AHS Robot Rodeo!

The Ashland High School Robotics Club recently hosted their third annual Robot Rodeo! Find out what the Robot Rodeo is all about by watching the video below. 

Proxxon Thermocut Hot Wire Cutter Tutorial

Proxxon Thermocut Hot Wire Cutter
Overview

We are lucky enough to have our own hot wire cutter than can be used for cutting materials such as plastic and foam. The hot wire heats up and melts and cuts the materials in lines and curves so that many creations can be formed at ease. Styrofoam is very bumpy and hard to cut, but by using the Proxxon Thermocut, all creations are made quickly, easily, and smoothly

Instructions

1. The first step of any tutorial is to plug it in, and make sure that the chord does not get in the way or drapes over the machine because the wire will be hot. Also, if you have long hair, make sure to tie it back.
2. At the top of machine where the wire is attached, there is a metal part that holds the wire in place. Before you cut, make sure to adjust it so that the wire is vertically aligned and that it is tight and won’t move. This can be done by tightening the knob on the backside of the picture to hold the position of the wire. to make the wire straight, thread it through the notch on the end of the metal piece on the top.
3. On top of the wire spool is another knob. This one holds the spool in place, and should also be tightened to insure that the wire will not move. Twisting the knob will tighten the grip on the spool.
4. Adjust the hot wire so that it is taut. It should run straight vertically, and not have any slack to get the best cut. This can be done by twisting the spool of wire at the top of the machine. It can also be controlled with the knob to the left of the red light on the bottom by the switch controls. this tightens the lower grip on the wire.
5. 
   Once everything is squared away, adjust the temperature accordingly based on the density and thickness of the material. This can be adjusted using the knob to the right of the red light, and by using the guide printed on the side of the machine.
6. Switch on the machine and happy cutting! To cut your material, simply slide it along the surface to get the most precise cut. There are grid lines on the surface of the machine to aid with cutting, as well as a protractor and other tools that could be useful for any project.
1. Pro tip! If you would like to cut out a shape with a hole in the center, but you don't want the cut out line to get to it, you can remove the wire and place it in the center of your cutout. Turn off the hot wire cutter, and using the knob to the left of the light, loosen it all the way and pull out the wire. (this is also how you can change/cut it and get fresh wire). In order for this to work, a small hole needs to get poked through the inner hole. You can use things like pencils, or anything skinny and sharp that will make a hole.Then put your material through the wire after its reattached, and cut out the middle hole. After the cut is made, turn off the cutter, and take out and put in the wire again.The picture shown above is an example of a square with a cut-out hole in the middle.
7. CAUTION! Once the machine is turned on, the wire heats up automatically and it ready to be used right away. This means that there is no wait time to let it heat up, and also that it gets very hot very quickly so be careful.

Common Problems for the Flashforge Creator Pro 3D printer

Common Problems of the 3D printer

Our Printer

The Two printers currently in the makerspace are the Flashforge Creator Pro and the Reprap Guru. In this blog post, I will be focusing on the creator pro printer, although, a lot of the information in this post should apply to both printers.

Problems

Plastic does not adhere to print bed

This is the most common problems that affects the 3D printer and has a very simple solution. When the plastic extruded onto the print bed comes off the bed while printing, it is most likely because the print bed is too low under the extruder, so the plastic cannot adhere and becomes unstuck.

To align the print bed, go into the utilities menu and select "level home plate" to begin. Then take the thin plastic sheet (at right) stored with the printer's tools. To level the build plate, slide the paper under the extruder of the printer, then manually move the extruder around the plate and slide the paper around underneath it. The goal of this is to have the paper be able to move, but the extruder plate should be high enough to cause a small amount of friction between it and the paper. in any areas where this is not true, adjust the hight of the print bed in the different areas by twisting the knobs underneath the print bed

Loading and Unloading Filament

One of the most common practices of the 3D printer is to load and unload filament, switching them to a different color or plastic type.

