A Year of Making Part 1 #MakerEd #Make52

Back in January, I decided to challenge myself to make something new every week. I didn't focus on what I was going to do each week, I just let the week happen and saw what I had created at the end of the week. I've been sharing all of my creations on Instagram with the tag #Make52.

As I look back at the things I made each week, I saw a group of projects that came from a natural passion to Make something. I never felt pressured to build something or create something for the world to see, I just made what I wanted when I wanted. I have a space in my basement that is my workroom and it is filled with various tools and I just go in and take a look at what is there and an idea strikes me. From there, I get started and I hopefully Make something that works.

This is why creating Makerspaces in schools or classrooms is so important for students. There needs to be a place for kids to go and be inspired. A place where students can just get started Making. As educators, we need to create these spaces and to implement the mentality. The Making Mentality is key to inspiring students. The Mentality is what will drive students to build and create. I am inspired by the create Makers I see daily on Twitter and Instagram. As educators, we need to be that inspiration for our students with the things we Make and share. Here are 26 things I've made this past year. I look forward to the next 26 creations.

A @raspberrypifoundation Zero running RetroPie. The USB audio is needed for sound. #Make52 #ImAMaker #MakerEd Week 1

A post shared by Nicholas Provenzano (@thenerdyteacher) on Jan 1, 2017 at 1:55pm PST

Aladdin under a tree by some water. #Make52 Week 2.

A post shared by Nicholas Provenzano (@thenerdyteacher) on Jan 8, 2017 at 1:43pm PST

Nerdy Chili! Chorizo and beef with 5 Habanero and Jalapeño peppers. #NomNom #Make52 #Week3

A post shared by Nicholas Provenzano (@thenerdyteacher) on Jan 14, 2017 at 1:53pm PST

Designed a lens add-on for the gif Camera I made last weekend. I can now add lenses as needed. I used @tinkercad for all of my designs and my @dremeledu 3D40 for prototypes and final prints. #Make52 Week 4! #Ambassador. #Dremel #MakerEd

A post shared by Nicholas Provenzano (@thenerdyteacher) on Jan 22, 2017 at 8:55am PST

Wanted something nice to eat, so I made meatballs. #Make52 Week 5

A post shared by Nicholas Provenzano (@thenerdyteacher) on Jan 29, 2017 at 4:11pm PST

#Make52 Week 6 and 7 #NFC Computer Unlocker Instructions from @adafruit Designed the box using my @dremeledu 3D40 #IdeaBuilder #Ambassador Last photo are my failed designs.

A post shared by Nicholas Provenzano (@thenerdyteacher) on Feb 12, 2017 at 3:34pm PST

#Make52 Week 8 Made some pasta with Italian Sausage and bruschetta on the side. #NomNom

A post shared by Nicholas Provenzano (@thenerdyteacher) on Feb 17, 2017 at 12:38pm PST

Spaghetti and meatballs for dinner. Beef meatballs this time. #Make52 Week 9

A post shared by Nicholas Provenzano (@thenerdyteacher) on Feb 26, 2017 at 2:01pm PST

The @raspberrypifoundation GIF Cam is connected through VNC on the iPad! #Make52 Week 10

A post shared by Nicholas Provenzano (@thenerdyteacher) on Feb 26, 2017 at 3:52pm PST

The Pi Zero W in its case. This will make for a fun and easy project moving forward. I might use it to watch my pond remotely. #PiParty @raspberrypifoundation #Make52 Week 11

A post shared by Nicholas Provenzano (@thenerdyteacher) on Mar 4, 2017 at 8:41am PST

My next project for #Make52 Week 12. This will be so much fun @pimoroni!

A post shared by Nicholas Provenzano (@thenerdyteacher) on Mar 14, 2017 at 4:47am PDT

#make52 Week 13 #NomNom

A post shared by Nicholas Provenzano (@thenerdyteacher) on Mar 19, 2017 at 7:33am PDT

#Make52 Week 14 Lunchbox Pi 7in Pi Touchscreen LiPo Battery Collapsible Bluetooth Keyboard (ordered)

A post shared by Nicholas Provenzano (@thenerdyteacher) on Mar 26, 2017 at 8:18am PDT

Making my first attempt at a fidget spinner using my @dremeledu 3D40. Glow in the dark filament. #Make52 Week 15

A post shared by Nicholas Provenzano (@thenerdyteacher) on Mar 31, 2017 at 4:02pm PDT

