Between the fall and spring sessions of Creator's Studio, I highlight other events on campus that may be related to making, design, engineering, or any other creative activity. This month we had two larger events take place, our annual 8th grade Physics project in science, and new this year, the K-8 Buddies Maker Day.

I've blogged about Physics Day before (here and here) so won't go into great detail. The overall idea is that students in science class build Rube Goldberg devices that demonstrate a minimum of 7 physics concepts, such as momentum, acceleration, and potential and kinetic energy. One highlight I will point out this year is that a group chose to include a hummingbird robotics board into the design. Their goal was to integrate light and distance sensors into their project, such that the traveling marble would trigger these sensors and make something else in the design take action. Originally, they had hoped to make LEDs light up, but chose instead to incorporate servo motors so that the rotation of those motors would lead to the next step in the marble's path.

I enjoy Physics Day, even though it does not directly involve me. I help students during the build day, and take pictures and video on exhibit day, but the real work is done by our science teacher and the students. However, it's moments like this where I have the opportunity to work with individual students in an area where I may be helpful, that validate my decision to go back into the classroom. One of these girls is a former Creator's Studio student, and thus had the experience of working with Hummingbirds, and knew the potential of the tool. It was her vision that made the design possible, and the two worked together to test their ideas, modify where necessary, and ultimately find success in the final product.

Here's a short clip of the design in action, during exhibit day. You will notice that when the domino drops into the cup, it shuts off light to a sensor inside, thereby moving a servo controlled L-shaped bracket that releases a new marble. This marble then drops into a cup which uses a pulley to bring another cup into view of a distance sensor. That sensor then triggers yet another cup to pour sprinkles onto a cupcake! 

The second activity this month was new for our campus. Each year, the 8th graders are assigned a kindergarten buddy, and the pair (sometimes threesome) meet regularly during various scheduled activities. This year the K and 8th grade teachers asked for a day to allow K-8 partners to utilize our PIRL space and explore some of the tools we have available. We set up seven stations, both inside and outside of PIRL.

Station One: Simple Marble Machines
Having so recently worked on their Rube Goldberg devices, the 8th graders showed their K buddies how to build a simple marble machine. I provided a more modular and flexible design for this activity so that groups could easily build, take apart, and build again. While I set up three different boards to work with, some students chose to incorporate all three into one large project.

Station Two: Dash and Ollie Maze
Students in this station used the Tickle Coding App on the iPad to help Dash and Ollie navigate a floor maze. Along the way they toppled cans and rolled through cardboard bridges.

Station Three: Construction Zone
At this station, students used cardboard, foam, construction paper, googly eyes, and anything else they could get their hands on to build something that the kindergartner wanted. We saw doll houses, snow plows and minecraft creatures coming out of this area. 

Station Four: Wind Tunnel!
Students here were tasked with constructing an object with at least three items available on the table. The object was then tested in the wind tunnel. Could they make an object that zoomed up quickly, floated slowly, or hovered in place?

Station Five: Sphero Playground
Similar to the Ollie and Dash station, students programmed and navigated a maze with their Spheros.

Station Six: Make it Light Up, Make it Move
Using simple home-made circuit blocks or the more finely tuned LittleBits kits, students explored how to build circuits. Here they learned to categorize different types of components (power, load, control) in order to understand how electricity flows, what provides the energy, and where it is used.

Station Seven: Smile!
All students visited this station at one point during the day. Pictures were taken with the green screen for a future project (sssh!). 

The K-8 Buddies Maker Day was a fun, collaborative experience that we hope to repeat each year. It will be interesting to see how new tools are introduced into the process as the technology advances. Is there an Oculus Rift or Microsoft Hololens in our future? More likely than not, it will be something that doesn't even exist today.

What happened to the semester? Time has flown by, and we have just four sessions remaining. However, with classes now regularly scheduled in PIRL, there is a positive flow and hum to the period as individual projects progress through multiple iterations, design changes, testing, and reflection.  

While a few students have completed a first project and are in the midst of a second, most continue to work with a particular project, taking it through various design adjustments based on feedback from me and from peers, and from their own reflection on the process. It is clear that those with previous Creator's Studio experience can manage projects independently. They understand and value the process of iteration. Even the students new to this course, though, have learned to be patient, to take risks, to seek support when necessary.

Thank you to Reynaldo Macias for providing photos this week.

As we enter our new school year, I am starting my third session of Creator's Studio. I am excited about the semester and what projects the students will take on. This semester is slightly different than previous ones in that I have a larger group, with six returning students, now in 8th grade. I am curious to see the classroom dynamic of having experienced creators blended in with newbies. I've already had a hint of some positive effects in my first class session, where returning students gave their insight into project design, the iterative process, time management, and the importance of learning patience.

We start the year without the new PIRL space ready. It is in development, and well on its way, so in the meantime we are making due with another classroom. Here are some pics of progress in PIRL, as well as some additional renders. 

• The first row of photos shows the outdoor learning space getting new concrete and teaching wall. 
  
• The second row shows the interior back wall storage cubbies.
• The third row shows from left to right; indoor teaching wall, flooring options, electrical pull-downs, and sound recording studios. 

The exterior learning space will have a retractable awning, as seen in these renders below. A roll-up garage door will bridge the indoor and outdoor spaces.

The interior learning space will include rollable, fold & nest tables, for quick reconfiguration and flexibility.

We expect the interior to be complete by October, while the exterior may take a bit longer. I will be sure to post updates throughout the semester.