To accomplish this, first select "filament loading "in the utilities menu

From there, select to "load right" or "load left" depending on which extruder you plan to change. Do not select unload, even when unloading filament, instead, plan to unload the first filament and load the second while the printer is heated for loading the correct extruder. To avoid clogging when loading, make sure the printer is "loading" not "unloading", and be sure to preform the entire transfer without stoping the printer from heating.

After the printer is heated, to unload the first filament, press down the switch on the right or left of the extruder (depending on which side you are loading) in order to release the clamp on the filament, then pull the filament out of the extruder and removing it from the plastic tube that leads from the back of the printer, where the filament spools rest, to the extruder. (these tubes can be easily pulled out of and into the extruder for convenience). Do not hit the "ok" button yet as that will stop the printer from heating.

Once the first filament is removed, feed the second filament back through the plastic tube and into the extruder. Once the filament enters the extruder, it should be caught by the clamp inside and will begin to be slowly pushed into the extruder. Allow this process to run until the filament begins to exit the extruder. Once this is completed, hit the "ok" button to stop the process and the filament loading is complete.

Replacing the Sticker on the Print Bed

To replace the sticker on the printer bed, first preheat the bed. Use the "preheat settings" in the utilities menu to adjust the temperature to be 80 degrees Celcius.

Once the print bed had been heated, peel the sticker off the bed, watch out as the printer bed will be very hot, so use some sort of tool to begin the peeling, then use your hand one the sticker begins to come off.

Clogged Extruder

A clogged extruder can be one of the most obnoxious problem for the 3D printer. It can often be hard to fix; however, proper loading and unloading of filament should prevent this from happening.

The first step is to preheat the extruder to its maximum temperature. Since clogging usually happens when the plastic melts before entering the extruder, it is important to heat the extruder as hot as possible and allow the plastic to heat up. the first possibility is that the plastic is just partially melted and will come loose if you load another filament and press down with it to push the first filament out.

If the filament remains stuck, more drastic measures mist be taken. If possible, get a paper clip or other extremely thin metal pole that is straight and hold it using pliers. Then apply pressure into the extruder, pressing the switch on the side of the head to remove the clamp that normally blocks the path of the metal.

If this fails, the the best course of action is to disassemble the extruder and search for another possible problem. Make sure the extruder has cooled before attempting to open the extruder.

How to Use the Graphtec CE6000-40 Vinyl Cutter

How to Use the Graphtec CE6000-40 Vinyl Cutter

Ben Pepper

     The Graphtec CE6000-40 is a vinyl cutter that is able to cut shapes out of sticker paper, allowing users to make their own custom stickers. Once mastered, it is easy to use and lots of different stickers can be made. This tutorial provides knowledge on the machine that will help make it easy to master.

Using the Graphtec Studio Program

     Projects must be made in the Graphtec Studio computer program prior to printing them out. Graphtec Studio includes lots of tools which can allow the user to customize their sticker. Some of these tools include:

•  Draw a line, draw a rectangle, draw a round rectangle, and draw an ellipse, which allow users to draw the shape in the name of the tool.
•  The draw a polygon tool makes it easy to draw lots of lines and connect them together to make a polygon. This polygon can be changed by double-tapping the shape, which allows the dots of the polygon to be changed.
•  The draw a curve shape does what the draw a polygon tool does, but with curves instead of lines.
•  The draw freehand tool does what the name implies. This tool can be useful in tracing a picture to making it into a sticker.
•  The draw an arc tool allows the user to draw an arc with the ability to choose the radius of an arc and how many degrees it is.
•  The draw a regular polygon tool can be used to draw a regular polygon with up to 60 sides.
•  The text tool allows the user to write text, with the ability to change the font and size of the text. This text can be placed in a sticker.
•  The knife tool is used to cut a shape into two separate pieces.
•  The fill color and line color tools allow lines and the shapes to be colored, so that a difference can be seen between them.
•  The trace tool allows a highlighted space to be copied.
•  The design page tab modifies the size of the design page.

