Support Staff Conference February 2018

Three sessions I presented at CARC's Support Staff Conference in Feb 2018

• Excel
  
• Publisher
  
• Makerspace
  

Please contact me if you are interesting in me presenting Excel, Publisher or Makerspace at your conference.

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Make your own Green Screen

Make your own green screen for videos. Instructions on this link.

The link below shows you how to make an inexpensive green screen. It can be small if needed for creating stop-motion videos with lego or other small items/characters.

https://www.techsmith.com/blog/how-to-create-a-diy-green-scre/

LEGO Building Instructions

Have you lost the instruction to make a LEGO item but the item has been broken or completely taken apart? LEGO has on their website a way for you to download.

Go to   https://www.lego.com/en-us/service/buildinginstructions

Fill in the following from this page.

Type in the item number or type in a description.
Click on the magnifying glass on the right to start the search.

Example:
I typed in Minecraft Ender Dragon.
It could not find that so I typed in Minecraft and it listed all the kits with Minecraft.
Found what I wanted.

This window appears.

I confirmed it was the item I wanted.

Click on Download PDF in the bottom right-hand corner.

It opened in Adobe Reader. I can now save the pdf document to my computer. 

LEGO Monthly Mini Build Challenges

On their website, LEGO has a monthly challenge. An item to create.

shop.lego.com/en-CA/MiniBuilds

You don't have to buy a kit. Make from items you already have.

November 2017
Mini Build

HTML coding

You already have everything you need for the students to make their own webpages in your #MakerSpace.

Note:

There are many programs out there that will do this for you now but once and awhile it doesn't lay out the page you want. Knowing HTML coding helps. This is important before learning Javascript.

You need:

• a computer
• a web browser [Chrome, Firefox,...]
• NotePad [free with Windows]

To create web pages, follow the steps below.

1. Open Notepad.
2. Type in the HTML code
3. Save the file with an html extension. The default is txt. Don't use that. It has to end in "html" for the web browser to open it.
4. Remember where you saved the file.
5. Open the web browser. Google Chrome, FireFox....
6. Hold down the CTRL key and press O [ CTRL/O] for Open file. 
7. Find the HTML file saved on the computer or USB drive. 
8. The student can now view their webpage. 
9. Go back to NotePad to make changes to the webpage. 
10. Switch back to the web browser. 
11. Hit Refresh in the web browser and the webpage is automatically updated to the changes just made in NotePad. 
12. Continue until they like their webpage.

Because of the typing involved this is for Middle School and High School ages.

Website resources on HTML

Learn HTML coding •w3schools.com/html

RGB to Hexidecimal code•exadium.com/tools/rgb-to-hex-colour-converter/

Start a MakerSpace for very little cost

Where to start to make a Makerspace at no cost. [Some photocopying cost.]

1. Floor coding instructions. 
• Click here for the blog post with instructions and examples.


2. Desktop paper coding instructions. 
• Click here for the post with instructions and sheets to print.
• Have the students create other versions for other students.


3. Color by Pixel paper instructions. 
• Instruction sheet and worksheets to complete
• Clue sheets and blank sheets for them to make the code for someone else. 
• Click here for the post with instruction and sheets. 


4. Ordering exercises. 
• Click here for the post with Minecraft exercises.
• Have them create their own using the snipping tool as they create houses in Minecraft.
• Have students draw pictures on 3x5 cards for others to put in order. Such as science items that have multiple steps.
• Water cycle
• Growth of a tree


5. Free programming websites.
•  Hour of Code:    https://code.org/learn
• Scratch:              Scratch.mit.edu
• Khan coding       https://www.khanacademy.org/computing/computer-programming  


6. HTML Coding instructions. Typing skills needed.


7. Ask parents for donations. This isn’t new but ask now for more electronic items & LEGO.

Note: Add items that you are enthusiastic about.

Click here for the post with a variety of items to put in a Makerspace.

Resource pages

MakerSpace Pinterest Board from Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library

https://www.pinterest.ca/cincylibrary/makerspace/

Sewing Machine

https://www.pinterest.ca/ircbrock/makerspace-sewing-machine/

Delaware MakerSpaces

https://www.pinterest.ca/DELibraries/maker-spaces-activities-700/

STEAM ideas

Another website with information on maker spaces

http://renovatedlearning.com/2014/11/17/the-arts-and-crafts-makerspace/

Perle Beads [Melted Beads]

https://www.pinterest.ca/dianalrendina/stewartmakes-perlerhama-beads/

Patterns here can be used for Color by Pixel

MakerSpace: Arts and Craft ideas

https://www.pinterest.ca/dianalrendina/makerspace-arts-crafts/

Massachusetts STEAM location

http://make.xsead.cmu.edu/knowledgebase/spaces/spaces/crafts-center

Make electronic magazine

If you would like #MakerSpace ideas, subscribe to Make's online email.
https://makezine.com/join/

If you don't want another email then make this website a favourite and read it online.
https://makezine.com/blog/

Lego Patterns

For ideas of things to make with LEGO, I have a Pinterest page of links to LEGO design pages. The links include very simple items like the snail below to very complex.

https://www.pinterest.ca/computarecitus/lego/ 

MakerSpace's theme

Some of you will know the saying: “If we build it he will come” from Field of Dreams [1989]. It is often misquoted by changing the "he" to "they". I have changed it a little bit more.

