Your kids are amazing! My kids are amazing! And every one of them has the potential for genius inside of them. I have a passion for learning and I want everyone to develop that passion. Unfortunately, many are left with a distaste and distrust for learning due to our education system. Learning is not a one size fits all approach and many children will never succeed in the traditional environment. I didn't and carried that weight for a long time. Luckily, I found a passion for learning on my own, but many aren't so fortunate. I have been many things in my life. I have been a chef, middle school math educator, handyman, and entrepreneur. I love making things and working with my hands and I believe a lot of the kids who don't succeed in school can find their passion in the same way. I know when I was in school, a career working with your hands was discouraged. I was always told I was smart, but I hated sitting still in class all day. In addition to everything else, I am a functional medicine health coach with a passion for quality food, health, and community building.
Did you think I forgot you!
My week has been a little crazy, but here we are!
I've been obsessed this last week with learning about new places to find .stl files to print.
For years I used Thingiverse and was entirely happy with that. I was able to find jjust about anything I wanted that I hadn't designed myself there.
I had used My Mini Factory and found it to be ok, but it wasn't my favorite.
This week I learned about Yeggi and I am absolutely in love. Forget Thingiverse, Printables, Cults3D, My Mini Factory. Why? Because Yeggi searches them all for you!
I do enjoy checking in on the other sites to see what is being highlighted and what other people have created, but when I want to find something specific, Yeggi is my new favorite place to look.
It's that time of the week! It's MAKER Monday! Every week, we'll share things about things we or others have made, interesting artistic creations, fun new knowledge, education in the maker community, and leave you with a weekly challenge!
Monday Maker Magic:
One of the most interesting makers I came across this week is a maker by the name of Ivan Miranda.
He has a great YouTube channel where he makes a lot of neat and random things.
I discovered him when a video was recommended of him building a 3D printer that was big enough for him to print a life sized print of himself!
It really is an amazing feat of engineering and I highly recommend you check out the video of his build.
Artistry in Action (Artist Spotlight):
I have been obsessed with trying to figure out how to make stacked models without using a CNC machine.
I almost have it figured out and I plan on sharing that next week. To be honest I just need a little more time, but I think I'm close.
When I was searching for the software to use and a good tutorial I came across this little project.
This would be an easy, fun, afternoon project with the kids.
You could do any kind of theme and to be honest, with a little thought I think it could be done better.
That said, I really want to try making something like this soon.
Knowledge Nuggets:
It would be wrong for me not to acknowledge that today is MLK Jr Day.
I am not going to say too much about it that hasn't already been said.
These days bringing up anything like this becomes far too political no matter what "side" you're on.
He fought for what was right. He died unjustly. He left an amazing legacy with some incredibly inspiring speeches.
We are so fortunate to get to hear his actual words today.
Growing up in the 80s I learned about him, but we weren't able to experience his voice or see the videos of his speech.
You can find it in any number of places online, but I am going to link to my favorite morning podcast. The Quote of the Day Show with Sean Croxton gets me inspired every morning.
On today's episode he shared the I Have a Dream speech, as he always does on this day.
Sean is a true inspiration and if you haven't listened to him I highly recommend you do.
Education Exchange:
I love math. I have a degree in education with an emphasis in middle school mathematics. The reason I love math is that I love problem solving.
This week I joined the National Math Club and will be starting an online and in person math club for middle school students.
I am really excited about it. If you have a middle school aged child who might be interested in getting nerdy once or twice a month, send me an email here or just reply to this email!
Rise to the Challenge (Weekly Challenge):
What do you think? What's a good challenge for the week? I guess I'll just link to some challenges with Instructables this week.
Here's a good one! Instructables is running a contest encouraging students to learn Fusion 360 and design an arcade game. Grand prize is a $500 gift card!
From the link: "We want you to see your amazing arcade creations, whether they are classic game cabinets, pinball machines, skill-based games like skee-ball, mechanical coin-operated amusements, or other arcade classics. Let your imagination run wild!"
Thank you Reader for joining us this week on our making journey! If you have anything to add or you want to share what you've been working on, please don't hesitate to respond!
Please share this with your friends and help us grow our maker community! If you haven't already, like our Facebook Page and join our Facebook group, Homeschool Makers and 3D Printing Enthusiasts!
Now get out there and create something amazing!
Hi! I'm Dave Reed
Your kids are amazing! My kids are amazing! And every one of them has the potential for genius inside of them. I have a passion for learning and I want everyone to develop that passion. Unfortunately, many are left with a distaste and distrust for learning due to our education system. Learning is not a one size fits all approach and many children will never succeed in the traditional environment. I didn't and carried that weight for a long time. Luckily, I found a passion for learning on my own, but many aren't so fortunate. I have been many things in my life. I have been a chef, middle school math educator, handyman, and entrepreneur. I love making things and working with my hands and I believe a lot of the kids who don't succeed in school can find their passion in the same way. I know when I was in school, a career working with your hands was discouraged. I was always told I was smart, but I hated sitting still in class all day. In addition to everything else, I am a functional medicine health coach with a passion for quality food, health, and community building.