Cutting the Sticker

     To cut out a sticker made in Graphtec Studio, the cutters window needs to be opened. A message will pop up on the right of the screen which says "Could not connect to the CE6000-40." This problem can be solved by turning on the power button, which is on the left side of the vinyl cutter. Both the Graphtec Studio program and vinyl cutter will tell the user to "Load Media." This means that the sticker paper must be loaded into the Graphtec CE6000-40. The sticker paper roll should be placed behind the machine. There is two places with wheels where the roll needs to be placed.
     The sticker paper needs be placed through the vinyl cutter and under both sets of wheels. To do this, the rollers on which the sticker paper is placed might have to be moved. Once this is done, the lever in the back which is down should be pulled up to secure the sticker paper. Now, 3 options come up on the vinyl cutter screen. Option one (Roll-1 Front Edge) should be chosen, as excess sticker paper will return back to the original roll of sticker paper which will prevent any extra sticker paper from being used. The cutter is now ready to cut and the hitting the button "send to cutter" allows the program on the computer to transform into a sticker.

Taking the Sticker Out of the Paper

     To take the sticker out of the paper, the switchblade should be used. The lever in the back of the vinyl cutter can be pushed back down to release the paper. There is a crevice on the machine that allows the sticker paper to easily be cut in a straight line. But, before doing this, make sure to check where the sticker ends so that when the sticker paper is cut, there is no part of the sticker still attached to the roll of sticker paper. It can now be pulled off of the sticker paper and attached to any surface. To cut out any small letters the metal hook can be used. This will destroy the sticker letters but still allow the letters to show up as the color of whatever surface the sticker is attached to.

The Possibilities of the Vinyl Cutter

     So much can be done with the vinyl cutter. Using all of the tools that Graphtec Studio offers, I have been able to make such creations as a sun and a wreath with lots of different colors. It can be used to print out a sticker of anything, such as a whale, a name, and even a smiley face. There is so much that this vinyl cutter can do. Now, with background knowledge on the vinyl cutter, lots of stickers can be made.

How to 3D Print from Tinkercad to the Creator Pro

Have you ever wondered how to print your 3D Design from Tinkercad to the Creator Pro? Find out by watching the video below.

Properly printing with the Flashforge Creator Pro 3D printer

3D printers are enormously useful devices, with the ability to quickly develop physical products given 3D models. However, models directly exported from CAD software aren't printable using our 3D printer. Here, you will learn how to properly print your models

Sliced VS Unsliced

Files exported from most CAD software will be unsliced 3D models. There are several possible filetypes, most commonly using .stl. These files give information on what an object looks like, and allow for visualizing and manipulating the object in 3D space. These files are not printable by our printer in their current form.

An example of a .STL file
(taken from http://3dprintingninja.blogspot.com/2014/08/remesh-tool-how-to-convert-cad-file.html)

In order for the 3D printer to print a file, it must be of the .x3g filetype. This is a sliced 3D model— the original model is cut up into small pieces, which is then converted into a series of instructions for a printer to follow.

A closeup on a sliced model of a pyramid.
Notice the sharp edges due to slicing

Slicing your model

To convert your model file to a sliced model file, download a slicing software that is compatible with your 3D printer. In our case, we can use FlashPrint (Download Here!). After installing the software, it will ask you what 3D printer you are using. Select the option that reads "FlashForge Creator Pro". This will automatically set most of the settings appropriately for that printer. Once you're done with this, hit the blue "Load" button on the top of the screen, and select the file you want to convert.

The program after loading a file.

You can move, scale, and rotate your model in the buildspace by clicking the relevent icon, and clicking and dragging the model you wish to move. Make sure the model is touching the bottom of the plate, otherwise it will not print! Once your print is positioned properly, hit the Print button.

Make sure the print setting matches the type of plastic the machine is using, in this case, PLA. Then, choose the detail. Higher resolution options take longer to print, but end up looking more similar to the original model. Next, hit the more options button and head to the temperature tab. Make sure that the extruder temperature is set to 200 C and that the buildplate temperature is set to 0 C, for optimal building

All that's left to do is to hit OK, save the file, and copy it to the SD card for printing!