The tape was not a long term solution to my camera issues, so I designed a little add-on to the screen. I also printed a small hinge and threw together two flat 6in rectangles to act as a support to keep the lid from closing. I think the Lunchbox Pi is complete. #MakerEd #Make52 Week 16

A post shared by Nicholas Provenzano (@thenerdyteacher) on Apr 5, 2017 at 6:30am PDT

Better set up for the @raspberrypifoundation Zero W and my @dremeledu 3D40. #Ambassador #MakerEd #Make52 Week17

A post shared by Nicholas Provenzano (@thenerdyteacher) on Apr 15, 2017 at 6:53am PDT

Broom made and goal posts painted. The Grosse Pointe Quidditch Club is happening soon! #Make52 Week 18

A post shared by Nicholas Provenzano (@thenerdyteacher) on Apr 22, 2017 at 2:19pm PDT

All set up. I'm going to make a nice frame to mount around the screen. Right now it has a quickly cut piece of construction paper. I have a hinged lid that is not sitting like I want. Going to add lights on the inside eventually. Something sparkly. Handles on the side will be a must too. #MakerEd #Make52 Week 19

A post shared by Nicholas Provenzano (@thenerdyteacher) on Apr 29, 2017 at 10:02am PDT

Created a green sparkly background and resized a wood frame. Neat little addition to the photo booth. #Make52 Week 20

A post shared by Nicholas Provenzano (@thenerdyteacher) on May 7, 2017 at 1:50pm PDT

Handles! I just need to fill the inside with wires and funky lighting and I think I'll be done. #MakerEd #Make52 Week 21

A post shared by Nicholas Provenzano (@thenerdyteacher) on May 13, 2017 at 4:34am PDT

@raspberrypifoundation powered Google Assistant is up and running! Destroy a project on Sunday and build a new one on Tuesday. #Make52 Week 22

A post shared by Nicholas Provenzano (@thenerdyteacher) on May 16, 2017 at 6:44pm PDT

I added a shutdown button behind the handle of the Lunchbox. One click and it will shutdown the Pi. Just a simple button code to GPIO 16. I will add the same code to the RetroPie rc.local and it should shutdown the same. #MakerEd #Make52 Week 23

A post shared by Nicholas Provenzano (@thenerdyteacher) on May 21, 2017 at 5:50pm PDT

Having fun with the @littlebits Code Kit in Programming Club! #Make52 Week 24

A post shared by Nicholas Provenzano (@thenerdyteacher) on Jun 1, 2017 at 3:31pm PDT

Playing with the PaPiRus Zero and created a name tag for ISTE. #Make52 Week25 #MakerEd

A post shared by Nicholas Provenzano (@thenerdyteacher) on Jun 10, 2017 at 2:58pm PDT

Diving into Minecraft and did some building. #MakerEd #Make52 Week26 cc @meenoorami

A post shared by Nicholas Provenzano (@thenerdyteacher) on Jun 18, 2017 at 7:34pm PDT

HUE Animation Studio Fun! #MakerEd

Hello Everybody! - Dr. Nick Riviera

I've been meaning to upload this demo for some time, but have been slammed with a myriad of things that there is not enough space on the Internet to dive into. However, now that school has come to a close, I have the time to share the awesomeness of the HUE Animation Studio.

I've had HUE Camera for a number of years. It has been an excellent camera for my computer when computers did not come with a built in camera. Then I heard about the Animation Studio and had to play with it. My students had done stop motion projects in the past and I thought this is something that would be nice in the Makerspace. I sat down and dove into the software and this is what I created in 20 minutes.

This was so much fun! If I had more time, I would have done an entire Simpsons scene with voices and everything. I could download audio as well and import it into the video if I wanted the theme music playing or actual character voices. 

The kit comes with a Book of Animation that walks the users through various projects. One that I will try at home with my son is the melting Ice Cream. Time laps photos of melting ice cream and played in reverse is a cool effect of having ice cream born from a puddle of goop. Lawn Skating is another fun project that will get you outside to take some fun videos.

Hue Animation Studio was such an easy program to pick up and use. I did not read any of the directions and the UI was very intuitive. I took the pictures, added the audio, exported the video, and uploaded to YouTube. I only needed a laptop, the kit, and someplace to point the camera. For only $70, this is a great deal for a camera and the software. If you are looking to add a but of animation to your classroom or Makerspace, you have to check out the HUE Animation Studio. You will not be disappointed. 

