Maker Faires, Makerspaces, and Bridging the Digital & Physical Worlds Together

Dan Schneiderman

Who here is a maker?

What do you make?

Everyone is a Maker!

“Makers are producers and creators, builders and shapers of the world around us. Makers are people who regard technology  as an invitation to explore and experiment, with the most inclusive possible definition of technology, meaning any skill  or technique that we learn and employ. What we once called hobbyists, tinkerers, artists, inventors, engineers, crafters---all of them are makers.”

Dale Dougherty

Founder of Make Magazine, Maker Faire, Maker Edu

Drones

Wearables

3D Printing

I-o-T

Robots

Programming

Games

Open Source

APIs

3D Rendering

Sewing

Woodworking

Baking

Welding

Laser Cutting

Painting

Sculpting

Data

Physical

Digital

Maker Mindset

  • Solving problems
  • Design doing
  • Prototyping
  • Experimenting
  • Making mistakes
  • Always learning
  • Cross-generational
  • Sharing
  • Play

 

A Brief History of the Maker Movement

Start of Civilization - 1950s

Making to Live, Arts, Crafts, 1st & 2nd Industrial Revolutions

1950s-1980s

Electronic Enthusiasts & Hobbyist Computer Clubs

1990s - 2005

PCs, Hacking & Hackerspaces

2005 - Make Magazine Launches, 1st Arduino released

2006 - 1st Maker Faire is held

2008 - Hackerspaces & Makerspaces start to pop up in the US

2009 - 1st Mini Maker Faire held, Kickstarter launched

2012 - 1st Raspberry Pi released, 1st Public Library Makerspace opens in Fayetteville, Maker Ed  launched, Maker Faire reaches Europe & Asia

2014 - White House Maker Faire

2015 - National Week of Making organized by White House

2016 - Nation of Makers Non-Profit Created, Over 600+ Makerspaces in existence in US

Maker Faire

Greatest Show & Tell on Earth

8+ Maker Faires NYS

190+ Maker Faires World Wide

Makerspaces

Physical locations where communities share tools and help each other make things

Dedicated Spaces

Temporary Spaces

Mobile Spaces

Makerspaces in Rochester & Buffalo

  • Rochester Makerspace
  • Interlock Rochester
  • Adaspace
  • The Construct @ RIT
  • Rettner Hall @ U of R
  • Monroe County Library System
  • Sew Green Rochester
  • Genesee Center for the Arts
  • Buffalo Labs
  • The Foundry
  • Phelps Library

New York State Makerspaces

School Makerspaces

How to Start One

1. Space

  • Do you already have a wood or metal shop
  • What tools don’t you have
  • Would a pop-up makerspace be better?
  • take out the tools
  • could fit in the library

 

2. Storage

  • If in a nonpermanent space, where are you going to store your tools?
  • Store projects
    • Short Term?
    • Long Term?
  • Good first project

3. Sound

  • Typical Makerspaces are louder than you think
  • Tools will depend on how much noise can you make
  • Need to be able to collaborate 

4. Safety

  • General safety of tools (think saws)
  • Training
  • Do you bring in experts to teach teachers
  • Basic safety classes should be required before using any tools
  • How the school handles outside people coming in
  • School safety
  • First Aid Kit - make sure to deal with this first

 

5. Use

  • When will the space be used
    • During school?
    • After school?
  • How to deal with the blank page?
    • What projects do students want to build?
    • What skills do students want to learn?

 

6. Tools

  • Good knife
  • Hot glue gun
  • Soldering Iron
  • Drill
  • Screwdriver
  • Wrench Set
  • Safety glasses
  • Gloves
  • Pliers
  • Sewing Kit
  • Hand Saws
  • Clamps
  • Raspberry Pi
  • Arduinos
  • 3D Printer
  • Laser Cutter
  • CNC Machine
  • Sewing Machine

Basic Things

Buy Later

7. Materials

  • Cardboard
  • Basic electronics
    • Batteries
    • Wire
    • LEDs
    • Resistors
  • Duct Tape
  • Glue
  • Wood
  • Assorted screws
  • Recyclables

8. Community

  • Ask for Materials
  • Mentors
  • Show off what your students have created
    • School Maker Faires
    • Post online
  • Build for the community

9. Maker Programs

  • Maker Ed
    • Youth Makerspace Playbook
  • FabLearn Fellows
  • Autodesk Maker Program Starter Kit
    • Just released!

Inspirations

& Areas to Explore

Citizen Science

Wearables

Health Industry

Costumes & Cosplay

Adam Savage & Tested 

Simone Giertz

Becky Stern

Anouk Wipprecht

The Tinkering Studio

Tips for Making

Make something. Anything.

Prototype!

Measure Twice

Make messes

Making Doesn't Have to Be By Yourself

Look at materials in unusual ways

Don't Be Afraid to Scale

Making Doesn't Have to be Serious

Always Be Curious

Recommended Reads & Resources

  • Maker Ed
  • Make
  • Meaningful Making
  • The Art of Tinkering
  • Free to Make
  • Maker Manifesto
  • Tested
  • Instructables
  • Maker City Playbook
  • Making Makers
  • The Makerspace Workbench
  • Zero to Maker

Save the Date!

  • March 16th-18th - FIRST Robotics Finger Lakes Regional 
  • March 24th - NYS Maker Summit
  • May 7th - Imagine RIT
  • July 15th - FLX Maker Expo
  • November 18th (most likely) - 4th Annual Rochester Mini Maker Faire

Contact Me

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