Upskilling with Steph Piper

In this episode of Make:Cast, Dale Dougherty interviews Ellie Weinstein, founder and CEO of Cocoa Press, a company that manufactures 3D printers that print chocolate. Ellie discusses her 10-year journey from a high school project to launching the second model of her Cocoa Press printer. The discussion highlights her background in mechanical engineering, her experience with 3D printing, and the challenges of creating a unique product that combines technology and confectionery. Ellie also shares her experiences at Maker Faire, the difficulties of manufacturing in the US vs. China, and the significant milestones in developing and marketing her chocolate 3D printers. She explains how the company grew, the hurdles she faced, and the innovative culture and community support that are central to Cocoa Press.https://make.co/make-cast/

In this episode of MakeCast, Dale Dougherty interviews Steph Piper, a creative technologist from Queensland, Australia. They discuss her Maker Queen website, her Skill Trees project, and her new book, Skill Seeker Maker Edition. Steph shares insights into her role at a university library makerspace, her electronics kits for kids, and her GlowStitchLEDs project. The conversation also covers the development and application of skill trees as a tool for self-directed learning and maker engagement, as well as the importance of community in makerspaces.00:00 Introduction to Steph Piper and Skill Trees01:32 Steph Piper's Journey and Maker Queen02:59 Library Makerspace and Hands-On Learning08:45 The Concept and Development of Skill Trees20:57 Fun Projects and Final ThoughtsBook: http://makershed.com/skillseekerhttps://make.co/make-cast/

 "Tinkering is a fun way to learn about the world around you," says Ryan in his new book, 'The Tinkering Workshop,' which promotes creativity and playful experimentation with everyday materials for families, children, and educators. I've known Ryan for many years from when he worked at The Exploratorium's Tinkering Studio.  Ryan will be at Maker Faire Bay Area this weekend where he will organize hands-on workshops and talk about his book. https://make.co/make-cast/

Dale Dougherty interviews Camila and Diego Luna of Moonmakers at the Fab 24 conference in Puebla, Mexico. Moonmakers is an educational non-profit focused on promoting science, technology, STEAM education, and the maker movement. They share their journey from starting with robotics and participating in international competitions, to creating content and resources for teachers and students. They highlight the importance of peer-to-peer learning and the challenges faced by the maker community in Mexico. They also discuss their involvement in the Fab 24 conference, showcasing workshops and the importance of breaking language barriers in STEAM education.https://make.co/make-cast/

Chad Orcutt created Community Shop Class in the Oak Park neighborhood of Sacramento, California. What started out as the ADHD Inventor's Club in his garage grew into a new space, unlike any makerspace you've seen.  He saw it as way to help people, particularly neurodivergent people like himself, learn to use tools safely.  He's built a shop class for people who never had shop class.Link to companion article on Makezine.com.Link to video on YouTube.https://make.co/make-cast/

My guest is Cy Tymony, author of "Sneaky Uses for Everyday Things" and "Sneaky Math."  Cy has a wonderful DIY worldview that he shares through his many books. He reveals a secret world to you if you're willing to be a little sneaky. To Cy, sneaky means you learn about something that not everybody knows, the way a magician has learned to do a trick and then can amaze their friends.  Cy says his point is to encourage everyone to "discover the power and resources that you have," which is some ways the life story of Cy Tymony. Links: Science Friday episode from April 1, 2005:  Ira Flatow with Cy Tymony and Make: editor, Phil Torrone.  https://www.npr.org/2005/04/01/4571259/do-it-yourself-scienceCy's own website: http://sneakyuses.com/https://make.co/make-cast/

Jenny Young is a mechanical engineer who founded Brooklyn Robot Factory thirteen years ago and introduced it at World Maker Faire in NYC to bring hands-on learning experiences to kids in schools and afterschool programs.  Her company has evolved into a franchise business where they train and equip others to provide hands-on classes.  Jenny says: "I'm not selling kits; I'm selling a service."https://make.co/make-cast/

Matt Zigler is the author of a new book for educators titled "3 Modes of Making." He talks about imitation, modification and innovation as three different modes of student projects,  which can develop different maker skills.  Matt is an artist and educator who has been running the makerspace at Bullis, an independent school in the DC area.  He brings a background in art and creative practice to the makerspace and his school.  it's not that every student  is going to be an artist but every student should develop a creative practice, regardless of subject or area of interest.https://open.substack.com/pub/makered/p/maker-clubs-classes-and-hubsPrint - https://www.makershed.com/products/3-modes-of-making-print PDF - https://www.makershed.com/products/make-three-modes-of-making-pdfFor a transcript, go to: https://makezine.com/article/education/making-as-a-creative-practice/ https://make.co/make-cast/

Trying to repair almost anything can be a frustrating exercise.  Repair is made more difficult by the way devices are designed and the ability to repair a device could be improved greatly if different design decisions were made.  This moment in time demands a new generation of designers, engineers and makers to consider how to make products that can be more easily and safely repaired by more people.  My guest on this episode is Jude Pullen, a creative technologist from the UK. "What's really exciting, both about technology and creativity, is putting them side by side and seeing why we do things and considering what we can do given the capabilities of technology and our own imagination."   Pullen's curiosity about why he couldn't easily replace the batteries in his headphones led him to explore the reasons why repair has become even more difficult over time.  He wrote a multi-part series called "The Fight For Repair" on Design Spark.  https://www.rs-online.com/designspark/the-fight-to-repair-introThe global Right to Repair movement was a subject we featured in Make: Magazine Volume 80 last year,  The War on Repair.For a transcript, video and photos, check out the companion article on Makezine:https://makezine.com/article/electronics/design_to_repair/https://make.co/make-cast/

This episode features an interview with the authors of a new book titled "AI Robots." which includes Reade Richard, Andy Forest, Brenda Shivanandan and Denzel Edwards. The book is designed to teach kids how to build AI-powered projects using hands-on activities and coding. The authors discuss the different sections of the book, which include physical build, electronics, coding with Micro:bit, and adding AI capabilities. They emphasize the importance of integrating different subjects, such as STEM, in a project-based way. The book aims to empower students and parents to explore AI technology and learn how to use it responsibly.https://www.makershed.com/products/make-ai-robots-printhttps://make.co/make-cast/