Chad Johnson, Senior Education Specialist for NPPD, was here on Monday, Oct 23rd, to give orientation tours to students and teachers on Nebraska Public Power District’s Mobile MakerSpace Lab. The NPPD Mobile MakerSpace Lab visited Hay Springs School for two weeks this month. The Lab is part of the Nebraska Public Power District’s Pathways to a Technical Future program and has been on loan to schools around the state for two years. The MakerSpace visits a limited number of schools each year and only one visit per school. The MakerSpace heads to Scottsbluff Middle School next.
The Lab includes four types of stations: Make it You, Make it New, Make it Do, and Make an Impact.
Make it DO stations includes a Robotics Innovation Lab, MakeyMakey and Rasberry PI Lab, and an Electronics Lab. What can you DO with the equipment at each station. Ideas involve logic, programming, and creation.
Make it NEW stations include Afinia H800 3D printer, Carvey 3D CNC machine, Engineering Workshop. Students can create new item or adapt designs from other sources.
Make an IMPACT stations include a Sensor Station and Smart Home Internet of Things. Students have experimented with a temperature sensor and a camera-IPad that creates pictures based on temperature.
Make it YOU includes a Cameo cutting machine and a Virtual Reality setup. Students have be making vinyl cutouts to decorate various items. After viewing several VR videos students can use the 360 degree camera to create their own VR video.
The MakerSpace is aimed at Middle-Level and High School students. However, upper elementary students had the opportunity to interact with some of the stations. Parents were invited to check out the MakerSpace during Parent-Teacher conferences.