I have been working with resin for the past year as an avenue for artistic expression, experimenting with various ready-made silicone molds purchased online and at craft stores like Joann Fabrics or Michael's. Epoxy A and B resin is fun and easy to work with, can be mixed with colorful acrylic inks and mica powder,... Continue Reading →
As I've watched school play productions over the years, I have often wondered about my connection to this craft as a maker. It seemed a perfect place to play a role, so to speak, but I have never been involved. It is usually the art department that does work in this area, or even some... Continue Reading →
I have long sought safe and simple ways for students to work with metal in our space. Or maybe better said, "I have long sought ways for me to work with metal." The fact that students get to benefit from this desire is a plus, but I would be lying if I didn't admit that the... Continue Reading →
From the iconic Kevin Costner film, Field of Dreams, comes the now famous line "If you build it, they will come." Over the years, I have heard maker educators use this same line when speaking about their personal efforts to bring a maker space to the school in which they work. There's even a documentary by... Continue Reading →
Our sixth graders are finishing up their work on the Legends of the Trash Creatures project. This interdisciplinary, environmentally focused project tasks students with (among many other requirements) the creation of a 5' tall creature made of trash and embedded with Hummingbird Robotics to allow it to sense the environment and react with sound, lights,... Continue Reading →
Halloween is the perfect time to test out the new Hummingbird Bit from Birdbrain Tech. My plan is to create a remotely controlled ghastly ghost or scary skull, something that can be triggered at a little distance to light up and move. For $6, I picked up a hanging phantom from Target. It's not mechanical... Continue Reading →
For some years, I have wanted to implement a system for badging students as they learn new skills. I always loved stickers as a kid and, although I wasn't a boy scout, I remember classmates showing their badges and accomplishments at school, and thinking that was cool, but also something they took great pride in... Continue Reading →
A few weeks back I received an old pedestrian sign, the kind that shows an image of a person walking in white LEDs or a large hand held up to indicate "Stop!" in red LEDs. My cousin had recently purchased a batch of these at an auction for dirt cheap and thought that I might... Continue Reading →
For the Love of Learning 