Brown Rudnick Community Grants
www.brownrudnickcenter.com
Larger Targeted Funding Example:
Corning Foundation Grants
www.corningfoundation.org

Today’s learners deserve…
• Authentic opportunities to do meaningful work
• Today’s tools to get real work done
• Opportunities every day, throughout the day to work on
personally engaging tasks
• Space and resources to work collaboratively, think
critically & create
• Learning that is enjoyable and yes, fun!

Thank you!
• wellssusans@gmail.com
• SusanSWells.com
• @wellssusan
• camptechterra@gmail.com
• CampTechTerra.com
• @camptechterra

Camp TechTerra Tools include
3D Printers
PreK-12th Grade
MakerBot Replicator Mini - http://www.makerbot.com/?utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=My%20Company
Use in education - http://stories.makerbot.com/tagged/education
Thinkiverse - http://www.thingiverse.com/
Tinkercad - https://www.tinkercad.com/
Robots
3rd Grade-12th Grade
The Finch Robot - http://store.birdbraintechnologies.com/product-p/fr-1.htm
The Hummingbird Duo Kit, Build Your Own Robot - http://store.birdbraintechnologies.com/category-s/106.htm
Birdbrain Technologies - http://store.birdbraintechnologies.com/
PreK-5th Grade
Cubetto - http://www.primo.io/cubetto
Primo - http://www.primo.io/index
Microprocessor Invention Kits
4th-12th Grade
Makey Makey - http://shop.makeymakey.com/products/makey-makey-kit?variant=219582674
Arduino - http://www.amazon.com/Arduino-Starter-Official-170-page-Projects/dp/B009UKZV0A/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1434367628&sr=8-2&keywords=arduino+kids
Rasberry Pi - http://smile.amazon.com/Speed-Kits-Raspberry-Starter-Wireless-Richardsons/dp/B00JCZ3REK/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1434367861&sr=1-
2&keywords=raspberry+pi+starter+kits+with+project+book
iPad Connected Physical Play Tools
PreK-8th Grade
Osmo - https://www.playosmo.com/en/
Collaboration & Teamwork - https://www.playosmo.com/en/schools/
Making - https://my.playosmo.com/
Drones
3rd-12th Grade
Syma Quad Copter Drone with Camera - http://www.cnet.com/news/get-a-syma-x5c-quad-copter-for-49-79-shipped/
Tablets
PreK-12th Grade
iPad – IOS Platform
Dell Venue Pro 8 – Microsoft OS
Dell Venue 7 – Android OS
Kindle Fire - Android OS
Samsung Galaxy – Android OS

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