MakerKids at the Ontario Library Association Superconference

We had so much fun at the OLA conference today at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, and will be having even more fun tomorrow! We’ve set up a pop-up Makerspace on the exhibition show floor to demonstrate toy hacking, 3D design and 3D printing, and Arduino robotics. We have 6 new printers from 3D systems and new laptops from Intel, and many helpers to teach the different activities.

Along with Kids Learning Code, the Toronto International Film Festival and the Toronto Public Library we have developed 7 Maker curriculum modules that are the basis of what we’re showing in our popup makerspace. The Mozilla Hive Network Toronto provided funding to help development of these. The purpose of these modules is to provide libraries, schools and other organizations with some activities to get kids started being Makers. Kids Learning Code is also at the conference demonstrating their Game Design with Scratch and Introduction to HTML & CSS modules.

You can read more about the curriculum modules on our educators page, or at the Making Makers page. You can download the free open source modules themselves, and sign up for training sessions. The modules are designed for a non-technical audience and contain technology requirements, activity descriptions, and logistics suggestions – everything you need to teach these topics:

3D Printing
Toy Hacking
Arduino Rovers
Stop Motion Animation
Creating YouTube Videos
Game Design with Scratch
Introduction to HTML & CSS

We’ll be at the show tomorrow as well, and Jenn is giving a talk on Saturday morning about the special kind of learning that takes place with Maker activities.

Hope you can join us there!