Sunday Workshops (October 8, 8:30AM)

• Repair: Bring a second life to objects – Erin Riley and Aaron Vanderwerff (Horace Mann 433)
• Strings are the New Numbers: Exploring the Programmatic Use of Large Language Models as Microworlds – Jaymes Dec (Horace Mann 148)
• FabFolio: Student Portfolios to Elevate STEM Essential Skills and Technical Fluency – Kristin Burrus, Emily Hurst (Horace Mann 142)
• Engineering with Paper: Explore Spatial Reasoning and CAD with Simple Supplies – Godwyn Morris (Horace Mann 150)
• Space-bending Exploration: Empowering K-12 Educators and Students with IoT – Arnan (Roger) Sipitakiat, Nancy Otero, Walter Akio Goya (Thompson Hall 322i)
• The Joy of TurtleStitching Curves and Quotes – Dr. Cynthia Solomon, Dr. Susan Klimczak, and Learn 2 Teach, Teach 2 Learn College Mentors & Youth Teachers (Thompson 322)
• What can we do with generative AI in our classrooms? Katherine Moore, Sarah Wharton, Eric Klopfer (Horace Mann 144)
• Tinker with a View: Share your story with code and cardboard using OctoStudio – Ryoko Matsumoto, Sebastian Martin, Carolina Rodeghiero, Natalie Rusk, Ronni Hayden, Ricarose Roque (Horace Mann 152)

Monday Workshops (October 9, 8:30AM)

• Making with Your Phone: Teaching the Internet of Things to Novices – Devin Jean, Akos Ledeczi (Horace Mann 142)
• The personal information space as a constructionist learning artifact – Sharon Hardof; Ruthi Aladjem (Horace Mann 146)
• The ABCDs of Geometry: Analog, Body-scale, Constructionist, and Dance-based – Leah F Rosenbaum, Cecilia Fontanesi, Paul Reimer (Horace Mann 152)
• Lemon Robotics Kit: Open-Sourced Bio-inspired Educational Robot Series to Enhance Quick Prototyping Skills of K-12 Students – Sedat Yalcin, Dilara Vardar, Iremsu Bas, Melis Alsan, Ahmet Burhan Bas, Ceren Dolu, Ismail Servan Sevik (Horace Mann 234)
• Promoting Algorithmic Justice: Creating and Auditing Machine Learning-Powered Applications with Youth – Luis Morales-Navarro, Yasmin Kafai (Horace Mann 148)
• MoDa: Exploring Computational Modeling from a Constructionist Perspective – Tamar Fuhrmann, Aditi Wagh, Adelmo Eloy, Brendan Henrique (Thompson Hall 322)
• Biomaking Board Games: A Workshop about BioMaterials for Making and Learning – Alan Barrer, Maria Perez-Piza, Justice Walker (Horace Mann 424)
• The science of lei making: Integrating and explicating the science of Hawaiian cultural crafting – Janice English, Jade Bowman, Colby Tofel-Grehl (Horace Mann 431)
• How and Why to Teach Logo Programming to Children – Gary S. Stager, Ph.D. (Horace Mann 144)

Join us in exploring repair as a way to enrich your maker program, countering the direction of the trend of disposability. We will do this by finding new uses or applications for objects or simply bringing the object back to life. In this hands-on workshop, we will spend most of our time repairing objects and reflecting on our repairs. In addition to hands-on repair work, we will also be documenting and sharing our discoveries using a zine format. Presenters will connect the activities to broader repair practices both culturally and in educational contexts. Participants in this hands-on, minds-on workshop will leave with discipline-agnostic maker activities that can be directly applied to work around the themes of repair, sustainability, creativity, and problem-solving. This workshop uses elements from Cultivating a Repair Mindset Toolkit and is inspired by the 6Rs (Refuse, Rethink, Reuse, Repair, Reduce, Recycle), building upon them, and centering Repair, Reimagine, and Redesign.

