During a 4 hour visit at Normandy High School in Parma, Ohio close to 500 visitors came through the mobile FABLab (MFL) and made stickers and or key chains based around a STEM words (Science, technology, engineering….etc.)
FABLAB @ John Muir: Kindergartners
The kindergartners were studying the different types of trees and how the leaves change colors depending on the season. With this age group I decided to let them design their own leaves and put them on their class tree. During the season change the students would change the leaves. The students were very attentive and orderly that you would think they were second graders!
FABLAB @ John Muir: Introduction
Today is mainly the introduction to what a FABLab is and the different machines in the lab. The students were told in detail about the process of their projects and what machine they were doing. The students have worked hard all quarter to answer the essential question: “How are we Energized?” They have been working in small groups to research a renewable energy and then created posters to present their research. They are working in the lab to make model homes that apply to all of the knowledge they have learned this quarter:
John Muir Elementary School Set-up
For this week I will be displaying and using the mobile FABLab to work with students on their current projects in class. The John Muir students are working on energy and they have designed different projects to display their knowledge. Today was just the set up and test of the equipment in the space. A student ambassador helped Mr. D and I with the test as you will see in the below pictures. The school welcomed up with cook, coffee, water and candy all week:
FABFridays @ GLSC ShopBot Session Projects
Here are some photos of what the “students” designed and fabricated during this session:
FABFriday @ GLSC ShopBot Session
The session today is focused on CNC milling, molding and casting. For the basics of CNC you would design your parts on your personal computer, then, like a robot, the computer controls the cutter precisely cuts your parts. In the past, tools like ShopBots were strictly industrial tools and were referred to in factories as CNC (for Computer Numeric Control) tools. Now, the types of tools that create things by cutting material away or building up material in layers to create an object are called digital fabrication tools, and ShopBot’s innovations have made them affordable for individuals and small shops.
The “Students” now are preparing their designs for approval to digitally design their planks to be milled out on the ShopBot.
FABFridays @ GLSC Laser Session
FABFridays has officially started at the Great Lake Science Center. For the first class of the sessions the focus was on the Epilog laser. This machine is one of the most used machines in the lab. The FABFridays are focused on how to apply or teach FABLab in a class, what kind of projects can be created and overall how to use the lab to enhance the class room. Here are some pictures of what was made and who attended the first session:
