Brilliant Labs Magazine: Fall 2017

magazine

revue

sky's not the limit.

ST. MALACHY'S MEMORIAL HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS LAUNCHÂ HIGH ALTITUDE BA L L OO N

WATCH, LEARN, & BUILD

WITH NEW YOUTUBE SERIES

KAYOE ON THE GO! How Andrew Harris turned a writing piece into a teaching

SUPERPOWER MICROINNOVATION See how Atlantic Canada's MakerEd movement is on track with High-Tech High and the SanFransisco World MakerFaire

learning to leap WHY YOU SHOULD TAKE THE MAKER ED JUMP

BRILLIANT LABS MAGAZINE

FALL 2017

IN THIS EDITION 1

Editor's note

2

340 Makers: Shifting A School's Culture In 7 Months

5 Innovation in Education: Gala & MakerFaire 8 Take 5 With Andrew Harris: Superpower 10 Life Sized - 3D Scanner What Silicone Valley Taught 12 Us About Micro Innovation 18 Choose Your Innovation Challenge 19

Mr. Baskwill's Desk: Learning To Leap

22 High Altitude Balloon Challenge 26

Student Project Review

by William Carmichael

27 Learning Across The Continents 30

Exploring Summer: How Community Day Camps Sparked innovation

38 Mr. Lingley's Project Picks (Top 5) 41 42

Classroom Hit: Micro:Bit

New YouTube Creator's Series: Kayoe On The Go!

46 What's Next 49

Credits

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editor's note

WELCOME

JEFF WILLSONÂ

Over the summer, we took some time to think about

We can trace the origins from hundred year old

STEAM and Maker Education. We considered the over

pedagogy which is still relevant in Maker ED today,

85 public school makerspaces currently in

to the amazing teachers throughout Atlantic Canada

developement, the hundreds of projects and innovation

generating change and growing innovators, to the

challenges that were launched or attempted over the

CodeKids documentary which helped launch Brilliant

last school year and took a closer look at the teachers

Labs only a few short years ago. We not only see

& students who worked so hard to bring these

where it started but we can also see it's horizon. It's

innovations to life. We then took a look inward, at

not only inspiring -- it's beautiful and we wanted to

our Brilliant Labs team - how we are growing, evolving,

share it.

and adapting to the changing educational landscape here in Atlantic Canada.

On behalf of our founders, our entire Brilliant Labs team, our amazing partners, the thousands of

We soon realized that there was a common thread ---

teachers, and tens of thousands of students we work

innovation can be messy, chaotic and even a little

with, we welcome you to the inaugural edition of the

intimidating. Nonetheless, our community of educators,

Brilliant Labs Magazine, a quaterly on-line

students and partners are embracing change. These

publication, which we hope will help exhibit all that is

real-life education superheroes are taking the leap to

brilliant about innovation in Atlantic education. The

learn how STEAM and Maker Ed can inspire students

magazine will highlight events, projects, innovation

to find their passion, take on new challenges, or

challenges, initiatives, makerspaces, and student

overcome obstacles.

achievements while celebrating the educators, youth, and change makers in Atlantic Canada. It

This reflection made us realize something about

recognizes only a very small fraction of the amazing

ourselves and how we have a unique perspective, a

people and students that have taken the leap to

birds-eye-view, of this amazing educational

learn, inspire, or disrupt the education landscape for

transformation occurring throughout the region.

the better. Please join us as we reflect on their accomplishments.

Photo by Fernando Pereira

"We've seen a culture change in our school where teachers and students are becoming passionate about technology and innovation in the classroom" - Greg Norton, Principal Loch Lomond School, Saint John, NB.

340 MAKERS SHIFTING A SCHOOL'S CULTURE IN 7 MONTHS - ONE MAKER AT A TIME.

A discussion with Greg Norton

The community of Loch Lomond was once a summer retreat and farming settlement with one post office, one hotel, one church, and one sawmill. Today, it still has rural appeal but has added one very active Innovation Lab that supports 340 of the community's littlest makers.

By Staff Writer Brilliant Labs

Loch Lomond School is proving that age, location, or population are not barriers to creativity, problem solving, and innovation.

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When walking through the halls of Loch Lomond School you'd think it was like any other K-5, until you visit the second floor's Innovation Lab. It's here that Greg Norton, school principal and recent Innovation In Education award recipient, explained the reason behind their decision to make the leap into Maker Education and what they've learned in only 7 months.

Our leadership team decided to get involved with Maker Education and developing a Maker-Space because engagement for students, all 340 of them, was essential to achieving our learning outcomes.

We are located in Saint John, but the geography of the community often leaves our students with less opportunity to access a blend of technology, which is otherwise more accessible at other schools. It was a school priority to level the playing field for our students. Loch Lomond decided to offer targeted learning experiences which increased interest and understanding of STEAM. The response from teachers and students has been overwhelmingly positive. Our Maker Education initiative was a catalyst for our first ever Science & Technology Night “Come Innovate & Create” which was supported by the hundreds. Faculty has voluntarily participated in professional learning to support their own professional growth and how to better imbed technology into the curriculum. The result has been a culture change in our school where teachers and students are becoming passionate about technology

Loch Lomond School's Innovation Lab offers targeted learning experiences to increase interest & understanding of STEAM.

and innovation in the classroom – and the halls where you occasionally see a Sphero milling about.

building and writing a report on the process (process writing) of constructing a specific robot part.

We have exposed our students to many platforms for building digital competencies. Our school has established routines and norms that helped students and teachers become more knowledgeable of the learning space.

Our parents have supported the space by donating items identified by our STEAM Christmas tree. Parents would take home a Christmas tree ornament that identified a need (e.g. glue guns) and return the donated item to display under the tree. The challenge was to remove all ornaments from the tree and return with the donation – this helped create some awareness around the space and many opportunities to discuss what we were doing as a learning community.

All students in grades K to Grade 5 have been exposed to coding, which is a priority of our 10—year education plan.

Students have also experienced low tech activities such as a cardboard challenges, where we partnered with a high school, allowing Grade 5 to collaborate on their design of a cardboard rollercoaster.

Incorporating subjects such as literacy into our technology experiences, resulted in activities like the construction of a robot where students were responsible for

"Surround yourself with positive people and quality partnerships, who will provide you honest advice and feedback. You’ll see the results whether you’re a school administrator or CEO."

-Greg Norton Greg is principal of Loch Lomond School & was awarded at the Innovation In Education gala for his leadership and support of STEAM/Maker Education. 3

A culture shift in our school has occurred – in 7 months’ time we have moved from relatively low tech to a tech enriched environment.

Every teacher is using the space, we have integrated the space into our regular teaching schedule and freed up a teacher within the existing schedule for two periods a week to help support learning in the space.

We are moving to a point where we will be able to measure student and teacher competency as we improve learning in, and application of, technology for all learners.

Challenges with the space include sustaining the space so that it remains relevant and engaging. Our goal very early on was to create a space that is used by every student, not a small sub-set of students.

Incorporating MakerEducation into our learning school wide and preventing our space from becoming a club is a priority.

Students are exposed to many groups which benefits their skills to better cooperate and collaborate with peers.

Our space is designed so that flexible grouping is a requirement which exposed students to a variety of group styles and personality dimensions. As a result, students have more opportunity to improve their soft-skills with a variety of interactions as a result of our maker space – they are not learning in isolation.

The evening we officially cut the ribbon to our space was an inspiring moment. When there is system-wide support for a project, your imagination is the only real governor.

Take the leap! Even if you don't have much money for technology, start small with creating a "low-tech" makerspace with materials that can be upcycled, donated, or bought inexpensively.

Student engagement, creativity and collaboration is still very high - even with just duct tape and cardboard boxes.

