Gamified makers, a change is occurring, and we got a laser cutter.

Gamified Makers-  http://gameon.wpengine.com/
Changes occurring in the class and around the class.  It's midway through the course for those kids who are only taking makers for one semester.

First and most importantly, the kids are growing and really settling into the class.  There has been a subtle shift over the past coupe weeks as kids move out of the "basic challenges everybody must do" part of the curriculum into choosing professions.  The quality of their builds has gone up.  The intensity of their effort has gone up.  The number of kids staying in for break has gone up.

Not all kids have leapt forward.  There are those that are satisfied at the moment to work on simpler tasks, repeating a "safe" and known skill.  I think, for the moment, I am ok with that.  I will need to nudge them along at some point but not now.  For many 7th graders, this is a really chaotic time as the first quarter ends.  They are getting loaded up with homework and assessments and they may just need a place in class where they can work, and be successful, in a non graded way.

This class separates the kids into two groups, self-starters and those that really cannot get started by themselves.  A few kids ask me, "What can I do now?" nearly every day.  I refer them to the challenge page, but even when they are looking at it they might struggle to make choices about what to do.  They want me to say, "sew a flag today," or "solder an electrical circuit."  Getting them to the point where they don't need me for the WHAT, but use me frequently as a resource for HOW is my goal for these kids.

Laser cutters are awesome.  We received ours a week ago, and I spent a fair amount of time and energy over these last 7 days fiddling with it.  I feel like I have just barely dipped my big toe into a gigantic pool of making.  The kids have designed badges and cut/engraved a few.  Today we are going to make the first non-cardboard badge, and it will be made with leather.