Tuesday, July 12, 2016

Last year at Constructing Modern Knowledge “Unconference” was my first.  I was a noob. And that was fine.  I experienced the whole catastrophe that comes from having been schooled for life to do what I’m told and being an educator for 20 years being expected to design learning experiences for others in which they will never wonder what is expected of them or what why we’re doing what we’re doing.  Administrators are supposed to be able to walk through a classroom and see posted on your wall “learning intentions” that are cross referenced to Common Core State Standards, Next Generation Science Standards, and the Vermont Framework for Learning.  And it has to align with Grade Level Expectations and Quality Expectations.

You get to CMK and be like

We decide here what we want to do based on curiosity — both intellectual and creative — and passion, which sounds great until it hits you suddently. And the choices are practically unlimited.  You meet people, mostly educators, who are likewise both stoked and intimidated.  You jump in and go through all the stages of excitement, panic, overload, accomplishment, failure, frustration, and lots of other emotions and states of being.

This being my second time through, though, I be like

This year I didn’t want to be in a group.  Not because I don’t like people. In part because I do like people.  A lot.  I would like to be silly and learn about their dogs and kids and jobs and make sure they feel included in every decision and happy with all the outcomes.  I decided shortly before coming here that I would go solo so that I could focus.  I could stay home, but it’s not the same.  Here there is a powerful surge of energy that comes from people on missions. People normally focused on young people in their charge and presently given permission to focus on their own learning.

I have brought with me some projects for which I have prepared by collecting items and reading up.  I have every intention of documenting my work with everything from pictures to video to blog posts and more.

My first project didn’t work out because I had purchased the wrong part by mistake.  I tried a work-around and it was going to be more complicated than I wanted to deal with so I chose a different project.  I quickly realized that I had not purchased enough of the parts and doubted that I could find the exact parts I needed here.

There is a ton of stuff made available here at the institute, but I just decided to go with a project for which I know I have everything:

 

I started by making sure I really have everything I need.  I threaded together some snaps of the parts as well as a preview of the tutorial online at Adafruit.

This project will involve soldering which I’m not really great at.  I’ve barely done it.  I’ve also welded, but under close supervision.  (Won’t need to do any welding this week….)

Here’s a preview of what I’ll be doing tomorrow:

 

Tonight, we are going to a Brazilian Steak House just as we did last year.  I was on a meat-free phase last year. So I ate bread and salad. I was meat-free all winter, but have fallen off that phase lately.  So I’ll be indulging.  🐂🐃🐄

Have you made any wearable electronics?

Does any of it interest you?