- Shannon Hodder Shannon teaches kindergarten and is the recipient of the Inspirational STEM Teacher award from Engineers & Geoscientists New Brunswick.

Students also benefit from the opportunity to improve their ability to problem solve, create and innovate but most importantly communicate and demonstrate leadership.

In a relatively short amount of time we moved from a very raw space to a focal point of our school, so that now innovation and maker space is a part of our conversations, teaching, learning and moving forward our history.

Relationships have been our most important, valued and appreciated of all supports.

Whether it be tech mentors and coordinators, the Brilliant Labs team, private enterprise or community –without strong partnerships the lifting becomes very heavy and limits the distance you can travel.

We always appreciate the District supporting our focus for Maker Education through continued mentor support, responsive technician support to ensure our infrastructure is operational and ultimately cheering us on as we build to better position our students for success in the areas of technology & innovation!

"Go for it! Take the leap.

There are many partners willing to join forces in helping you achieve your vision."

- Andrea Connors Andrea is a Technology Mentor for Anglophone School District and is a tremendous asset supporting Maker Ed projects.

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PAGE 3

GALA & MAKERFAIRE

On May 9th, students and teachers from across New Brunswick took part in a day of innovation.

Bliss Carman Middle School in Fredericton hosted a Day of Celebration and Innovation with a student-lead MakerFaire that was followed by an evening of celebration during an Innovation in Education Gala.

A DAY OF CELEBRATION & INNOVATION FOR STUDENTS AND TEACHERS. The Maker Faire was planned and

In addition to planning the event,

hosted by students for an

the grade seven organizing class

entrepreneurial project that not

offered workshops (including

only taught how to organize such

Learn to Solder, The Art of 3D

a large event with dozens of

Design & Robotic Coding) as well

peer exhibitors, while opening the

as selling original products that

doors to the public to raise money

they made.

for the Canadian Cancer Society.

“Our goal was to educate the local community about Maker Education and the innovative practices of students, thereby facilitating further growth in this movement.� Mrs. Natasha Lingley, Grade 7 Math & Science teacher at Bliss Carman Middle School.

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Maker Education is closely associated with STEAM learning, which is an approach that Brilliant Labs advocates to teach students problem-solving and project-based learning. “The Bliss Carman Maker Faire not only exhibited the hands-on approach of learning-by-doing, but was a great example of how students can be social entrepreneurs as they are working to solve real-world problems.” shared Mr. Jeff Willson, Executive Director, Brilliant Labs, “Our goal is to give teachers and students the tools they need to be innovative. For the past three years we have seen how teachers and students are disrupting traditional education practices and embracing innovation through Maker Education. Whether it’s measuring air quality through class designed instruments, monitoring fish behaviour in the Miramichi River, or inventing tools to help people with special needs -- students are finding real solutions for real-life problems and it’s time we celebrate these change makers.”

"Students are finding real solutions for real-life problems" - Jeff Willson, Executive Director Brilliant Labs

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The Innovation in Education Gala followed the Maker Faire. Brilliant Labs and its collaborative partners welcomed community and innovation leaders who helped celebrate New Brunswick’s evening of innovation in education. There were more than 20 Francophone and Anglophone teachers & students honoured. Some received special recognition from the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of New Brunswick for Inspirational STEM Teachers.

On behalf of Brilliant Labs, PAC, APEGNB, and the New Brunswick Department of Education, we would like to congratulate the following teachers and students for their innovative projects and inspiration to others.

Andrew Harris Ashley Hallihan Bakers Dozen BCMS Makers Ben Kelley Carolyn Barnhart Cédric Mcgraw Danielle Arsenault Gilles Robichaud Greg Norton Julie Corriveau Jocelyn Wells La Physique Musicale Lesa Scott Lily Dolan Mack Anderson Marlise Widdershoven Michel Chenard Natasha Lingley Projet Acadiepédia Projet Citronet Projet Classe IPad Projet DEPXLS Projet Odytek Project WRED Rachel Robichaud Roberto Gauvin SDJA Greenhouse Shannon Hodder TysonTheriault William Carmichael Zach McLellan

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SUPERPOWER. HOW BEING FLEXIBLE AND READY TO INNOVATE CAN INSPIRE LEARNING.

TAKE FIVE WITH ANDREW HARRIS Grade 1, Riverview East School, Riverview, New Brunswick We interviewed Andrew to see why he was inspired to become a teacher and what he's learned.

You've been a teacher for how many years? 6 years including two years of supply teaching.

Why did you become a teacher? I think I have always known I wanted to be a teacher. I can remember being bored in my Grade 6 classroom and thinking “I could make this activity so much more fun”. As a teenager I worked as a swim instructor, which solidified that teaching was a good fit for me. After high school I got my teaching degree from Acadia University.

While at school I spent my summers working at a summer camp. These experiences made teaching seem like a very natural transition; I have spent my life motivating young people and making activities engaging.

In your life has anyone inspired you to change your mind for the better and overcome an obstacle? I believe my experiences at summer camp truly set the tone for how I teach and approach problems. The directors of the camp always inspired me to make the most out of every opportunity. My wife is also a major influence on how I approach problems. She is the type of person that can do anything. She approaches problems efficiently and with extreme determination.

How did you first get involved with “MakerEd”? I have always loved building and making things with my class. I was officially introduced to MakerEd this year. In January, I got involved with the New Pedagogies for Deeper Learning (NPDL) initiative. As I researched this topic and other 21st century learning styles it

"open access to building materials was something I needed in my classroom" - AH 8

became very clear that giving students open access to building materials was something I needed in my classroom.

You Tube videos and journal articles kept referencing Maker Spaces, and I quickly realized that it would be a perfect fit for my classroom. The design process and a Maker Space are now firmly implanted into my class projects and daily routines.

Do you have any hobbies? If so, do you use those hobbies to inspire your students? I have a lot of hobbies. I am deeply passionate about trying new things, and my students pick-up on that quickly. I have always loved playing sports and being a part of team. A lot of the activities I do in my room promote physical activity and movement. I also love to paint and draw. In recent years I have started doing a little carpentry and home repair. I make a concerted effort to show the students how passionate I am about the activities I enjoy. It is important to me that they are exposed to a variety of new and engaging experiences so they can start building their own lifelong passions.

Has a student ever inspired you?

Everyday. I have students that push me to try new things weekly. Grade One students are pure creativity. Some of my favourite units were inspired by student’s questions or passions. When I have students ask to try something new or creative I try to jump at the opportunity.

Capturing my student’s interests has pushed me to try many new and exciting things. I am constantly inspired by their curiosity and confidence in their own abilities.

What was the funniest thing that has happened to you while in the classroom during a project? What did you or the students learn from it? For a writing activity I asked the class “If you could have any super power, what would it be?”

I had one student write “I would turn people into eyeballs” I had no idea what he meant. He then demonstrated by walking over to a classmate, tapping her on the head, and pretended her body turned into a pile of eyeballs. I was amazed. I immediately grabbed my iPad and filmed him executing his super power. I edited the movie to look like he actually turned his friend into a pile of googly eyes. By the end of the day the entire class had an idea about how they could film their super power. This hilarious writing piece turned into a week-long project where every student made their super power come to life with an iPad. Can you think of a time you worked with a challenging student and were able to 'reach' and inspire them?

How did it make you feel? My most recent project reached some students in a very positive way.

These students were often reluctant to write, but soon began producing some of the best projects in the class. The project was based on the NPDL model. This style of teaching focuses on incorporating real world problem solving into the classroom.

The students worked on a project based unit that focused a community partnerships, collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking. The students studied the harmful effects of plastic waste and were then asked to build a possible solution to the problem. I was amazed at how dedicated they were to the task. The students were extremely engaged because they felt that their work was real and significant.