In this workshop, we invite you to delve into the world of large language models like ChatGPT and their application in creative computing and programming. Discover how to harness the power of the OpenAI Application Programming Interface (API), transforming simple scripts into intelligent applications. We will start with an overview of the OpenAI API, followed by an introduction to ‘simpleaichat’, a Python package designed to simplify this process. We will look at a few examples and then you’ll tackle a fun coding challenge, applying your new AI programming skills. We will end with a sharing and discussion session, providing an opportunity for you to showcase your solutions and learn from others. We’ll also brainstorm innovative ways to integrate AI into student programming projects.This workshop welcomes programmers of all skill levels, from beginner to expert.

FabFolio is a new mobile application developed by educators in Tennessee FabLabs that empowers teachers to support student portfolios while providing a feedback loop for students to earn micro-credentials in technical skill fluency and STEM Essential Skills. Attendees will engage in a machine learning project as well as a guided demonstration of the new app.

For student learners new to CAD, starting with physical models helps them learn how to view objects from multiple perspectives and develop spatial reasoning skills. Engineering with Paper is a methodology for making  three dimensional shapes  using just paper, tape and scissors. It is quick,  easy and inexpensive to implement.  The 3D paper shapes can be arranged in multiple ways to create an unlimited number of projects. For example, paper cones, cylinders, trays and tracks, when combined, become a puppet creature, city, playground, habitat, amusement park, parachute, car and much more. Hands-on activities set the groundwork for advanced understanding of the physical and digital world. Students can combine 3D printed objects with Engineering with Paper projects. Using simple supplies that are easily accessible to everyone makes this an effective method for starting students on the path to 3D modeling. Together we will explore Engineering with Paper methodologies and then apply them to 3D modeling. The combination of these methodologies will be immediately implementable in the classroom.

Have you ever imagined being part of a Mission Control Center and collaborating with people from different countries to solve challenges in a Space Mission? Have you ever imagined becoming an engineer and designing/building machines that could help humanity live on a better planet, Earth? ”Bringing Together Learning, Making, and Remote Collaboration” is a 100-minute workshop where students and teachers will learn how to code, design/build machines, and solve problems collaboratively using KitCo and GoGo Boards. The workshop will be split into two different activities: the completion of three secret missions on the Moon by controlling equipment installed in our remote lunar base, and the design/construction of new devices that could support astronauts and earthlings in their daily missions. For updated information, please access: https://bit.ly/fablearn2023-space

TurtleStitch is a great introduction to art, math and technology. Programming a Turtle Geometry turtle lets you create designs and fabricate them on a computerized embroidery machine. TurtleStitch novices and experts are welcome!

TurtleStitch and its arc blocks are used to make a plaque with your favorite SHORT 10/12 word quote. You will be coached by teen youth teachers from the Learn 2 Teach, Teach 2 Learn program, as well as volunteers from the Second Sunday International TurtleStitch online community group.

Bring your computer! Computerized embroidery machines on site will stitch your design. You then insert the finished design into a 4” lasercut frames that you decorate.

Since time is short, please make your TurtleStitch account before the session and bring along a 10/12-word quote to decorate and machine embroider. We will have some quote ideas at the workshop!

Join this workshop to explore and create with generative AI tools for your classrooms. You will play with generative AI tools and make activities for classrooms!

First, we’ll visit hands-on stations that explore uses for generative AI (like chatGPT) in education: as a tutor, creative tool, collaborative writer, assistant, etc. We’ll regroup to share capabilities and limitations of the tool, connections to existing practices, potential positive and negative effects, and further questions to explore.

After we share our findings, we’ll mix up the groups to engage in brainstorming classroom activities. Each group will be given a set of cards that represent learning theories, purposes for education, and the generative AI uses we explored. Groups will pull a card from each category and use the combination as a springboard for generating a lesson on the subject of their choice. This is a fast-paced and playful brainstorming time, so all ideas will be welcome! We’ll repeat this process, giving groups the opportunity to flesh out ideas they’d like to pursue.

At the end of the session, we’ll get your feedback on the brainstorming process and provide a space to share the ideas you generated with other participants.

