As our school year comes to a close, students are working hard on their personal projects in Creator's Studio. While there are some projects that were inspired by previous students' work, the majority of projects this semester are new to the class.

Two students are working together to design and build a motion sensing gumball machine, powered by an arduino, PIR sensor and servo motor. They have used wood and glass for the most part, but have 3D designed a special release mechanism, which they just printed out this week to test. 

Two other students are each making their own name in lights, a project that's been done before, but this time they are adding speakers into the design. There are two more LED projects, a night light that started out as a puzzle, and an LED Cube using 64 interconnected LEDs. 

Students are creating rocket launchers, skateboard ramps, laptop stands, wooden charging stations and wave machines. They are building Retro Pi gaming machines, portable gaming controllers, and a prototype light sensing mini blind.

I am excited about the progress each and every student is making and so look forward to their final products. To check out their work on a weekly basis, read more on the student blog.

The introductory project for Creator's Studio this semester is the design of a personal fidget spinner using Tinkercad, our 3D printers, and skateboard bearings. Prior to the start of the course, I created a variety of spinners to test out shape, weight, and overall design options. Students explored these models as they tested what design elements appealed to them, what worked well, what didn't work, and then started preliminary sketches for their own design. When we return to school next week, they will take their designs into Tinkercad.

An enjoyable aspect of this project is the integration of 3D printed material with other real world parts, and the precise measurements required to make everything work together. It's one thing to design a stand-alone 3D printed object, when size and dimensions are somewhat arbitrary. When the model becomes part of a larger project that requires interaction with existing components, the stakes are raised for accuracy and purposeful design. I will share student designs in a future post.
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In the meantime, students are also researching ideas for their personal project (Project #2) which will take the remainder of the semester to complete. As is the case every term, I am excited for what students will find interesting, and where their passions will take them.

Below is a short clip of one of my designs, and a link to our tutorials.

As part of my outreach to the younger grade levels, I have started a unit for 5th graders using Hummingbird Robotics boards and CREATE Labs Visual Programmer. In doing so, my hope is to give these students an introduction to the robotics platform at an earlier age, thereby providing an opportunity for them to incorporate Hummingbird in future projects in other classes during the remainder of their time here at St. Matthew's.  

In order to create context for learning about robotics, I have teamed up with our science teacher as she takes these same students through the topic of natural disasters, and our need for early detection of when disasters occur.  

Using the Hummingbird platform, students will be tasked to design and build an alert system for early warning using one of three different sensors; distance, light or temperature. The project is open-ended in that their early warning system can take whatever form they decide to design, as long as it accomplishes the goal of "Sense, Think, Act". Some students may decide to build a model in cardboard, while others will opt to 3D design and print components. It will be interesting to see where their imagination takes them.

I have broken this unit into the following stages:

1) Introduction to robotics - Google Slide Deck
In this initial stage, students are introduced to the concept of robotics and the different levels of robotic interaction. I break the interactive levels into three+ categories, with a focus on level 2 for our unit of study. See the slide deck above for more details about the levels of robotic interaction.

2) Hummingbird and CREATE Labs Visual Programmer - Google Slide Deck
Here students are introduced to the Hummingbird robotics platform and CREATE Labs software. We experiment with the creation of expressions and sequences using sensors.

3) Design, Build and Iterate
During this phase students can work alone or in pairs to create their disaster alert system. While continuing to work on the coding side of Hummingbird, they will also draw out initial designs for their system on paper. We will then move on to prototyping, building, testing and improving their new systems, integrating the Hummingbird board with materials of their choice.

4) Share what you have created
​Once they have built, tested, modified and improved their new systems, they will share out their work to classmates, teachers and parents through SeeSaw.

We are currently in stage two of this process. In a future blog post, I will highlight our student projects as they near completion.