What advice would you give to teachers who don't know where to start with project based learning? I think it is very important that you pick a good topic or problem to study.

My most successful projects always focus on a common interest that I share with the class. This can create an exciting atmosphere; they can tell you are as enthusiastic as they are, and you feed off of each other’s ideas. If the students are engaged, and given the opportunity to explore their ideas, they will produce the most amazing products you have ever seen.

take f ive

1. Pick a good to pic or p to study roblem . Make s ure it's you too interest . ing for 2. Be Fle xible: It's ok to go the plan a little o if the s ff tudent's superpo new wer is a learning3. ENTH power.

USIASM is conta are org g ious & id anic - f eas eed off 4. You d e a c h other!!! on't hav e to hav answers e a ll the . Learn alongside love this students ! . They 5. Let s tudents guide th will prod emselve uce the s - they most am azing thin 59 gs!

3D SCANNER

LIFESIZED Maritime Maker Project Feature: Halifax West’s Life Sized 3D Scanner

By Sarah Ryan Co-Program Director, Brilliant Labs

"The 3D scanner project allowed me to work with technology that I didn’t ""The 3D scanner project have the opportunity allowed me to workto with use before" that I didn’t technology have the opportunity to use before"

With the support of Nova Scotia Teacher’s Union, the Nova Scotia Technology Education Association (NSTEA), Brilliant Labs project funding and guidance from teacher Mr. Bradley Watt, high school students from Halifax West have been building Sci-Fi reality: a life-size 3D Scanner. Using Raspberry Pi technology, this exciting tech endeavour’s objective is to get high-resolution images that can be transformed into 3D files for rapid prototyping.

Setting up one of many Raspberry Pis (http://hwhsfate.ednet.ns.ca/?page_id=933) Setting up one of many Raspberry Pis (http://hwhsfate.ednet.ns.ca/?page_id=933) 10

This exceptional experiential learning

Printing 45 RPi brackets (http://hwhsfate.ednet.ns.ca/? page_id=933)

opportunity included all maker project aspects from initial design, construct, program and finally networking the Raspberry Pi.The group project was inspired by a few different Raspberry Pi projects such as the one found here.

Bryan Ha, one of the grade 12 students involved summarizes how the project is coming along: “Currently, we are in the process of 3D printing

are in the process of setting up data transmission wire and power

Raspberry Pi camera holders which can be

wire for each Pi set, but most importantly, our coding team is

attached to the metal pole in the frame structure

configuring the 45 Raspberry Pi cameras to take a picture in the

(12 sets out of 45 are completed as of now) using

same moment which can be used by computer program to mash it

our CubePro 3D printer and each sets take about

into a single 3D file to be printed on the 3D printer. Extraordinary

85 minutes. And while doing that, the outer frame

results shall be made from the combination of ordinary materials

structure for this project is mostly finished and we

but with inspiring minds and of course with other constant support"

Halifax West already had a Raspberry Pi Programming Club who decided to join forces with fellow students from Electrotechnologies,Applied Networking, Exploring Technology and Design Technology classes to make this tech dream a (work-inprogress) reality. Stay tuned for an update on the project in September 2017!

Interested in how Brilliant Labs can support a similar project at your www.raspberrypi.org

school? Visit our project funding page!

Setting up one of many Raspberry Pis (http://hwhsfate.ednet.ns.ca/?page_id=933)

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WHAT SILICON VALLEY TAUGHT US ABOUT

MICRO INNOVATION "I LEFT THINKING WE CAN DO THIS AND IN MANY CASES WE ARE ALREADY DOING THIS."

C R A I G

D U P L E S S I E

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Adam Savage is best

View video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8n8ywfqdGyE&t=1246s

known as the co-host of the Discovery Channel television series MythBusters and Unchained Reaction.

A creation and "traveling machine" of Les Machines, The Big Ant is often described as a combination of invented worlds of Jules Verne and the mechanical universe of Leonardo Da Vinci.

"We make because iterative failure is as important a technique as iterative success, and let's talk about failure. By the age of 13 a young girl has already been inculcated with the cultural idea of perfection such that she'd rather say she didn't complete her coding assignment than show five pages of bad code. People who don't admit to failure and resist confronting their own shortcoming will eventually be the inhibitors of progress. They are the opposite of agents of change."

Adam Savage, Maker Faire 2017 In May 2017, I had the pleasure of travelling to California to tour two High Tech High Schools and attend the Bay Area Maker Faire. I was traveling with Jamie O'Toole (Subject Area Coordinator, ASDN), François-Léonce Charron (Development Officer, Place aux compétences) and Jacob Lingley (Program Director, Brilliant Labs).

On our first full day in San Diego, we had scheduled student led tours at two different High Tech High campuses. High Tech High is a network of public charter schools with approximately 5300 students in grades K-12 across three campuses. Students are admitted through a geography based lottery system

Left to right: Craig Duplessie, Jamie O'Toole, Jacob Lingley, François-Léonce Charron, and High Tech High's Grade 10 student tour guide,Tegan.

in an effort to build a demographically-diverse school community.

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The first stop on our trip was High Tech High in Chula Vista.

We were given a tour of the school by Grade 10 student,Tegan.

Tegan took us on a tour of each wing of the school. What immediately stood out was how every interior wall and window was being used as a canvas to display student work generated as the result of a big project.

Tegan was able to talk about the projects with an insight and a sense of pride, even though she was only personally involved in a couple of the projects.

Towards the end of our time with Tegan, she shared a story about a mural project that a group of juniors had completed. She began her story by saying this is always the hardest part of the tour for me.

She proceeded to tell us that the mural project was a memorial to Sean Fuchs, a Chula Vista student who was a victim of a murdersuicide.

After this event, students were inspired to do even more. A group of 45 students decided to create a documentary called Beyond The Crossfire. They were looking to answer the question: “How can we reduce the amount of gun violence in our country?� Needless to say, we left Chula Vista in awe and inspired.

One of the students wanted to create a special memorial mural dedicated to their classmate.

Using a poem written by Sean as inspiration, over fifty students worked on the project. Local artists from the community also provided input. The mural was painted onto six separate panels displayed near the entrance of the school. The mural symbolized the effect that Sean's positive attitude had on the world around him. Time and time again, I've seen tragedies pull school communities together but I have never seen a fellow student honoured a in such a poignant, lasting way.

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In the afternoon, we had another student led tour, this time at the original High Tech High in Point Loma. Walking through the High Tech High campus, we overheard two students discussing their senior project. These students were having a real conversation about their learning. It wasn't a conversation about whether or not they did their homework or how nervous they were about an upcoming test.

The teachers that we spoke to all seemed on board with the project based learning philosophy. They admitted that it was sometimes messy but the students benefited from owning their learning.

On our tour of the HTH Point Loma, we got an opportunity to talk to several of the HTH teachers. We talked to teachers John and Pat who worked collaboratively with students in a cross curricular project. The students in their classes wrote an environmental science textbook and built a traditional fishing dory.

Photo by Alex Brown

We also visited a chemistry class where students were learning about the chemistry of epoxy and polymerization as they applied an epoxy coating to large scale photographs that they had taken and developed themselves in a makeshift darkroom.

The students who led our tours and the openness of all students & teachers was very impressive. We were welcomed into classrooms, doors weren't closed on us and teachers & students were proud of the messiness of the learning that was taking place.

Student built fishing dory and environmental science textbook project

I have to admit that I was a little skeptical about what we were going to witness on our High Tech High tours. We anticipated seeing student learning being facilitated by state of the art technology and facilities

that could only be possible with philanthropic or corporate sponsorship. The reality was, we saw very little in the way of technology. What we did see were classroom spaces that looked more like workshops. We saw teachers that were working with students instead of delivering lectures.

We saw students engaged in real world projects. We saw students who owned their learning.

I was fully expecting to leave thinking, "Yeah that's awesome, but we can't do that in New Brunswick because... ". Instead I left thinking we can do this and in many cases we are already doing this. It is just a matter of scaling best practices and removing barriers, both real and perceived.

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We also left asking the question, what would our classrooms look like if our students and teachers spent most of their days working on projects that address real challenges in our community, country and planet.

Now professors are asking to teach non-design courses in the space. After speaking with Doorley, we walked in on a class that was in the studio and it was just like a casual gathering of people.

On our way from San Diego to San Mateo (the Maker Faire location) we stopped at Stanford University to visit the Stanford d.school. The d.school was different from any university space that I had visited or learned in. It felt more like a workshop than a classroom. The designers of the d.School feel that space, furniture, tools, and technology promote creativity, collaboration and experimentation.

Our visit to the d.school really started us thinking about the the role the physical classroom environment can play in either promoting or stifling collaboration, problem solving and creativity.

We spoke to Scott Doorley, the Creative Director of the d.school.

Doorley was involved in the design and layout of the d.space.

He talked about how they wanted the space flexible. They designed a track system that allowed whiteboard panels to be used as walls to create flexible work spaces. Students who use the space are encouraged to display their ideas and work in progress.

In New Brunswick, we have recently seen many libraries being transformed into collaborative learning spaces but the reality is that we are still building schools with rectangular classrooms that accommodate 30 traditional student desks.

The d.school also has one teaching space called a studio.

Doorley said that people were on board from a philosophical perspective from the start but it took a while for people to ‘figure it out’. Professors were unsure how to use the studio space initially. It is intentionally designed to not be a lecture hall.

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On Saturday morning we got up early and headed for Maker Faire. We were amongst thousands of people who flocked to see giant robots, drone wars, cupcake cars and lightning bolts being shot from 30 foot tall Tesla coils.

We would spend the next two days viewing maker projects big and small. The energy and camaraderie in the crowd was absolutely incredible. Every vendor and exhibitor we spoke with, from start-up CEO to DIY enthusiast, was willing to share insight, advice and resources.

Two of the massive tents were dedicated to young makers. Several local schools participated as exhibitors. These teachers and students were doing some really innovative things. The real take away for me was that our New Brunswick teachers and students are every bit as innovative as these featured exhibitors. We can compete with the world in terms of innovation and we are already doing it in pockets. It is a matter of identifying, celebrating, sharing and scaling these innovative initiatives & best practices.

On Sunday, Adam Savage, from Mythbusters fame, delivered what he called his Sunday Sermon. In his message, he talked about failure. “When we're talking about failure, we mean it with a small f and what we mean is 'things not going according to plan'. Nothing ever goes according to plan.� I think we need to give our students opportunities to fail with a small "f". Opportunities to fail, analyze what went wrong, learn from that failure and try again. They need chances to recover when things don’t go according to plan. Students need opportunities to develop persistent problem solving skills. I think these skills will be vital and valued in workplaces of the future.

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Take the Hacking & Animatronics challenge to create your own halloween toys that will spook classmates, teachers and principals everywhere! brilliantlabs.ca/innovationchallenge

Join Brilliant Labs and Rogers for a telecommunications innovation challenge. The goal will be to use code & the micro:bit to transmit messages wirelessly. Stay-tuned and visit brilliant labs.ca Innovation Challenge for more details.

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THOUGHTS FROM MR. B

LEARNING TO LEAPÂ

By NICK BASKWILL

Kingston Elementary School, Kingston NS. Photo by Arnold Exconde

Look before you leap. It has been said many times by many people in an effort to reduce injury, stress, loss, and more.

This phrase has served as a cautionary tale to many as they start out on a new adventure or journey. It can be a great reminder, or it can be incredibly limiting.

Today, I was thinking about "look before you leap" in an educational context. There are many cases for trying lessons and material with your class that are tested, proven, and known.

But these do not always work the best for the learners in the room, and it can limit the opportunities and potential for the class.

NOMADIC

|

24 19

Over the last 2 years I have been learning to leap, to let go of the fear of failure, fear of the unknown, and embrace the possibilities of a great adventure by leaping into the unknown.

One of my biggest jumps has been into Maker Education. I have been inspired by the maker movement and the impact that it has on students, and the great possibilities for real world learning and passions that will last a life time. To take part I was going to have to venture into a place where I was not the expert of all the material, where I would not have answers to all the questions.

There were some nervous moments, but the excitement when something went well and got figured out more than made up for the unsure beginnings.

Students have loved jumping into maker projects, exploring, building, coding, sewing, and so much more. They have not been afraid of not knowing, they learn, ask, and solve questions as they arise.

The look of determination and joy when they have accomplished something, even better if they get to explain it to others, and the best when they get to explain it to me, the Teacher, and teach me something I didn't know.

Leaping into the unknown can seem scary at the beginning, but knowing there are others jumping helps create a network of Teachers and Professionals who can help when some questions come up. Forming a network with like-minded people is a key to the success of new projects.

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For my Maker Ed leap, Brilliant Labs has been essential to the success of the program. Brilliant Labs has been available to help secure funding for different projects, they have visited my school and classroom to check into see how we are doing. They are great at responding to email and Twitter to stay in contact, for ideas and problem solving.

It is a huge step to take a leap into something that is new, when all the details are not completely known, but knowing that you aren't jumping alone, makes it that much easier to do. Brilliant Labs can act as a parachute, opening and catching you if you feel you are falling too fast, and tucked nearby if you think all is going well.

Jeff, Sarah, and Kim make up the great Brilliant Labs team working in Nova Scotia. They are all great to talk to, have great ideas, and best of all are wonderfully supportive of classroom projects. They are a wealth of information and skills, and are always happy to share with you and your students.

So as you are looking things over, planning and preparing for the school year, take a look at Maker Ed, Makerspaces, and making in general. Don't be afraid of not knowing, be reassured in the fact that Brilliant Labs is there to help, and join me in taking the leap.

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21

BY BRILLIANT LABS PHOTOS ST.MALACHY'S MEMORIAL HIGH SCHOOL

HIGH ALTITUDE BALLOON PROJECT June welcomed Brilliant Lab’s High Altitude Balloon Innovation Challenge.

Three schools participated in the challenge: Miramichi Valley High School (will be launching this fall), Caledonia Regional High School (whose balloon went off course) and St.Malachy's Memorial High School featured here.

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CONTINUED

OUT OF THIS WORLD High Altitude balloons (HAB) are large helium balloons which when released can fly as high as 80-100,000 feet into the stratosphere. Once it reaches the maximum height the balloon pops and uses a parachute to drop back to earth.

Students design and attach a payload which can include a variety of sensors to capture data, and a camera to capture video footage. HAB's also contain a GPS module that allows for tracking and retrieving the payload. Students were asked to pre-calculate where the balloon may land as sometimes the HABs can land several hundred kilometers away from the initial launch site.

"SUCCESS OF THE CHALLENGE WILL BE DETERMINED BY THE DATA"

This challenge was a great way to engage students in teambuilding activities, testing hypothesis and patience, introduce students to aerospace and data analytics as students not only learn the subject matter, but acquire new skills and competencies along the way.

The teams were made up of about five members

a t a d

e th

r o f h c in Wat Decem

e u s s I s ber'

and each had to engineer and test the best payloads for the balloon launch. “They all had to agree on why the payload was necessary and what was the objective of it?” Shared Ms. Jocelyn Wells and Advanced Physics teacher at St. Malachy's Memorial High School in Saint John, NB. “This was a fun project and the footage was amazing, but ultimately the success of the challenge will be determined by the data and whether or not it will support their hypothesis.”

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TEACHER'S GUIDE for a high altitude balloon project

STEP BY STEP GUIDE TO BUILDING & LAUNCHING YOUR HIGH ALTITUDE BALLOON PROJECT.

1. Tools: Arduino and/or Raspberry Pi, Retrieval Buzzer, Double-sided tape, Payload Enclosure (Styrofoam cooler or other), Exacto knife, Go pro camera and case, Nuts and bolts, Parachute, Ropes and tethers, Sensors, GPS, Retainer mounts, Screws, SD card and shield, Velcro, Battery Pack, Checklist, Retrieval Plan, Helium, Fill tube, Optional GSM shield and SIM card.

2. Consider housing for your payload: The first step is to find a suitable and lightweight housing for your payload. In this tutorial, we'll be using a Styrofoam cooler. Benefits: Low weight, shock absorbing, good insulation.

3. Electronics Layout: Consider where electronics will go in the payload. For example, if you’re stacking your electronics there will be more room for additional hardware/payload. Keep you sensors away from micro controller or battery as they emit heat which can skew data.

4. Mounting Camera in the payload lid: An easy way to prepare for the camera is to press the Go Pro casing into the styrofoam lid so that it leaves an impression that can later be cut out using boxcutter. Be sure to leave holes for the lense and power button. Be sure to fasten the camera solidly to the payload or you risk losing it! If your HAB may go over water, consider waterproofing the camera and payload!

5. Assembling Arduino Stack: Be careful when attaching the SD card shield to the Arduino and a prototype board on top. Not all teams use a prototype board, but those that do find it helps when fastening sensors or other circuits like a retrieval buzzer.

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TEACHER'S GUIDE continued 6. Adding micro-controllers: Your team will need to consider where the Arduino stack should be placed - be sure it is marked on the styrofoam. Make sure the code is functioning by testing your sensors. Carefully fasten the Arduino and Raspberry Pi with Velcro strips gently press the stack onto the payload base. If your team has any other hardware - connect it now to the micro-controller and secure it with Velcro or double sided tape.

7. Cutting Holes: Using the main body of the cooler - work to find the midpoint by marking the ends of the styrofoam container. Use these marks to create rope or tether holes that will attach the payload to the balloon and parachute. NOTE: ensure the holes are low enough to clear the base of the cooler. Take a good look at your markings. If you’re confident they are in the proper place then go ahead and make the holes.

8. Placing Retainer Plates: Flip the cooler over. Use a measuring tape or ruler to find the centre of the cooler bottom. Once you find centre, mark it - this will be the place for the retaining plates. The plates will help keep the cords stable. This is a precaution in case the knots loosen or give way. Use the marks to drill or cut holes for the mount. Make sure the screws are the right length as some are too short and do not support the second retaining plate. Flip the container back over and line up the retainer. Carefully thread the nuts, but don’t tighten them entirely.

9. Tying Mounting Cords: Pull the mounting cords through the holes on opposite side of the cooler and thread through the hole on the bottom retaining plate. Hang the payload by its strings, ensure it’s level, knot the cords and keep the knot within the hole in the bottom retaining plate. NOTE: it’s best to tie multiple secure knots.

Now that all the knots are tied and secured - tighten the nuts on the retaining plates and clamp on to the cords between them.

10. Attaching Parachute: Attach the drag parachute to the tethers on top of the payload and secure the knots.

x or use late o t e r u s ing the NOTE: be en touch h w s e v ds and nitrile glo are han b

s a n omise balloo n compr a c s e v lo lium to fabric g nt of he u o m a e . Th icular the latex the part n o s d n e burst use dep lculated a c e h t and ble to balloon, online ta n a e s (u tions altitude r calcula u o y h it science.c help w haltitude ig .h w w ancehttps://w perform n o o ll a es/b om/pag or). calculat

11. Filling the Balloon: You will need to coordinate delivery of the helium and calculate how much helium is required based on anticipated altitude, size of balloon, and payload weight. Follow the filling instructions which came with the fill tube. It is very important the helium doesn’t escape. Tie the balloon but don't over do it. Find the balloon cord - ensure it is attached to the fabric loop in the upper side of the parachute. This will help keep the parachute condensed during the ascent, but will let it open as soon as the balloon bursts.

12. Launch: Double and triple check your launch checklist and that all mountings are secured and electronics are working. Now you and your team is ready to launch your HAB. Good luck! Use this website to calculate flight predictions before actually launching your balloon. http://predict.habhub.org/ or visit instructables.com for more ideas.

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13. Retrieval: Have your tracker, vehicle, kayak, ladder, and pole ready!

sign e D & ting n i r P 3D ael's h c i m m Car a i l l i W iew rev

Create or Represent Any Object 3D printing and designing is a really cool and unique way to create or represent any object imaginable. It can be used to make anything from artistic models and visual representations of what you are learning in school, to toys and figurines.

Plus, 3D designing is an important ability to have when keeping the likely innovative and technological future in mind. It is an awesome thing to learn (especially at a young age) and is a skill that you will keep all throughout your life.

I was first inspired to use 3D designing when I was looking for a cool gift idea and have since been hooked, eventually taking a 3D printed project to the national science fair.

When learning how to 3D design, TinkerCad is the way to go. It is a very basic yet effective way to turn an idea into reality. There are many online tutorials introducing you to the program, and it is not very difficult to learn. A great first project is a 3D printed pencil topper, as it can be shown off in all of your classes and is pretty easy to design.

William Carmichael Grade 8 student

3D Designing. Student approved.

3 Gold Stars!

26

Learning Across The Continents

By Kim Desveaux Co-Program Director, Brilliant Labs Photo by Alex Kosev

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away‌. no, wait a minute, it was only months ago on two continents. Yes, on two continents when students collaborated on a project to use robots and remote access telescopes to plot constellations from the southern sky.

A recent Brilliant Labs supported collaboration helped students from the Breton Education Centre, in New Waterford NS, use a live feed from a telescope located in Queensland, Australia allowing them to view Australia's night sky then map constellations with code and robotics.

NOMADIC

|

24

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Mr. Morrison’s class in Nova Scotia worked to build robots and map out the constellation patterns using code thereby supporting the student learning of Nova Scotia's Middle School Science curriculum namely ‘Space Exploration’ where student learning targets the solar system, relative position and motion of the Earth, the Moon, and the Sun as well as identifying constellations from the night sky.

It seemed a simple task, but as with all things worthwhile, there are always a few lessons to be learned. First lesson – coordinating times with a class half a world away was a challenge. So, to get the project started our partner teacher, Shauna MacCormack joined us from Australia via Screencast at 10 pm her local time. This worked great for us! Huge shoutout to Shauna for going in to school so late.

Our students had so many questions – as we peered through the telescope and viewed the night sky in Australia.

Questions ranged from food to animal habitats to air travel and time zones. Ms. MacCormack enthusiastically answered each question – and we even went to Google Streetview to get better picture of the school and the community. It was great fun having the live question and answer segment. It was very exciting to look through the telescope, enter queries and view so many constellations, stars and planets. It was interesting to learn about the differences in the southern sky.

This was a real treat, as it is not possible to view the night sky live during a daytime class so it was a great group activity.

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The classes went to work building the robots and learning to code. This was a fun activity with students working in groups to build the robots. The programming was also quite fun. But, it’s here that we learned our second lesson‌building and programming takes time. So, by the end of our second session we had really only covered the basics of computer programming and ran out and more time would be needed.

