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 Trees
01:32 Steph Piper's Journey and Maker Queen
02:59 Library Makerspace and Hands-On Learning
08:45 The Concept and Development of Skill Trees
20:57 Fun Projects and Final Thoughts

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"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.

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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.

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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-science

Cy's own website: http://sneakyuses.com/

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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-hubs

Print - https://www.makershed.com/products/3-modes-of-making-print

PDF - https://www.makershed.com/products/make-three-modes-of-making-pdf

For a transcript, go to: https://makezine.com/article/education/making-as-a-creative-practice/

https://make.co/make-cast/