Education

Maker Education is such a valuable role. These stories will bring you the latest information and tales of maker educators who area spreading the maker mindset. Help others learn how to make things or how to think like a maker at makerspaces, schools, universities, and local communities. The importance of maker education can not be understated. We appreciate our educators.

MassTEC Conference

MassTEC Conference

Last week, at the annual MassTEC conference an interesting collection of science and technology teachers gathered to share experiences and information. Here are some highlights:

Johanna Bunn of the Boston Museum of Science introduced the Engineering the Future curriculum, with interactive demonstrations of hands-on projects introducing students to structures, fluids and electricity.

The forum on the Massachusetts state science and technology curriculum frameworks introduced a series of strand maps that show how the concepts and possible activities in the various STEM subjects interrelate. Their hope is that existing and new courses could be designed so that they step students through learning ideas within courses and how the courses could build upon each other. Right now the maps are static PDFs, but their goal is to have them be more interactive in the way they connect projects and concepts.

Litmus candy

Litmus candy

Windell of Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories noticed that the “Blueberry Blast” candies he picked up contained red cabbage extract, which, as every evil mad scientist knows, is a classic homebrew pH indicator. So he dunked three samples in baking soda solution, neutral water, and vinegar. Sure enough, visible color changes.

Junkbot student videos

As a summation assignment for the CD scrounging, battery pack and junkbot project, students made videos showing their junkbot. In the videos, which were made on whatever equipment they had available to them, they were to show the ‘bot, explain what they did to make it and explain a bit about how it works. Part of the project was a writing assignment had them write about their Junkbot and tell about what they learned in the project. Not all of the students put the videos online, instead emailing them in. Having the videos online definitely creates a better, more lasting record.