The next phase then has the students incorporating mathematical skills to measure distance and angles. Those numbers can then be used to build a program to have the robot map the constellation.

Overall, this was a great project – with lots of learning, team building and skill development. We managed to learn not only about time zones but about time management!

Lessons Learned r how to 1. Conside oom te classr a in d r o o c ries er count h t o in e tim e inents (tim and cont o hedules d c s d n a zones ) this easy e k a m t no e l learn tim 'l u o Y : s u Bon ent. managem

2. Very IM PORTANT : Try to b uild robo ts before c onnecting with partner school..

Once you have dist ance measurem ents you r class can start program ming.

3. Take time to have some fun in learning about each other's class, school, community, country or continent.

(Don't forget to share results!)

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EXPLORING SUMMER How community day camps sparked innovation

BY STAFF WRITER BRILLIANT LABS

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Photo By Blake Meyer

Summer is a time for kids to explore and discover the world around them. It's a time to see shapes and stories in the clouds, imagine what they will be when they grow up and dream about the discoveries they will make, or the problems they will help solve. Now imagine if every child had the tools and guidance to make their dreamy sumer days a reality.

This summer, Brilliant Labs and it's community partners in New Brunswick & Nova Scotia worked to bring the tools and guidance needed to help youth explore their understanding of technology and bring their summer project dreams to life.

Saint John, New Brunswick "It was a summer of exploration and innovation" said Noah Ritcey, one of five student Tech Counsellors hired through the Canada Summer Jobs and New Brunswick Post-Secondary Education program. "We worked with the City of Saint John Park & Recreation and their playground participants, as well as other youth-serving organizations to pilot a free Summer Tech Camp for kids and youth from the end of June to mid August."

transformed into tech camps over an eight-week period.

"In discussing the pilot with the City and our project partners, it became quickly apparent that there was tremendous need for this particular kind of summer programming for the community's youth.

Once we received the green light, we moved very quickly to get everything in place" shared John Wong, Community Development for Brilliant Labs. "All the counsellors were interviewed, screened, hired and trained in a mere matter of months."

During the week prior to the camps starting, the Counsellors received extensive training and orientation from Brilliant Labs and also attended a workshop on Duty of Care, healthy boundaries, positive role-modeling and engagement strategies.

Now that the Brilliant Labs counsellor team was ready it was time for them to lead more than 40 camp counsellors and staff from the City, Boys and Girls Club, Nick Nicolle Community Centre and Teen Resource Centre/Pathways to Education to prepare their sites for the added technology, innovation and exploration.

12 host sites across the city saw classrooms, gyms, playgrounds and community & youth centres

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Noah and the other camp counsellors enjoyed the flexibility of the mobile maker space. "We got to see many different neighbourhoods in Saint John. Kids and youth from all walks of life [age 5 to 15]. They all had a lot of enthusiasm and weren't afraid to jump in to share, learn, or test their ideas using the new tech."

Barry Galloway, Executive Director of ONE Change, expanded on Noah's comment in a letter sent in July. "They [Brilliant Labs] have made learning fun for children in our community; many of whom have significant barriers including diagnoses on the Autism Spectrum; extreme Adverse Childhood Experiences which have impacted their executive functions and emotional development; and children who have never been exposed to this type of opportunity because the families are unable to pay for programs and activities for their children."

The activities may not have included campfires, but campers definitely got to spark their own creativity and innovate as they had fun learning to become inventors, engineers and computer scientists through hands-on, experiential activities and projects using computers, digital/electronic art-making, 3D printing, and storytelling using innovative technologies.

The tech counsellor's not only worked with campers in blocks of 1 week, but they also provided weekly two-hour, afternoon drop-in sessions that were delivered at the Nick Nicolle Community Centre, Teen Resource Centre /Pathways to Education and YMCA Early Learning Centre over 8-weeks.

During the early stages, campers (age 5 to 14) were encouraged to try out the various technologies and pursue summer-long projects. Some campers chose to work extensively with the mBot fleet, while others built upon the games produced through Scratch lessons and made objects using the 3D printer.

"The summer of innovation wouldn't have been complete without exploring an action-packed Tech Fair at Big Brothers Big Sisters, and the Boys and Girls Club!" Remembered Noah. "During the afternoon campers, ranging from 5 to 13, were offered streamlined activities similar to those at the other camps."

17 5-Julal - 2 -Journ h p ra Teleg

In all, about 400+ campers participated in the Saint John Summer Tech Camp.

Both Noah & John agreed – providing enriched tech camps supporting existing community programs made for a 'Brilliant' summer of dreaming, inventing and exploring really cool tech with awesome campers. In New Brunswick, Brilliant Labs also partnered with the Eelground First Nations community to pilot a summer camp supported by our Innovation Coordinator Kayoe Stewart.

The camp teaches young children coding lessons, robotic lessons, what virtual reality is like and has gear for 3D printing. (Joseph Tunney/CBC) http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/camp-teaches-saint-johnchildren-cutting-edge-tech-1.4251693

“Everythin g was aw esome! T were alw he coordin ays so en at thusiastic with the k and work ors ids. They ed well formed p relationsh ositive ips and th e kids lov always loo ed them. ked forw They ard for t very nice ech camp for the k . It is ids to hav opportunit e the ies to play with and le new tech nology.” arn about -YMCA Ea rly Learn ing Centre 32

Photo By Priscilla Du Preez

Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM), Nova Scotia --- It doesn't take much to conjure up images of a library with stacks and rows of books. You can imagine students studying and echos of 'shhhh quiet please' from the stereotypical librarian peering through her black-catlike glasses. If you Google libraries, you'll find that they have been around for more than 5,000 years and, in most communities, are seen as essential institutions.

The Halifax Regional Libraries are certainly essential to our community, but they, like many others, are dusting off stereotypes for prototypes. This summer Brilliant Labs joined forces with superhero librarians and our very own Tech Counsellors to bring technologyday-camps back to HRM's libraries for another summer of innovation.

A team of 7 tech counsellors were hired with the help of Canada Summer Jobs to help deliver and coordinate the sessions. We asked Ethienne Graveline what he thought of the experience. "When I was a kid, I used to love going to our public library. In the summers, I remember joining the reading program. I use to get so excited when I got badges for finishing each book challenge. Now I get to help kids explore libraries in new ways and tackle new challenges."

HRM libraries welcomed hundreds of youth this summer to the tech camps.

"These were existing camps" explained Sarah Ryan, CoProgram Director of Brilliant Labs in NS. "We have a great relationship with the Halifax Public Libraries and have been working with them to introduce youth to new technologies." Like in New Brunswick, these camps are free and Brilliant Labs partners were already working within the community.

Brilliant Labs' goal is to bring awareness to the value of being innovative using technology by= reaching as many kids and youth as possible. "This summer we helped more than 1,500 campers explore,= create, and build. We not only traveled area libraries, but set up our mobile maker spaces in schools and community centres too".

Campers tackled coding using programs like Scratch, which is a free programming language available online from MIT. It can be used to create interactive stories, games or animations. "They also got to build and program robots that took part in some pretty epic battles" Ethienne added.

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Helping youth explore new technology was only part of the focus - some camps wanted to expose campers to social innovation and entrepreneurialism.

Counsellors worked with campers to consider how they could find new ways to help a good cause or develop a new process that could improve a quality of life, or the environment.

Developing these critical thinking & problem solving skills are an important piece of the 21st century learning platform. In partnership with the Nova Scotia Acadian School Board (CSAP) , Francophone summer camp participants in Truro where given an opportunity to develop their understanding of entrepreneurship.