Carving with Carvey: An In-Depth Tutorial

The Carvey allows for some intricate design work with wood and plastics, but it does require proper knowledge to use. This blog post is your one-stop shop on how to use the Carvey to make designs of your very own.

Everything on the Carvey is controlled by their website at easel.inventables.com/carvey. You'll need to create an account, then you can get started!

First of all, it's important to know your material. In the top right of the page, there is an option to select your material (circled in red in the above image). This will give a dropdown menu to select your material. Pick the option most similar to what you are using. Directly to the right of that, you have to select your bit. These are differentiated by color and have different purposes for smoother or more precise cuts in certain materials. An exemplar for each type of wood is available next to the machine. These can easily be switched in the machine by using the two supplied wrenches. In the website, select whichever bit you are using. More in depth information on bits can be found here.
You also need the measurements of your material. You can use a ruler for width and length, but theelectronic caliper should be used to precisely determine the thickness of the material. Enter these into the measurement boxes (in the red box in the website pictured above).

Once you have your measurements, you can fix the material into place. Use the screws and stair-like stands to clamp the piece of wood into place in the bottom left of the bird, so the bottom left corner is clamped underneath the built-in corner clamp. Once that's done, you can get to work on your design.

Across the top of the menu are a few options for shapes and a pen tool to draw straight line. However, you likely want to go more in depth than that. The box labeled "T" is the option to insert text (in a green box pictured above). It gives many different font options and lets you enter customized text, which you can then resize and reposition. To the right is an option to insert icons, which gives a large list of built in images on the carved that you can insert, move, and resize with ease.
Most importantly, there is an option labeled "Import" (in the blue box pictured above). This allows you to easily insert an image found on the internet or saved anywhere in your computer. Select image trace from the drop down menu, then upload the image you want to insert. If the image doesn't show up as desired at first, try moving the threshold slider to the left or right. You can also change the smoothness to try to smooth out corners.

NOTE: Be careful not to place any designs where your clamps are attached. You can use the measurements on the cutting board and the website to make sure your design is positioned safely.

Once you have your design, you can edit a few different things. By selecting a piece of your design, you can change the depth with a slider or by entering the desired depth. You can also switch from carving out an entire design to just carving the outline by selecting outline instead of fill and vice-versa.

Once your design is complete, make sure the Carvey is closed and press the carve button in the top right. At any time, you can pause the carve bob pressing the pause button which will replace the carve button or by pressing the blue button on the bottom right of the Carvey itself. Once the carve is done, unscrew the clamps holding your material in place and remove it.

NOTE: Once you are done, use the vacuum cleaner to clean out the inside of the machine of all sawdust.

As you test out what is possible with Carvey, you may start to play with some more advanced features. However, the more complex features are not at all necessary for making the most out of Carvey, especially with a beginning project.

What is the Wen Bench Drill Press?

The Wen Bench Drill Press is a heavy duty machine that is capable of drilling perfect holes into materials such as wood or dense plastics. Prices can range from $19.99 to $633.83. They all range in ability and speed. It's an incredible tool to have access too.

      How to Use the Wen Bench Drill Press

1.) Firstly, select the wood or material that you want to use and then mark the place that the machine will drill into.You can make the marking in pen, pencil, or marker, or skip it entirely. Sometimes using a weight to hold down the piece of wood is very helpful in securing the apparatus.

2.) Make sure the machine is plugged in to an outlet and then turn on the laser. The laser can easily be turned on by pressing the button that is marked “laser” on the front until it is switched to O. The laser will help you line up the actual drilling piece with the desired mark.

*Before turning the machine on, decide on the size of the drill bit and secure that in*

3.) Reconfirm that the lock on the machine is not on and then use the lever on the side to lower the now spinning drill bit until it has fully punctured your material. This should mean that you are pulling the lever towards yourself. Once it has fully drilled the hole, you can lift the bit up by lifting the lever in the opposite direction- which should result in the lever being pushed away from yourself.

4.) The hole should now be made, however it is possible that the drill bit did not fully go through and will need another session of drilling. To do this, just repeat step 3. The hole could have splintered the wood or other material which can easily be fixed by sanding down the edges. This may or may not be needed, depending on the purpose of the hole or on what material that it was drilled into.

