MakerSpace observations

Nolan has a game emulator running on the Raspberry Pi station. Tristan, Dominic, Hannah, William, and Troy have been down during breakfast-break to check it out and up the ante; they made a sign-up sheet for people to add the games they'd like to see.

They also asked me to scrounge up another monitor for a second Pi so they can configure a two-player match. Ethan has asked format requirements and hopes to bring in some favorites. It is a deceptively collaborative endeavor.

Ethan also got the notion of designing a cardboard housing for the station to look like a genuine arcade unit. He took measurements yesterday and loaded SketchUp today with plans to design it. Later in the morning he called over Harley who takes Building & Trades at BOCES to consult on his ideas. I think she may propose constructing a housing as part of class project. Plans include surface decoration.

Ethan is in the LibLab now with SketchUp running on one tab, and a SketchUp tutorial running on the other; learning because he wants to/needs to!

Wyatt came in yesterday with a cardboard vehicle of his design powered by a quad-copter motor and lithium battery. He spend his time modifying the floppy chassis and sharing ideas on how to bring power to both wheels.

Jacob, a new maker, has been quietly adding an electric power supply to a Lego vehicle someone started. I find his meticulous parings of stripped wires in careful piles.

Then today, Wyatt and Jacob teamed-up to tackle Jacob's vehicle!

Two upper-classmen came in last period yesterday and sighed "What can we build?" One puttered, the other made this nicely-crafted crank PTO.

For all of these students, the Library MakerSpace has become second nature; so too the notion of sharing ideas, making proposals, asking for help, and trying.