Join us for an exploration in storytelling, crafting, and coding. In this workshop we will tinker with cardboard and a new creative tool, the OctoStudio coding app, to share “windows into our world” — tangible, interactive animated narratives. Developed by the Lifelong Kindergarten group at MIT Media Lab, OctoStudio is a free mobile coding app designed to support learners creating interactive projects using images and sounds from the world around them. We’ll start by brainstorming, “What do you see or imagine outside your window?” Choose and combine everyday materials, photos, drawings, and sounds, using coding blocks in OctoStudio to make your interactive scene come to life. Together, we will contribute to a collaborative, interactive cardboard environment that embeds and connects our diverse windows/stories. In the process, we’ll explore how to combine physical crafting with coding in meaningful ways. After experiencing this activity as learners, we will discuss facilitation approaches and ways to adapt this creative learning activity for diverse learning contexts.

The workshop will present a mobile app called PhoneIoT and an educational block-based programming environment called NetsBlox that together make it possible to turn one’s phone into a programmable Internet of Things (IoT) device. Using NetsBlox, students can create block-based programs which run in a web-browser on a computer and remotely connect to a personal phone to access device sensors in real time and configure the screen with customizable, interactive GUI widgets. With these two features and access to the web-based resources of NetsBlox, students can create such engaging projects as a fitness tracker app which plots your jogging route on a map in real time, an accelerometer-enabled “tilting” controller for a game, or even a custom chat app. The workshop will introduce these tools briefly and then guide participants to build two simple applications: a compass app and a project that plots the 3-axis accelerometer data streaming from the phone. Time permitting, we will also turn the phone into a digital stylus to draw on the computer screen. Finally, a Python library and IDE will be demonstrated that provide the same functionality as the block-based interface while providing the full power of Python.

Personal Information Management (PIM), the practice of organizing our digital information, is a vital skill in today’s data-driven landscape. Yet, PIM’s significance transcends mere organization; it profoundly impacts daily interactions, yielding functional, emotional, and metacognitive outcomes. During the continual journey of weaving digital information items into coherent themes, Personal Information Spaces become a mediating space and evolve into central thinking and learning artifacts.

This workshop aims to cultivate a deep understanding of PIM’s significance and its practical applications in the context of constructionist learning. Through hands-on activities, we will delve into PIM’s core concepts, gain insights into constructing personal information spaces and uncover the underlying mental models.
Furthermore, this workshop serves as a platform to collectively brainstorm innovative methodologies for integrating PIM techniques into your pedagogical approach, thereby enriching your students’ learning experiences.

Join us in exploring how PIM contributes to learning and thinking as an object to think with. Discover how these principles can be integrated into your teaching toolkit to create enriched and meaningful.

Describing Logo as “a mathematics made for learning,” Papert (1980) emphasized educational activities that leverage learners’ “knowledge about their bodies and how they move” (p. 56). Whereas Logo focused on 2D geometry, work within dance a half-century earlier laid the foundations for a movement-oriented philosophy of 3D space. Rudolf von Laban (b. 1879) expounded on his spatial theories of movement by having dancers enter into human-scale platonic solids and developed a system of spatial scales – sets of patterns for moving in those solids – referred to as “Space Harmony” (Laban & Ullmann, 1974).

This workshop presents an analog, body-scale constructionist design for building and moving in platonic solids and a guided Laban practice of spatial exploration within those solids. Through facilitated discussion of both the building process and movement practices, we aim to facilitate thought-provoking experiences that prompt new, arts-integrated ways of thinking about geometry, our bodies, and movement in space.

Get ready to immerse yourself in the art of quick prototyping and technology as you create your very own bio-inspired fish robot with Lemon Robotics Kit. Perfect for beginners and enthusiasts alike, this hands-on session introduces you to the magic of electronics, mechanics, and programming. Using affordable and accessible Raspberry Pi Picos, SG90 servo motors, and PCA9685 servo boards, you’ll craft a captivating fish robot that comes to life with your ingenuity. Elevate your maker and fabrication skills, and leave with the tools to unleash your imagination. By the end of this workshop, you’ll be equipped to embark on your own creative projects. Explore the fascinating outcomes of our tests and contribute insights to refine the kit. Join us for a captivating workshop, where you’ll build and breathe life into your fish robot while discovering the exciting potential of digital fabrication!

