One of the nice things about all this crazy travel this summer is I have gotten to do and see some things that are just not available in Richmond, VA. Last night I got to go to the Makerbot store in NYC to hear a talk about 3-D Printing and Maker spaces.
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| 3-D Printing Filament |
The speaker was David Wells from the New York Hall of Science. He is the Manager of Creative Making & Learning - I know, best job title ever.
Last year my computer club's project was 3-D printing. They fund-raised and bought a PrintrBot tight at the end of the year. I am so excited to see where this takes us next year.
The presentation was a great overview of 3-D printing, some of the recent changes and how to incorporate it into maker spaces. One of the general themes was that engagement with museums tapers off as kids hit their teen years, and these maker spaces are a great way to bring them back in.
Several of the folks working at the Makerspace for the summer were there to show off what they were working on. They are part of Maker Corps Education program. They are officially called explainers, which I might borrow for when we do recruitment in the lab.
Oh, and if you are in the neighborhood NYSCI is the host of the Maker Faire NY this fall on Sept 21 - 22. If you haven't been to one you must go. Really - it's your homework. Find a Maker Faire near you and get to it. I got to do the one at the Henry Ford Museum last summer in Detroit and it was amazing.
Resources:
- Interview with David Wells - best summary of the Maker movement I've seen
- New York Hall of Science
- MakerSpace @ NYSCI
- Maker Corps
- TinkerCad - Mind to Design in Minutes - This site lets you create the files that the 3-D printer uses
- Explainer TV from NYSCI - has some fun DIY projects and science explinations
And if you need a story to help inspire you to the power of 3-D printing: 3-D Printer Brings Dexterity To Children With No Fingers.
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