As part of my goal to spread out the tool training and design/making experience to other grade levels, I am currently taking students in 5th grade through a design thinking and 3D printing unit called CityX. I had known about this project for some time, and was looking for an appropriate place for its application. It turns out, 5th grade is an incredible fit.

In the story of City X, a colony has moved from Earth to a new planet as a way to expand our reach in the universe. The colonists have begun work there, but have limited resources and very specific needs. We, here on Earth, have been tasked with designing solutions for them. The CityX curriculum is well laid out and includes step by step lessons, reproducible materials, and supplemental digital resources. 

Students move through the steps in the Design Thinking Process; Empathy, Define, Ideate, Prototype, Test, and Share. Each student receives a specific character with a special need (see photos below), but the class discusses these needs not just as individual problems, but potential societal problems for the residents of CityX. Students define the problems, brainstorm ideas, and eventually build an initial model of using play dough. 

After sharing our ideas and prototypes, we then move on to 3D design. We use TinkerCAD as our design tool, and this series of tutorial videos. Students learn the basics of combining and subtracting geometric shapes, and we discuss topics such as use of support material, efficient design & material usage, and consideration of print time.

The products are just starting to print out. Students will present their product to the whole class and share how it meets the needs of the CityX resident. They will also share their experience in 3D design and the design challenges they faced during this unit.

​I enjoy opportunities to apply tools we see in Creator's Studio in other student projects outside of class. Depending on the project, students might want to incorporate electronics, robotics, 3D printing, laser cutting, or any of the various other tools we have available in our spaces, PIRL and PIRL Terrace.

Currently, we are in the final stages of Project Quest, our 6th grade interdisciplinary unit about the impact of water on civilization. I serve as one of the eight faculty members on the Quest team. During this unit, students work in groups to investigate some aspect of our relationship with water, driven by their own interest. The topic could cover the concept of water conservation, the Water Footprint, conflicts related to water usage, pollution or other area students might propose. 

This year, one group studying the Water Footprint had the idea of building a type of LED bar graph that could represent different levels of water usage required for the production of various commodities. For example, one LED might represent 100 gallons, two LEDs represent 200 gallons, and so forth.

Arduino seemed like the ideal tool for this task, so this is what we chose to investigate. It turns out there is a simple bar graph sketch available from the Arduino website, using 10 LEDs and a potentiometer to set the various levels of light. While students at this grade level have not yet experienced the Arduino IDE, the sketch was simple enough to understand the basic underlying concepts. Working with me, they saw how a change in different values created different outcomes. For example, they only needed 8 LEDs in their project, so we had to adjust for that alteration in the code. Additionally, in the original code their dial (potentiometer) had to turn too much in order to light all LEDs, so they had to decrease the interval values between lights in order to get all eight to light up with a shorter turn of the dial. I also showed them how to use the Serial.print(); command to see the changing values coming from the potentiometer as they turned it.

The Project Quest exhibit day is coming up soon. The group is still working hard to finalize all aspects of their project. I know when the day comes, they will be ready to share what they have learned, not just about the Water Footprint, but a little coding as well.

The semester has come to a close. As mentioned in the previous post, I placed a greater focus on personal projects this time around, at the sacrifice of covering fewer topics. I can say, now at the end of the semester, that the change was worth it.  Students had more time to pursue an area that was meaningful for them, and into which they put greater energy and passion. Many showed up during recess and lunch to continue their work.

A number of students were inspired by previous Creator's Studio projects from the past. Raspberry Pi was once again a hit with three seventh graders, with a focus on custom portable gaming machines. The infinity mirror concept was taken in a new direction, a bit larger than the previous semester and incorporating a wooden pedestal frame.

One 8th grader built a Light Box based on an idea she found on the web, while another disassembled an existing light circuit in order to solder on different colored LEDs and redesign the entire structure to form a decorative tree for her nightstand. Two students built their skateboards from multiple sheets of plywood, using a bandsaw and the laser cutter to complete the design. And to complete our group, one student is working on a personal drone.

It was another enjoyable semester. I learned as much as I taught. My students inspire me to learn more and work to provide the best learning environment possible for future creators.

Like most teachers, each semester I review what has worked, what has not worked, where changes need to occur and where improvements can be made. This seems to be a natural part of the iterative process we go through as educators.

This year, I've added a 5th grade tech class to my schedule (just one meeting per 6-day rotation, per group) and it's giving me the opportunity to embed many of the skills we expect from our students throughout their middle school career, such as 3D design, woodworking, coding and robotics. Invariably, students use these tools and skills in a variety of classes as they move up the grade levels. In 6th grade, we have Project Quest, a multidisciplinary unit where students investigate the impact of water on civilization and the impact we have on our water supply. In 8th grade, students may choose to enroll in DEEP, the Diving Enrichment Education Program, where robotics and engineering come into play. Through projects in 5th grade tech class, students will now get the exposure and experience in the aforementioned tools and be better prepared for their work in Quest, DEEP and other activities in the years ahead.

Alongside Creator's Studio, I have always taught a 7th grade tech class. Having inherited that class from the previous instructor, I've modified the curriculum only slightly over the past few years. With the new venture into 5th grade, I decided to move 7th grade in this direction as well, providing the opportunity to learn more of the skills they need here at St. Matthew's and in their future. We start with an activity using The Extraordinaires Design Studio, which teaches students the principles of the Design Thinking Process, practicing empathy for a fictional character on their way to building a given object (prototype) for her/him. 

The remainder of the 7th grade semester will involve some Scratch programming and the introduction to Hummingbird robotics through Scratch, and coding using Wink robots and the Arduino IDE.

In line with these changes to the 5th and 7th grade tech curriculum, my 6th grade tech faculty will also engage students in more of these types of projects this year. I am really looking forward to working with them on a nerdy derby-esque project in the coming weeks.

All of this to say that these changes make for a very interesting Creator's Studio, as the tools and skills once taught in this class have now spread throughout other classes and grade levels. I can now focus on the more creative aspects of the class, and less on tool training, allowing students to spend more time on their personal project, going through multiple iterations and making gradual improvements along the way. As much as this has been a tenet of my course since the beginning, the need for iteration, we seem to inevitably run out of time. I hope these adjustments to our overall curriculum will allow for the deeper connections to making I want all of our students to experience.

Another semester, and another year, has come and gone. Where did the time go? 

In anticipation of a quick semester (really a trimester), I reduced the amount of required projects to two, the circuit block and the hummingbird project. I had hoped this would allow more time for students to complete their personal projects during the remainder of the semester. In the end, I think they gained one day, as we lost a few days to graduation rehearsal, special schedules, and the like.

Nonetheless, it was a wonderful semester. Project ideas were creative and unique, many challenging students to reach into areas with which they were not familiar. While some students built upon concepts learned in earlier projects (i.e., building a simple circuit, using hummingbird) others involved the integration of Arduino, 3D design and printing, and laser cutting. While most students completed their projects, a couple are using recess, lunch, and any other break to make final revisions and enhancements. Here is a sampling of projects:

Below are two video clips showing student projects in action. In the first, one student 3D printed an existing model of a T-Rex, but he's modified it to allow for the integration of a servo motor and LED connected to an Arduino Uno. His code is written such that the press of a button starts a loop that will move the servo a given amount of degrees back and forth, while turning on the LED.

In the second video, another student demonstrates her Hummingbird controlled, light-sensing, servo driven nail-polisher. As she describes, it's not quite perfect, but does indeed show what can be done using these components and a bit of code.

I continue to be impressed by the ideas and creations of my students. As I always say, "Open the door, then get out of the way!"