How to Use the Cardboard Rolling Cutter

How to Use the Cardboard Rolling Cutter 

Introduction: 

Here, in the makerspace, cardboard is used on a daily basis. To handle that cardboard, tools are needed to cut it. Often, due to the thickness of the cardboard, scissors are not productive. Thus, the cardboard cutter is an important tool that everyone should know how to use. 

Directions:

• To charge the device, connect the charger to the outlet and the wire to the device. When, the wire is plugged in properly, a light will shine.
• When cutting cardboard, align the blade properly. Then, press the black button on the top of the device to activate the blade. 

In closing: 

When using this simple tool, it is important to remember it is a machine. Therefore, it should be treated as such and should be used safely. For example, it should never be left on the edge of a table. Otherwise, it has the potential to fall off.

This device, when used properly can be used to foster student creativity. For example, the snoopy house on the right. 

For more information on about this device click here.

GRAPHTEC Cutting Plotter CE6000-40: Vinyl Cutter

GRAPHTEC Cutting Plotter CE6000-40

 Vinyl Cutter

             The Graphtec CE6000-40 Vinyl Cutter is a very interesting and amazing machine that is available here at the AIC Makerspace. With this machine, you are able to express your ideas in vinyl form, as you are able to create your own designs to be printed. The Graphtec Vinyl Cutter can make your dreams a reality!

  

Photo Gallery of the Vinyl Cutter!

A few of  things the vinyl cutter can do are listed below:

Photo By Chris Connors

• Labels! In a classroom or even your own home, vinyl stickers can be used as signage an labels. The signage in a classroom can indicate where things are located and exit signs etc.
•  Decorate projects and walls with a vinyl cutter. The design that comes out in the vinyl sticker paper is in the control of the user, which allows for endless possibilities.
•  T-shirts- A commonly used method of transferring your design onto a t-shirt is called silkscreening. This is simply the transfer of an image onto a t-shirt through areas blocked off in the vinyl. A tutorial on silkscreening with vinyl by maker Chris Connors is listed here: https://makezine.com/projects/make-36-boards/vinyl-silk-screen-printing

What we have already used the vinyl cutter for in the MakerSpace:

The Almost finished Plinko Board
Photo by Chad McGowan

      For Ashland Day, a few mentors (including me) got together to create a game for the kids to play while outside. We came up with the idea of a Plinko board; a game that is based on the luck of a ping-pong ball going through a series of obstacles made of nails to get a prize. To decorate it, we put vinyl stickers on the Plinko board, and it made the game look 100x better. For the sign, we printed out vinyl letters to paste on some cardboard, which looked very neat and complete because of the vinyl. 

         

          The Graphtec Vinyl Cutter here at the AIC Makerspace is one of our most prized possessions. As shown, it has proved to be a very useful machine for the mentors and will continue to prove so, as we start new projects with the Vinyl Cutter. Not only this, but the students that come by to the afterschool Makerspace programs will also be able to use this amazing machine, while the mentors get to watch their ideas come to life.  

Running a Maker-space: Inspiring Creativity and Ingenuity

Running a Maker-space: Inspiring Creativity and Ingenuity

A maker-space serves many purposes, providing access to tools, materials, and an environment that promotes creativity; however, there are many important factors to consider when creating and running a maker-space for students. 

There is a lot that I have learned from running the after school workshops for middle school students that I think are important for running the maker-space.

Carvey - A Makerspace Tool

Design Technology - Carvey 

 A New Machine!

     Once upon a time, my fellow G Block STAT students and I walk into the Makerspace room ready to be amazed. Mr. McGowan was testing the Carvey machine. This machine can carve into material put inside the machine. Carvey is an amazing 3D carving machine that allows quality objects to me made from materials such as wood, metal, and plastic.This remarkable piece of design technology can be used for student creativity. 