I say #MakerSpace’s theme should be “If we provide materials, they will build it”

Not too many years ago, a teacher would hand the student a posterboard, construction paper, scissors, and markers and ask them to make the water cycle for a class project. 

Now we give them a laptop/chrome book and PowerPoint or Google Slides and they make the same project electronically. 

MakerSpace is the next step.

The LEGO Idea Studio

"The LEGO® Idea Studio at the LEGO Foundation develops and facilitates hands-on tinkering experiences that build a foundation for a deeper understanding of the LEGO® Idea and learning through play.

"With the LEGO® bricks we can build anything we can possibly imagine as if they were glued and yet they can easily be taken apart and reconfigured into a new idea. When we do this we are not only creating but also evaluating, reflecting and recreating to achieve new possibilities. We learn through play in a self motivated and fun way."

-The LEGO® Idea

Video:   The LEGO® Idea Studio - an introduction

MakerSpace Defined

MakerSpace is a work area inside a school, library or separate public/private facility for making, learning, exploring and sharing that uses high tech to no tech tools by oneself or collaboratively.

These spaces are for all ages may have a variety of items but not limited to such as:

• 3D printers
• Coding software
• Candle & Soap Making
• Ceramics
• Drawing
• Jewelry & Button Making
• Glass, Metals & Electronics
• Laser cutter
• LEGO
• Painting
• Printmaking
• Paper
• Robotic supplies
• Screen Printing
• Sewing machine
• Soldering irons
• Textiles
• Woodworking

Makerspaces can be just lego, cardboard and art supplies but they have become popular because with the technology they are helping to prepare those who need the critical 21st-century skills in the fields of STEM.

These spaces provide hands-on learning, help with critical thinking skills and even boost self-confidence.

Good Resource and Source:  https://www.makerspaces.com/what-is-a-makerspace/

STEM: Science, Technology, Engineering and Math

Calgary Maker Faire, October 28-29

Check out a Maker Faire in Calgary
October 28-29, 2017

Main Page:  https://calgary.makerfaire.com/

Schedule of talks: https://calgary.makerfaire.com/schedule/

Facebook Page:  https://www.facebook.com/makerfaireyyc/

Schedule of Faires: https://makerfaire.com/map/ 

LEGO Mindstorms EV3

"LEGOMindstorms EV3 is the third generation robotics kit in Lego's Mindstorms line. 

It is the successor to the second generation Lego Mindstorms NXT 2.0 kit. 

The "EV" designation refers to the "evolution" of the Mindstorms product line."

LEGO Mindstorms EV3 - Wikipedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lego_Mindstorms_EV3

Download software 

https://education.lego.com/en-us/downloads/mindstorms-ev3

Dale Dougherty: We are Makers

Dale Dougherty: We are Makers
Ted Talk


12 minutes
Given in Detroit.

www.ted.com America was built by makers -- curious, enthusiastic amateur inventors whose tinkering habit sparked whole new industries. At TED@MotorCity, MAKE magazine publisher Dale Dougherty says we're all makers at heart, and shows cool new tools to tinker with, like Arduinos, affordable 3D printers, even DIY satellites.

Maker Faire

What is Maker Faire?

"We call it the Greatest Show (& Tell) on Earth. Maker Faire is part science fair, part county fair, and part something entirely new! As a celebration of the Maker Movement, it’s a family-friendly showcase of invention, creativity, and resourcefulness. Faire gathers together tech enthusiasts, crafters, educators, tinkerers, food artisans, hobbyists, engineers, science clubs, artists, students, and commercial exhibitors. Makers come to show their creations and share their learnings. Attendees flock to Maker Faire to glimpse the future and find the inspiration to become Makers themselves."

Red Deer has a Faire at Red Deer College in April. The first one was in 2016.  The 2018 is scheduled for again April.

Link to the Maker Faire website
Link to the Red Deer Maker Faire  makerfairerd.ca

Facebook page for the Red Deer Maker Faire   https://www.facebook.com/makerfairerd/

My son and I raced these cars at the Faire at RDC in 2016.

Hacker Space

I know the title sounds terrible and you automatically think of people hacking your accounts and selling them or putting the information onto the web for all to see. In this case, it is just the opposite.

Wikipedia defines Hackerspace as

A hackerspace (also referred to as a hacklab, makerspace or hackspace) is a community-operated, often "Not For Profit" (501(c)(3) in the United States), workspace where people with common interests, often in computers, machining, technology, science, digital art or electronic art, can meet, socialize and collaborate.^[1] 

Hackerspaces have also been compared to other community-operated spaces with similar aims and mechanisms such as Fab Lab, men's sheds, and commercial "for-profit" companies such as TechShop.

Makerspaces.com gives the history of Hackerspaces and then notes that there is not that much of a difference between the two at this point and that it is just a matter of preference as to what the group/organization/school calls the room and group.

The term hacker does have a bad connotation and thus many feel Makerspace sounds better.

Source:  https://www.makerspaces.com/what-is-a-makerspace/

STEM: Science, Technology, Engineering and Math