Below are responses to the Project Proposal Link

Amon Millner

MIT Media Lab, LifeLong Kindergarten, Fab Labs

Hey Chris,

That's a pretty interesting proposal you're putting together. I just

wanted to let you know that I am not planning on attending this

year's Austin Faire. I am interested in staying in the loop though.

I enjoy the energy you're putting into the event.

AM

Bill Young

Shopbot

Hey Chris,

You might try getting in touch with Sadia at youTube and see if she

has any ideas on how youTube might help out with the video part...I

talked to her a week or so ago and she was looking for ideas for them

for the Maker Faire. Her email address is ... and feel

free to tell her I suggested you get in touch if you want.

We bought two of the cheap Flip video cameras a couple of years ago

and pass them out at the Maker Faires to ShopBotters that want to

wander around and take video of things they find interesting. BestBuy,

etc sometimes have them for $99 or less...maybe you could get a couple

of them to pass around?

Bill

Alec Resnick

NUBlabs, Boston Fab Lab, Fab Labs, Maker Faire Austin 07 alum, Maker Faire San Mateo 08 alum

This sounds fantastic! There are many exciting parts, but I think the biggest one is the possibility of creating a culture around teaching through DIY/hacking that is as coherent and cohesive as the culture say, around MAKE. In most cases, people see project-based activities simply as a context for more effective transmission of the basic skills and competencies in school. I think that there's a stronger message available (namely the convergence of many components of the maker/hacker ethic with the alleged aims of education).

I know I would be psyched to [help?] organize an education summit along these lines in the Boston area. nublabs would be happy to donate equipment and time, and we have pretty well-developed connections to the educational community here, ranging from schools to afterschool programs to teachers who would love to get in on this.

I'm not sure how to organize an education-specific area at Maker Faire, either: it seems like the primary ingredients are a handful of teachers who have made MAKE/DIY central to their teaching method, and documented it in an approachable way. While nublabs would be in a position to offer that in a year, we won't by this upcoming Faire.

Regarding the possibility of organizing talks at Maker Faire: I would _love_ to see that. I was disappointed by Education Day last Maker Faire, and part of what was missing was a coherent message about DIY's potential role. I know that I would be happy to give a talk about the benefits of hands-on, project-oriented learning and the need to supplement school-learning. Beyond that, I know a handful of like-minded educators in the Boston/Cambridge area who have interesting stories, great ideas, and would also love to talk on these topics. For one of them, feel free to take a look at the first nubtalk at nubtalks.com, by Michael Nagle. . .

In any case, mostly I just wanted to communicate my enthusiasm, and the fact that I would be excited to work with you guys to organize something along these lines in Boston in the mid-term.

Thanks!

Excitedly,

a.

Lee Pulis

Boston Museum of Science, Engineering the Future, National Center for Technological Literacy

With respect to material needs and video collaboration for enhancing the message, there is an enthused group of more than a thousand (some local) online video talent including vloggers, producers, script writers and crew forming around the Plymouth Rock Studios project at:

http://www.hollywoodeasttv.com/

-Lee