     Carvey can be used to teach students about digital manufacturing. With a software program known as "Easel", Carvey creates designs on the piece of material inside. This supports student creativity as it is designed for the classroom or any clean makerspace. Also, Carvey is a easy to use machine that is good for beginners and professionals. In the AIC, Carvey has been used to make signs and designs like the one shown above. 

     All in all, student creativity can flourish with the new machine, Carvey. For more information about this fascinating makerspace tool, click here. In addition, more information can be found about the software here. Learn about Carvey because it could easily become the future of tomorrow! 

Works Cited

"Bring Carving into the Classroom." Carvey®. N.p., n.d. Web.

"Easel - A Carving Machine." Easel. N.p., n.d. Web.

The Cardboard Cutting Tool

WORX WX081L ZipSnip Cutting Tool

If one is trying to cut out a shape in cardboard, the WORX WX081L ZipSnip Cutting Tool is the best tool to use. It is easy to take on the go with its small size. To properly use, it must be fully charged. If the cutting tool is not charged, it will not power on and therefore not work. It can be used on more than cardboard, the cutting tool can also be used to cut other materials such as rubber and carpet. The power button is on the top of the tool, with a grip on the bottom to place the other four fingers while pressing the power button with the thumb. The WORX WX081L ZipSnip Cutting Tool is an easy tool to use, no real training is needed. But, always make sure to not have a hand near the blade so that the tool does not cut someone. For more information about what the WORX WX081L ZipSnip cutting tool can cut, click here.

This machine can be used to make makerspace projects easier to do. Instead of taking several minutes using a box cutter to cut out a shape in cardboard, the WORX WX081L can do it in seconds. This reduced time helps so much on Tuesday after school, when the kids from the Mindess School come to learn about the potentials of the makerspace room. This machine helps for that because there is a line of kids who need something cut out of cardboard. The WORX WX081L cutting tool is also very precise. This allows it to cut cardboard along a line perfectly with no excess cardboard attached. The ability to have no excess cardboard is very useful because if measured correctly, the shapes cut out of the cardboard will perfectly fit together. The efficiency and preciseness of the WORX WX018L cutting tool makes it a very useful tool for makerspace.

The WORX WX081L ZipSnip Cutting Tool is very versatile and can be used in many situations. For example, if someone is trying to make a house out of cardboard, the WORX WX081L would be the best tool to use. It can cut the cardboard in little to no time, so the house can be made very quickly. also, this tool will be able to cut out the shapes of the house so precisely that they will be able to fit together. To see this product on Amazon, click here. This tool is an essential to many projects that can be done in makerspace, and it helps save so much time when easily cutting cardboard and other materials like it.

3D Printing; A Makerspace Tool

          3D printing, in a nutshell, is when you make a 3D model of a design that you either developed or copied. It's a very easy concept in theory, but finding ways to actually make something three dimensional is a fairly hard idea to grasp. The Flashforge Creator Pro is the model that our makerspace classroom has and it was made with the idea of allowing high school and college students to create their ideas. It's a great use for the classroom because it allows for dreams to become reality.


          However 3D printing isn't just for school. Doctors and scientists have been developing various ways to use 3D printing in medicine. They were able to find ways to create new prosthetics for people who need them and more recently, they have been able to develop 3D organs. Being able to print organs that actually work would completely transform medicine. No longer would people have to wait to obtain an organ and risk waiting until it is too late. The idea that people will be able to simply print out the organ that they need will allow for a decrease in organ rejection and death from a failure.

        Overall, the 3D printer is an incredible tool that has various purposes and can be very useful. Whether it be for creative purposes, or a life or death matter, 3D printing is the tool for you.

Works Cited

Center for Devices and Radiological Health. "3D Printing of Medical Devices - Medical Applications of 3D Printing." U S Food and Drug Administration Home Page. Center for Devices and Radiological Health, n.d. Web.

"FLASHFORGE NEW Creator Pro Dual Extrusion 3D Printer." Official Flashforge Store | Creator Pro Dual Extrusion 3D Printer. N.p., n.d. Web.