I will re-evaluate the flow of this course for the fall of 2016. My struggle has been time and balance, feeling the need to front-load the course with some experiences in circuit making and robotics/coding, while allowing for enough quality time for students to work on a personal project. The process of ideation, prototyping, iteration, is essential for their learning journey. It is more important, I would argue, than their final product. If I believe this fully, then the course I design and implement should reflect the opportunity to experience this process in its entirety.

Traditionally, during Technology Class, I take my 7th grade students through a quick design and build unit using MinecraftEDU. While it is an enjoyable experience, the unit has always lacked context. My history teacher and I have talked about a joint project for the last two years, where we might integrate Minecraft with the study of some ancient culture, but we've never got the timing to work. 

Thankfully, this year, we worked through the schedule and the class is now engaged in the recreation of the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan, based on the research students have done to understand what the city may have looked like. 

Working in small groups of two to three, students have chosen an architectural structure, ranging from Great Temple, to marketplace, to Chinampas (floating gardens) and other significant buildings. We designated one team as City Planners. The City Planners were required to map out where various structures were located in the city, and to coordinate with all the builders accordingly. City Planners also distribute supplies out to the various teams. For those who know Minecraft, City Planners were set to Creative Mode, while the remainder are set to MinecraftEDU mode. This latter mode gives students a mixture of creative and survival in that they do not need to worry about hunger or the gathering of supplies, but they also cannot fly. City Planners, on the other hand, need to fly as they review the progress on the overall city plan.

This inability to fly for regular builders has created a stir in some of the players, particularly one of the pyramid groups. They asked for special permission to fly in order to speed up their build process, but were denied. To get around this, they created an innovative system of building out each corner with initial blocks from which they could quickly push out the layered blocks. It was wonderful to see their process of working through a challenging issue with given design constraints.
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​We are about mid-way through the unit, and while it has taken time for some players to get acclimated to the environment, we have reached a state of flow. I look forward to the end result, but the process has lived up to my expectations and far exceeds what I could have done on my own.

The second term of Creator's Studio has begun. For some reason, the Spring season seems to fly by faster than the fall. I think it's due to the 8th grade DC trip, finals week, Spring Break, and other special schedules and holidays. As such, my plan is to focus on just two projects before their personal project. I will skip automata this time around. My purpose for the smaller projects before their personal project is two-fold. They need the exposure to some of the basic electronic, robotics and coding principles ahead of time, but they also need practice in how to work through the project design, build and iterate cycle. 

I opened up this semester with a short video clip from Moon Shot, the Google Lunar X Project. While I would encourage everyone to view the entire series, the final episode provides a concise overview of the competition's goals and its contestants. I asked students to think about what mindset these contestants must have, and how they are approaching the design, building and iterating process. I asked for single words or short phrases. After watching the video, here's what the students said:

Their responses were spot on. I hoped to convey the message that this same mindset can be applied to many of life's challenges, and even to this very class. I stated that these same approaches in mindset will be what they themselves demonstrate as they go through the semester with me. 

We launched right into Project #1, "Light Up, Spin!", where students design and construct a simple circuit on a wooden block. During the project, students work through the Design, Build and Iterate process. This is their first exposure to the process, which we will repeat in project two, and finally in their own personal project.

Students start off with a simple hand-drawn design idea for their circuit. This process is always revealing for me, as students at this age haven't yet grasped the concept of planning out their steps in the design process. They are in a hurry to build, and believe a first draft of the design is sufficient to build from. 

On day two of the project, I show one of their initial designs on the board, and we all walk through how to take it from a simple to a more detailed design. We make sure to include all materials and electronic components in the design, a path for the wiring, and appropriate labels and measurements so that someone else seeing the design for the first time would have a clear idea of what is about to be built.

During these design days I also instruct students on how to handle a soldering iron, and give them time to practice stripping wire and soldering two leads together, including the use of heat shrink to cover the exposed wire. They also have some time to start gathering their materials. For the remaining days of Project #1, students will build and test their designs, make adjustments as necessary, and share the results with classmates.