In this workshop we will create machine learning powered applications and collaboratively conduct algorithm audits to learn about algorithmic justice. We introduce algorithm auditing, a method that involves “repeatedly querying an algorithm and observing its output in order to draw conclusions about the algorithm’s opaque inner workings and possible external impact” (Metaxa et al., 2021). Developed over the last ten years, algorithm auditing has gained popularity in algorithmic justice research. While recent studies investigate how everyday non-expert adult users can find harmful algorithmic behaviors through algorithm auditing, we extend algorithm auditing into K-12 Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning (AI/ML) education, with a focus on critical inquiry in personally relevant contexts. We share our experiences designing activities for youth to audit their own applications and those they use in their everyday lives, provide opportunities for participants to collaboratively build and audit applications during the workshop and think through how this method may be used in their own contexts. We welcome educators or researchers interested in AIML and curious about how algorithm auditing can be used to critically investigate the inner workings of machine learning applications and their potential implications and limitations. No previous experience with AIML is required!

Discover MoDa, an innovative computational modeling environment designed to enhance STEM education. This workshop offers a unique opportunity for participants to explore the environment as both end users and designers. As end users, you’ll gain hands-on experience with the modeling environment and curriculum, focusing on the connection between data and model design. You will investigate how computational models can align with real-world data, making learning engaging and interactive. As designers, you’ll explore the underlying design principles and constructionist ideas behind MoDa. This insight into the enviroment’s construction will be valuable for educators, researchers, and designers interested in applying constructionist ideas to STEM education.
Join us for this practical workshop and embrace the opportunity to embrace MoDa as a gateway to a more effective and engaging approach to STEM education, particularly the evolving needs of science education. Secure your spot now to gain valuable insights on the integration of constructionist perspectives in modern learning technologies.

Biomaking board games workshop introduces synthetic biology to participants who want to develop skills for managing biomaterials and integrate it into their classes. BioMaking Board Games workshop is designed based on constructionist learning and culturally relevant pedagogy frameworks that let participants design their board game based on the context and learners’ needs (teachers or students). This workshop provides biomaterials based on synthetic biology, -a modern biotechnology that involves using genetically engineered organisms to generate valuable products-. The participants will be experiencing, managing, and biomaking their board game. This workshop will open reflection and discussion about the challenges of designing fun activities with contemporary content like biotechnology and engage students to be aware of social and ethical issues that new disciplines bring. At the end of the workshop, the participants will have a model to repeat and adapt in their class (worksheets and activity assays will be available). Performing a biomaking board game, Participants and instructors will contribute and distribute knowledge simultaneously to achieve deep learning and high performance. Also, we will use the motivation that the games provide to players to generate a reflection about the lack of scientific and social issues in their communities.

Culturally responsive making is identity affirming, humanisticly engaging, and academically sound practice. Many folks have seen leis in media, but most do not know the history or cultural significance of the lei. This workshop invites participants to explore the science behind and the process of lei making. We explore culturally responsive making through the lens of rightful presence, working with indigenous Hawaiian youth on the big island of Hawaii. The workshop provides participants with an opportunity to learn about the ways in which culturally responsive making can be implemented across communities and contexts through an example centered in Hawaiian communities and culture. Participants will make leis with the workshop team and preview a series of apps made by Hawaiian youth explicating the uses and features of native Hawaiian plants.

A new generation of constructionists may benefit from an understanding of Logo, its implementation, philosophy, and best teaching practices. This workshop is intended to provide an overview of the past fifty-five years of Logo development, provide hands-on experiences via mini projects, discuss the powerful ideas behind the design of Logo, suggest a range of projects, and look to the future. Implicit in these activities is a project-approach to teaching computer science to children that benefits the teaching of other disciplines and democratizes computing by making it accessible to all children, not just those who choose computer science as a vocational path. We will also explore viable Logo environments available in 2023. The workshop leader has more than four decades worth of experience teaching teachers to teach programming to children of all ages.