On Being a Maker

I've been thinking a lot about the process that I use to make a project. There is a pathway of sorts that helps me to go from 'Something Imagined' to 'Something Real'.  A big part of my making is in the planning. I don't just randomly make. That is not the way it happens. I can't work from zero.

I get inspired ... 

I might see something online. Or I see it in passing or hear about something in conversation. That's all it takes. Just enough of a hint to light a spark.
The singularly most powerful inspiration for me is when I can see it directly and I can touch it. Something that engages more than one sense. I guess you could think of this as the front loading stage in an inquiry cycle. I need this stage or the spark for inspiration will not happen! After inspiration comes imagination.

I can spend a lot of time in this stage. Being inspired leads to dreaming about what I can make. Sometimes I will actually dream about it - or just daydream about it. Many, many times this will not lead to making anything but when I imagine something and think about it numerous times - that usually means that I need to take action. I never really copy - I hate to copy! I strive to make it my own. To make something copied could never be considered as a proper project. Only as a point of learning to learn a new skill.  The next stage is the planning stage. This can be done on my iPhone, via an online search, by taking photos and mixing them or by making a sketch. I need to see the project to get a clear idea of what it looks like. Whilst this is happening I usually research what it will be made of and how to acquire the tools and materials. Finally I find out what techniques are required. You Tube and Craftsy are my go-to options.Next comes the making stage. If the technique is a new one, I'll make a sampler. This helps me to know if I am smart enough to make the bigger project. At this stage my project might just lose steam if I am not able to actually make it. I am very ambitious and sometimes aim too high. Now I can begin the project. This is the best part. I can get totally lost in this part. Hours can pass and I don't even realise. 

After making part of the project or all of the project the desire to improve it kicks in. This can make or break a project. Sometimes you can go too far in the pursuit to improve something and just end up ruining it. Yes that happens and yes those projects get tucked away never to see daylight again. I should embrace my failures or my projects that become 'over cooked'. 

Well that's something for me to work on ...

Of course I try to share about what I do. I mostly do that via my Instagram. This year I may even blog about it. I need to be quick though because I make stuff really fast. 

Here is my cycle of making

Vibrobots - Simple Robots that Move for a Maker Activity

Last Saturday I led some workshops at the Association of National Plus Schools annual teacher's conference in Jakarta. My workshop was all about Makerspace and Capturing the Learning in Real Time.

I used the term Makerspace in the perspective that it is a place where you can make something which could be really anywhere. I have always employed Maker activities in my classroom. I wanted to share about how making can unlock understandings in a way that viewing pictures or videos can't.

For this workshop we made a simple electric robot from recycled materials. I am really interested in robotics but I am even more interested in the mechanics and trying to understand how things work and why they work. These are abstract concepts but even young students can understand them when they get the chance to make it with their hands.

We started with the basic equipment:

a plastic cup
3 marker pens
two electrical wires with the ends stripped
a AA battery
a DC motor
electrical tape
sticky tape

About DC motors:
You can find DC motors inside many household items such as electric toothbrushes, battery operated fans or mixers. Here is an example of a motor inside a mixer.

Step 1:

Tape the markers to the plastic cup.

Step 2:

Make sure that the three markers are firmly attached with sticky tape. Put the markers facing downwards so that your robot can draw.

Step 3:

Prepare 2 copper wires by stripping (removing) the plastic from each end.

Step 4:

Connect one wire on each side of the motor. Thread the metal through the loop and twist to secure. Add a small weight to offset the motor shaft. This is to make the motor vibrate.

Step 5:

Tape the battery on the top of the cup. Tape the motor so that the spinning shaft is off the edge of the cup.

Step 6:

Using small pieces of electrical tape, tape on wire to the positive 'bump' end of the battery and one wire to the flat negative end. Using electrical tape is great because you can pull one end on and off to act as a switch.

Step 7:

Pull off the marker pen caps and place your robot on some paper. Watch it draw.



#Troubleshooting - Be aware that your circuit must be well connected or the motor won't run. Sometimes cheap DC motors can be faulty and you may have one that just doesn't work. Recheck your wiring too.

Make sure that your learners document the process with photographs and or video. Consider the 'Split Screen Learning Intentions' and focus on not just what you are learning but also how you are learning.

Extension Activities:

Try placing the battery on the centre of the cup end with the motor on top. Does this change the patterns that your robot is drawing? Try other combinations. Try using a different weight to offset the motor. Can you measure how these changes affect the drawing that your robot does? Consider how this activity can help your students understand about circuits and motion. Take some video and compare the differences. Identify how small changes affect the way your robot moves and draws.