AIC's DeWalt Scroll Saw

          Here at the Ashland Innovation Center, there are many useful and fun tools. One of these is the DeWalt Scroll Saw. The DeWalt Scroll Saw is used to cut cardboard and wood, as well as other materials. Though the scroll saw can be hard to use, if you understand how it works, there many wonderful thing you can do with it. This post will teach how to use this tool and what you can do with it.


  


   




 


 The rules to the Scroll Saw are not too difficult to learn.

AIC's Proxxon Thermocut

          Here at AIC, one of our favorite machines is the Proxxon's Hot Wire Thermocut. It is used to cut Styrofoam and other plastics. The thin metal wire is heated up and melts the Styrofoam, thus making a clean slice. Without the hot wire, it is very difficult to cut Styrofoam, because the edges crumble, leaving a rugged break rather than the smooth cut that the Thermocut provides. Because of its simplicity, students are able to bring their creations to life with ease.

US News & World Report article

On Sept 27th, we had the fortune of having an article about our labor of love being published on the US News and World Report website. Please read and feel free to leave comments here.

https://www.usnews.com/news/stem-solutions/articles/2017-09-27/a-makerspace-for-everyone

About Us Link

Don't forget to visit our brand new About Us page to learn about the AIC and it's leaders! Coming soon we will have a complete upcoming events page to help our community learn about all that is going on related to the AIC.

Summer Work at the AIC

June, 2017, final exams are ending, and our summer journey is just beginning. This is what happened to us as we started the next chapter in our odyssey towards our fully functioning Ashland Innovation Center. Along with another teacher, Ms. Henry, 5-6 student volunteers, and my own two kids, we tackled our dedicated space this summer and reinvented it as the AIC home. Our future hub of student ingenuity and creativity.

The process was slow and deliberate. About once a week I would send out an email to all of our volunteers indicating which day(s) I would be in Ashland to work on our space.

3D Design With Mindess Students

3D Design With Mindess Students

        We had a blast working with the Mindess students this past Tuesday! Currently, we are working with the students enrolled in the Ashland Innovation Center's 3D Design course for Mindess students. This course introduces students to the materials and tools that we have here at AIC.

Funding thank yous!

We have had the great fortune of having community interest and support, both conceptually and financially. We'd like to take a moment to thank all of the organizations and people that have helped get The Ashland Innovation Center off the ground financially. Thank you to all of the following groups for their belief in what we are trying to do.

Mobile Makerspaces

I would consider our mobile makerspace project a success at both the Middle School and Mindess School!  I had a blast watching our students interact, collaborate, and literally "make" things.  The excitement on the younger students' faces when they could problem solve combined with the excitement on the older students' faces when they could tell that they offered a helping hand was inspiring.  I hope that all students felt inspired and motivated to continue to be involved and creative next year.

In my continual research and Googling of makerspace projects, I came across some interesting mobile ideas I wanted to share.  I found a few other schools who have embraced the mobile makerspace concept, usually in the form of carts that can be moved around schools.  I liked this particular school's model because they have a presentation element- what a great way for students across districts to potentially connect!

Another idea I came across was the idea of a makerspace truck!  This innovative and mobile idea allows students to come aboard into a makerspace world on a truck or van.  I absolutely love this concept and think students would find it just as fun.  Here is one truck, which they call a "Geekbus," and here is another example of a STEAM truck.

Looking forward to see where our project goes next!

Students Having Fun!

We started our second Mobile Makerspace program last week. This time we moved our program to the local 3-5 elementary school. Our goal was similar: Introduce young students to circuits. We had ten girls and ten boys show up on day one, as well as our five Makerspace Mentors (high school volunteer leaders) and our adult supervisor.


I could tell you how well it went, and how amazing the students all were, but instead I will let you read it from the email of one of our Mentors...

Makerspace first impressions

When Mr. McGowan first approached me about this project, I didn't really know what it would entail, but I knew I wanted to be a part of it.  To be honest, I wasn't entirely sure what a makerspace was, and as Mr. McGowan explained it to me, all I could see was incredible opportunity and potential.  As I Googled what a makerspace was, I could see the various set ups and uses different schools had and started to think about how flexible the idea was... which is an ideal situation for figuring out how this could work in our community and in our schools.  