Photo By Brooke Lark

When you hear the word entrepreneur, you may think of tech gurus like Steve Jobs or Mark Zuckerberg, but it's important to understand building a product or even a business is a fraction of what is needed to be a true entrepreneur. Sarah expanded on this, "our community partners and counsellors wanted to teach campers about entrepreneurship and entrepreneurialism. We worked to define the process of being an entrepreneur -- that includes... creating, developing, and bringing a product to market for profit, but we also helped participants explore entrepreneurialism, or the spirit of undertaking. The message: don't give up until you Just beca use somet absolutely can't do hing d o e sn’t do wh anything more, failure at you is a part of the process planned it to do does and it's ok to go back n’t m e a n it’s usele to the drawing board ss. if you have to."

- Thomas Edison

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Exploring Summer: The Creation of a Tech Counsellor on Cape Breton Island, NS.

By Jessica Gillis At the beginning of the summer when I got a call to work with Brilliant Labs, I was very nervous because at the time, I did not know anything about coding, robotics, or circuit boards.

The first week of training seemed like it wasn't even work. We all sat around a table learning how to code and make computer games.

We learned how to build robots, which was pretty cool, but then we learned how to code them and make them move! I was so intrigued with this new world of robotics that I could not wait to show children what I'd learned.

We began our first session and there were about 15 kids. As soon as we got started they were all very excited to use Scratch. I know what you're thinking.... who would let a cat come to camp? Well, let me tell you ---MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) they let cats scratch up computer screens every where for free! LOL!

Rea l a f Fact : Sc un pr r lang uag ogram atch e fro is m M that's ming cre IT u FR a sto te int sed t EE o er r anim ies, ga activ e m atio ns. es or 35

Exploring Summer pg. 2 Some of the things that I learned working here were making video games on Scratch, making LED’s light up on Arduino Boards, using Hummingbird kits, Makey Makey, claymation, and EV3 lego robots.

My favourite part of working with Brilliant Labs was how much the kids enjoyed using Scratch and robots. They would always scream in excitement and sound extra confident when you've asked if they've used Scratch before -"YESSSS!!!!".

I also enjoyed meeting all sorts of different people along the way. Me and my four other co-workers have became very good friends over 8 weeks. If I am going to be honest, there was not one thing that I didn't like about working with Brilliant Labs.

I've learned so much over the summer and i'm glad I had the chance to spread my knowledge to other people. Not to mention ... It feels good to say that I know how to code.

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Exploring Summer pg. 3 I did not have any bad experiences, nor was I put under any stress. This was a completely positive experience. I would definitely do it all over again.

Working with Brilliant Labs has taught me so much over the summer and am very interested in learning more.

It wouldn't have been as great of an experience if it wasn't for my wonderful boss, Kim Derveaux, (co-program director , NS) she was always positive and friendly towards us and I've learned so much from her.

- Jessica Gillis Tech Counsellor

thank you Kim

For a su mm er o f

expl orat ion, lear ning  &

inno vati on.

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's b o c a J

T C E J O R S P K PIC 5 TOP

Summer was a great time for some relaxation and downtime. The trouble I have

By Jacob Lingley

with downtime is that it always leads to

Program Director,

projects. It’s a great problem to have as it

Brilliant Labs

keeps me busy and provides me with an outlet for my geeky ambitions. I worked on about 10 projects, but knowing how challenging the classroom can be, I've picked 5 of my favourites. I'm still learning and hope you will want to learn along with me.

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1

Arduino Enabled Lab Timer

Students are not the only inventors at Brilliant Labs, we are constantly designing innovative ways to manage our Labs.

One project that is in the early phases of development is an Arduino enabled, Time-To-Clean-Up-Timer. As you can see in our design, students will come into the space, turn the knob to set the number of minutes they have to work, and hit Go. The stoplight, tri-level indicator will then turn green.

When time = (time remaining)/2, the light will turn yellow and finally when time = (time remaining)+5, the light will turn red and a buzzer will buzz. I worked on this over the summer and hope to be launching version 1.0 this month.

2

Make Code (www.makecode.org)

OK - if you haven’t checked out Microsoft’s new, drag-and-drop, graphic block coding program, you are missing out. This browser based coding platform is the answer to those students and teachers looking for a simple way to program hardware. MakeCode currently works with the BBC MicroBit (see below), the *NEW* Circuit Playground Express from Adafruit, Minecraft and the Sparkfun Inventor’s Kit. Don’t have any of these hardware platforms? A browser-based, virtual device of your choice appears on-screen for your prototyping pleasure. Ready to upload to your hardware? Simply plug your hardware into your computer via USB, drag and drop the .hex file, you were instructed to download, like you would with a USB Storage device, and away you go. No more upload error codes. I’m looking forward to being able to work on my code while on mini-vacations without needing to bring along hardware in my suitcase.

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3

BBC Micro:bit Excited doesn’t even begin to describe my feelings towards the Micro:bit from BBC. That’s right, it’s has been created by the British Broadcasting Corporation - so you know it is distinguished. While it may not make you the perfect cup of earl grey tea, you can use the temperature sensor to let you know when your water is ready, or with two MicroBits you could even set up a notification system to buzz when your tea is ready from across the room. All of this coding can happen inside of Microsoft’s www.makecode.org environment, allowing for some

4

Processing (www.processing.org)

crazy rapid invention development. Check out the step-counter and food alarm Kayoe and his nine-year-old daughter made using the Micro:Bit (visit www.brilliantlabs.ca/blog)

Truth be told, I have been working with the Processing language for quite some time. This JavaScript based language was made for coders who are interested in creating interactive graphics. My current processing project revolves around the idea of creating an interactive pythagorean tree diagram. The user would draw a square in the processing sketch, which would then use that square as the hypotenuse of a right angle triangle and the trunk of the “pythagorean-tree.” I have no idea if this will work, but I am still planning to put some hours of research and coding iterations to work even if the summer sun isn't so hot anymore.

5

Computer Vision (www.opencv.org)

It’s a crazy world we live in. With promises of selfdriving cars and drone based delivery systems (literally) on the horizon, I am becoming very interested in this idea of Computerized Vision. I have no idea where to start with this geeky ambition, but I hope to dedicate some time to learn more about how a computer breaks down “visual” information from a camera. My ultimate goal would be to develop a facial recognition project that would recognize the project a student is working on in a makerspace. I’ll let you know how I make out with this one - anyone want to help?

Connect with me: jacob@brilliantlabs.ca 40

5

TopÂ

Reasons why micro:bit is a classroom hit!

Create block based code right in your browser! No special software required. Via makecode.com

Ultra po electr rtable! The o micro garme nic brain o f your :bit can be nt or e that re ven a hid next weara the de spond b s to a n noise ma le mbien t light ker .

set. a class- our r o f d e pe y No ne prototy d n a e z icrobit, m l Visuali a u t ir av code on your browser. right in

Send wireless signals between two or more microbits.

sroom? r your clas fo it :b o r ic aM powered Looking for r u Check out o November! allenge this h C n tio a v o Inn

micro:bit Connect any electronic component to one of the 19 on board pins.

From sensors to servos, you are only a few blocks away from coding a complex creation.

BBC

http://microbit.org Cost: $30-35.00 Cross Curricular http://microbit.org/teach/#resources-section

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WATCH, LEARN, & BUILD Join Kayoe & Gracie in their new Brilliant Labs' YouTube series: Kayoe On The Go

By Staff Writer Brilliant Labs

It’s hard to believe that summer is over, but it Beginning in September our was a busy one as we welcomed a crowdfunding platform will creator's series be available to help with Kayoe On The Go class projects. Labs YouTube channel.

Brilliant

new to the

Kayoe Stewart and his nine-year-old daughter, Gracie, exercised their creativity & problem solving skills as they travelled around the Maritimes with a mobile maker space. This new YouTube series offers teachers step by step instruction and shows what tools are needed to create fun projects that students will love.

