Wow – we have been really busy for our first two weeks of Michigan Makers at Mitchell! We have 25 students and a U-M team of four people, plus Mrs. T, Noah, and Mrs. C!

The first two weeks, we picked from these four activities:

1. Snap Circuits
2. Squishy Circuits
3. Friendship Bracelets
4. Origami

So we have been thinking about electrical circuits as well as many kinds of engineering: thread engineering, paper engineering, and clay engineering!

Check out the Mitchell sets on our Flickr page (and check out what the makers at the other Michigan Makers site are working on!).

We sometimes hear our makers say that something is “stupid,” but we’re learning that this really means, “I really want to figure this out, but I’m stuck and need help.”

We voted last week that we definitely wanted to keep working on Snap Circuits and origami. It was a toss-up whether we should keep friendship bracelets or Squishy Circuits going … so the mentors are deciding plus picking a new activity for November 4. What’s next? It’s a surprise …

– Kristin

We had a wonderful time with Mrs. Goldberg and the Michigan Makers at East this year. For the 2013 – 2014 school year, we are no longer at East but working with kids at Mitchell and at YCS Middle School.

For questions about the Michigan Makers projects, email faculty advisor Kristin Fontichiaro at font [at] umich [dot] edu.

Thanks for a great year!

Kristin

We’ll get back to you about this week’s activities!

Our first day at Willow Run was definitely a fun one! We started out Michigan Makers with an icebreaker so we could all get to know everyone’s name. We formed a giant circle and tossed around a cute crotched animal while calling out the person’s name you we’re about to throw it to.

Our agenda for the first week was introducing Snap Circuits, Squishy Circuits, crochet, and game design. Everyone was excited to try out the new activities, and crocheting drew quite a large crowd. At the end of our session many of the crocheters had completed or were well on their way to completing an awesome zipper pull. Our game designers brainstormed so they could begin building their prototypes next session, and the Snap & Squishy Circuits groups got through a lot of cool projects. At the end of our first session we wrote in our journals about what we like to make, what we don’t like to make, and most importantly what we want to know how to   make. Everyone was looking forward to what they were going to create next week!

It’s hard to believe that it’s April 17, and this is our last day with our U-M mentors. Some of them are getting ready to graduate, and all of them are preparing their final projects and presentations.

To celebrate the end of a jam-packed year of learning and making, we’re hosting a celebration today. Families, district leaders, and some U-M friends will be joining us as each of us (mentors, too!) shows off something he or she is proud to have made this year, either at home or at Michigan Makers.

I won’t spill the beans, but I can say that here are some of the things piled up on my desk or in my car to bring out to East today: play dough, photos, manuscripts, a mystery box, something we never quite got to work, and a camera.

Last week, everyone was working hard to get something ready to share. We had so much fun seeing you guys at work. There was an amazing productive vibe in the room, and we realized how much everyone had learned about focus, applying their skills, and working with peers.

We hope to see you there. If you can’t make it, check out our Flickr feed in a few days to see what you missed, or take a look at the video below to catch a glimpse of what we worked on first semester!

– Kristin

Have you ever wondered why Mrs. Goldberg wanted Michigan Makers to get started? Hop over to the web version of Young Adult Library Services magazine to read her article!

The article also includes a version of our Follett Challenge video. Haven’t seen it? Click below!

Congratulations, Mrs. G!

– Kristin