In a time where we are constantly using buzzwords such as "Common Core" and "standardized testing," we need to remember to give students time to be kids.  This is what was so appealing to me about the makerspace- the basic concept encouraged kids to invent, be creative, explore.  In the makerspace, they can use their innovation and problem solving skills to literally have a space to just make things.  It's an incredible concept! 

Our first few weeks bringing the mobile makerspace to Ashland Middle School was extremely successful.  I enjoyed seeing the creativity students were using as they learned about circuits and came up with their own project ideas.  I think the most powerful part of our program so far is the collaboration between students across grade levels.  Our high school students, the Makerspace Mentors, took an active approach to working with the middle school students, showing them how parts worked and encouraging their ideas.  It was inspiring to see our high school students turn into teachers through hands on demonstrations and explaining to students how things worked.  I was especially impressed at how the high school students could articulate to the middle school students the technicalities and potential of the kits they were using, instead of merely telling them what to do.  It was a true learning opportunity on both sides!

I don't know what types of projects the Mindess Elementary School students will come up with in our next session, but I know everyone will have fun and will leave wanting more.   Thank you to all of our supporters- we can't wait to continue to show you what fun everyone is having!

Our Mini Mobile Makerspace Kit

Based on some requests, I am posting a guide to the kit we put together for the Middle School Mobile Makerspace session. Each kit was designed for four kids to use with enough batteries and parts such that each could have at least one set. I purchased everything loose from Amazon. We also used Light Up Edison kits to explore the basics of circuits, from Eduporium.com.

Please feel free to ask questions through comments or via Twitter @ashlandtechteacher

The Kit

Mini storage container (Stack-on 13 compartment)
9V batteries
Button cell batteries
Battery connectors
Alligator clip leads
Wires with a mix of male & female connectors
Buzzers
Push buttons (toggle & temporary)
Switches
LEDs
Copper tape (3' per participant)

In addition to the kit supplies we brought a spare parts kit, scissors, plyers, various types of heavy weight paper (chipboard, railroad board, card stock), fabric scraps, lots of tape, glue guns, a heavy duty hole punch, and screwdrivers.

PS - It turned out that the students really liked working with the button batteries and ended up going through almost twice as many as we put in the student kits.

Pilot Program - The Mobile Makerspace

Two participants create while guided by a Makerspace Mentor

Within weeks of developing ideas for our permanent space, it was clear we didn't have the patience to wait for full funding, remodeling, etc. We felt we had something critical to offer our community and the team was ready to make it happen. To fast track our vision and meet the interests of our district schools, we came up with the idea of launching a mobile makerspace. This would give our Makerspace Mentors (high school students) an opportunity to pilot and learn what it is we are doing and what it is we don't yet know.

We devised a plan for two three-week sessions. These sessions would run more like a workshop, where we bring all of the materials, present some concepts and let the students guide things in a direction. Both sessions will

Our Makerspace team is growing, Now what?

Step 2 - Build a Vision

I didn't know where we were headed when we decided to pursue the Makerspace. While watching others share their interesting and inspiring stories through Twitter, online articles and beyond, it became clear there was no one way to go about setting up a Makerspace. What did we want to create?

Our primary objective is to build a space where students of all ages can feel safe taking chances to design, build, and create for the world we live in. Our computer science program has been growing strong over the past few years, and more and more students seem to be branching off into the land of Arduinos and Raspberry Pi's. Starting with these areas as foundational components of the 'what', we needed to answer a few other important questions.

Makerspace - From The Ground Up

The Ashland Innovation Center - starts from nothing

Last fall I sat down and introduced one of my administrators to the concept of a Makerspace. I warned her that I was about to change her life. And so I have. She immediately jumped into research mode, then excited mode, and then we started working together to build a team and build our dream.

Six months later we have built an amazing team of teachers and administrators from around our district and we have started getting funding commitments. In this blog, I hope that we will be able to share our process, our goals, and ultimately, our results.