It's Not Just The Space, It's The Mentality #MakerEd

This week has been a whirlwind of writing for me. This will be a third post in a day that should go out on Tuesday or Wednesday. I've just been inspired to write. Also, I've finished my grading and finally have time. :-)


I've been thinking about Makerspaces lately and the role they have been playing  in my educational adventures. I have been advocating for schools to look into Makerspaces as a way to promote this creative spirit. I believe that a space can help support ideas that students have and can draw reluctant learners in to try new things, but the mentality needs to be the focus. I started to think really hard about what makes up the Maker mentality to me. I'm sure there are people that have come up with a list of things that define the mentality, but that does not apply to everyone. Making is about creating your world and I think that includes what the Mentality is for you and your learning community. Here are some things that I think make up my Maker Mentality:


1. Be a Risk Taker - Be willing to try new things that are completely different for you. Don't be afraid of what might happen or how it might end. Take those risks and do it with a smile.


2. Be Fearless - If you are going to take risks, you need to be ok with failing. The bigger the risk, the bigger the potential failure can be. Don't let fear be the blockade. Go for it and try again if you fail.


3. Be Passionate - If you are going to do something, give it your all. You will only let yourself down if you are not willing to commit all of your being to pursue what matters in the world. If you are going to Make great things, Make them with the passion found only in your heart.


4. Be Inclusive - Making is for all people all of the time. People can only be as great as the community they surround themselves. Different cultures, life experiences, ideas, and so much more can drive you to create amazing things.


5. Be a Hacker - Take things and think of different ways to use them. Remix and remix and remix again until you create something new and beautiful. Some of the best things in the world have been created by just changing things that already exist.


6. Be an Artist - We are all artist, we just use different mediums. A wired Raspberry Pi that will send you weather updates is a work of art to you and those who can appreciate the work that goes in. The Arts are part of STEM and you are the artist. Your creations make the world a more beautiful place. Never forget that.


7. Be a Dreamer - Dream big and dream often. Then take those dreams and make them a reality. If you want to remix the world, you need to dream it before you do it. Your dreams are only limited by your inaction.


8. Be True - Most importantly, be true to yourself. Making is about expressing feelings and ideas in ways that are meaningful to you. Stay true to that person, but be open to change and growth. A Maker will grow and become something different if they are open to the community. As long as it is true to who you are, everything will be just fine.


I'm sure others will have ideas that are different than this, but these are things that are meaningful to me and have become a part of the Maker Mentality with my students. Below is a quote that hangs above my door that really encompasses much of the Maker Mentality for me.

If you want to know more about setting up Makerspaces for your district, school, or classroom, please email me, pick up my book, Your Starter Guide to Makerspaces, on Amazon, or send me a tweet. 

Using @Evernote to Organize Your Educational Life #dChat

I've been a huge fan of using Evernote in my classroom for many years. I've documented the use in many different blog posts. I thought I would do a quick revisit to share how I have been using it lately.

Below are screenshots from my phone. My phone is the number one tool I use to access Evernote. It is super convenient as a classroom teacher to have all of my lessons at my fingertips.

Here is a screen shot of some old lesson plans. I love to write things down and then snap a picture to save it in Evernote. If I want, I can always annotate the picture in Evernote.

Here are some lesson plans on my The Catcher in the Rye Unit. I type up what I want to focus on based on the kids discussion and go from there. The nice part of having everything stored digitally with Evernote is that I can add or change anything I want as needed. Since I spend time reflecting after each unit, I can make changes or add notes to make the lesson stronger. Since everything is accessible on my phone, I love adding ideas to unit wherever I am when I'm inspired. There have been times when I've been waiting at the Doctor's Office or in line somewher and I added a new idea to Evernote. 

I love Evernote because it can hold all of my lesson plans in all of my classes. After teaching 15 years, that is a ton of lessons. Organizing everything into Notebooks is simple and the search feature allows me to find anything that does not jump out at me right away. Evernote truly keeps me organized and cuts the paperwork clutter down to nothing.



I can quickly add a notebook or jump to the notebooks I have been using most lately. Little details like this make using Evernote a seamless part of my day.





If you are looking for a way to become more organized and move away from your paper dependency, check out Evernote and sign up for a free account. I guarantee you will upgrade after a few months.