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Kayoe is our new Innovation Coordinator and has always been a maker along side his daughter, Gracie. These two clearly love creating, especially during the summer months when they had more time on their hands. At home "It's easy peasy to create, but when we are out and about adventuring, it was always a challenge for us to build and tinker" shared Kayoe. So this summer, Brilliant Labs dropped off a mobile maker space so these makers could learn, build and share their adventures on the move in our new YouTube series, "Kayoe On the Go!" Their first adventure took this father-daughter team to the streets of Fredericton, NB for Canada Day. Gracie and Kayoe thought it would be fun to count their steps as they took in the festivities on Canada Day, but they ran into a problem as their last step counter took a little dip in the pool --- so Gracie thought it would be fun to build their own.

When you visit the Brilliant Labs YouTube channel you'll learn how to create two new step counters using micro:bits, elastics, and an inventor’s kit with your students. Plus, share in the fun as Gracie and Kayoe test their steppers around town.

Kayoe created fun language arts activity within the alarm project.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHS8Qt5t543Xoxgx6SvZXBQ/playlists

The next challenge on the duo's list was to build a food alarm. We asked Gracie why this was something she wanted to do and she explained that "last summer when we were camping in PEI, we woke up and there was coco everywhere! The container was tipped over, the lid was off, and we even saw little animal footprints everywhere and we thought maybe a squirrel or chipmunk got into it. So why not to try and tackle that challenge."

Kayoe shares their learnings throughout each episode, but was surprised to learn that age certainly does not dictate who should take on this challenge.

"Students don't often learn about circuits until they're in grade six.

However, during this challenge Gracie, who is nine years old, worked through the engineering design & innovation process to learn and apply circuitry concepts that she wouldn't have learned for another couple of years in the classroom."

Kayoe explained.

This is an important learning opportunity as the engineering design & innovation process helps students work through complex problems no matter what age or skill level. like Kayoe, you may be surprised at how well students adapt to a Maker Ed project like the food alarm.

As an educator this project offers several cross-curricular opportunities. For example, the reenactment video Kayoe created as part of the project was fun and Gracie was telling a story. This offered an opportunity to reinforce many curricular outcomes in language arts.

You can extend this project further by having students develop diagrams, publicities, and more.

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"I wanted to integrate as many crosscurricular elements as possible. This project incorproated: technology, fine arts, concepts of design, science, math, theatre, and music. Even when we were applying the code for the micro:bit we were creating a song for the alarm that would go off in the tent." Kayoe added.

This project strongly supported the 21 century skills of Critical thinking and problem solving, communication, collaboration, and creativity.

1. Collaboration: Gracie was involved in every step of this project. She especially learned about collaboration as she was involved in the brainstorming process.

Together they decided this was a limitation that needed to be changed.

Gracie's solution was to display a shorter message that said: “HA!” that allowed the signal to be sent quickly to the receiver in the tent.

This taught Gracie the value of being flexible, creative in your problem solving, and persevering to overcome obstacles.

3.Re-thinking their message was a important piece of the engineering design process ."This project helped Gracie understand that limitations pop up, but that doesn't mean we quit; rather, they’re all a part of the process" explained Kayoe.

They also worked to support the idea while taking into account the input of others in order to work through the engineering design process effectively, which is a valuable concept and skill for someone as young as Gracie to learn and to apply.

2. Critical Thinking & Communication: Kayoe and Gracie were faced with unforeseen limitations to their approach.

"We had to re-think what we were going to do to make the alarm work properly. Gracie planned to display a message to the squirrel when it opened the container. She initially thought the micro:bit could display the message “Busted” on the screen, however, we later discovered there were limitations with that idea because the word busted took too much time to scroll across the screen."

To be innovators, you are constantly reassessing and revisiting how to overcome obstacles. Sometimes, it means giving up on an idea you thought would work and going back to the drawing board to consider alternate solutions.

The key here is considering how we will approach that failure."

When it comes to the engineering design process, failure is always seen as an opportunity to learn more about the system we are trying to manipulate and understand that it's not necessarily the end of the road.

Instead, we see failure as an opportunity to make things better.

This is especially important for students to understand - when you are faced with limitations or roadblocks, it’s not a time to give up - it’s a time to go back and to reevaluate and approach that challenge in a different way to consider solutions that will account for the limitation that you have uncovered.

5. Coding & troubleshooting: Kayoe and Gracie experienced failure in this project. For example in their code, they had 2 different code sets: (1) the container code which had 16 different versions; and (2) the receiver code with 22 variations. "It may sound like a lot, but it wasn't really - it's normal, it’s what you expect… you’d expect to go through that troubleshooting and problem solving process and work through those limitations you didn't foresee to get that desired end result."

4. Failure as an opportunity: "Throughout the entire process it is important you understand that you will always be faced with failure.

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4. Engineering and Innovation projects inspire versatility and encourage iteration: Kayoe shared more about what he learned during these innovation challenges -- "What I find really cool about these projects are how versatile they truly are. What I mean is that someone can take that original concept of the project and apply it to something completely different."

For example, Kayoe explained that teachers could challenge learners to turn the original concept of the food alarm into something more meaningful or practical for their lives.

For example, someone who sees the food alarm may be inspired to create an alarm for a locker, pencil case or book bag.

5. Food alarm re-designed for a data project: Students could even create a data project and track how many times the classroom door is opened or how many times a pesky cat at home knocks things off the shelves.

6. Challenge to be creative: These projects offer personalization and opportunities for customization.

Students not only learn 21 century skills, but they get to turn a food alarm into something new.

Challenge your students to use their own innovation skills to take the same technology used in the food alarm in new way to solve different problems for them.

7. Subscribe: Kayoe and Gracie had a lot of fun doing these projects. Visit and subscribe to get step-by-step instructions for these projects with more arriving in the weeks to come at the Brilliant Labs YouTube Channel Kayoe On The Go!

There are many different ways of taking the original concept and turning it into your own innovation that will be worthwhile for learners.

The alarm could easily be repurposed to collect data.

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What's next

October Month of October: Halloween Hacking & Animatronics Innovation Challenge. Join Jacob and Kayoe as they challenge you to hack halloween toys to create your own animatronics. Submission deadline Oct.28th. For instructions, ideas, or help visit: brilliantlabs.ca/innovationchallenge

my/monNB150

Junior Achievement (JA) Company Program, Oct. 16th, at Gaetz Brook Junior High Makerspace.

The program will run one evening per week for 18 weeks. If you know junior and senior high students who have entrepreneurial spirit and are looking to get more help or access to Makerspace tools for rapid prototyping for student-developed & owned businesses --- this is the program for them! Learn more at: http://www.janovascotia.ca/companyprogram-1/ StartUp Weekend, Cape Breton, Oct. 20th 5pm until 22nd 5pm, at New Dawn Centre for Social Innovation, Sydney, N.S In just 54 hours, you will experience the highs, lows, fun, and pressure that make up life at a startup. As you learn how to create a real company, meet mentors, investors, cofounders, and sponsors. Plus, Brilliant Labs will be providing seats for students who wish to attend.

Contact Kim@Brilliantlabs.ca or visit http://momentumforstartups.com/events/startupweekend-cape-breton/ My/MonNB150, Oct. 26 at Harbour Station in Saint John, N.B All middle and high school students in New Brunswick, their teachers and their parents are invited to the launch of My NB 150, a Canada 150 NB initiative. An interactive showcase of entrepreneurial, non-profit, educational and private sector organizations that want to connect with young New Brunswickers to support their special projects and/or career paths.

Subscribe to

BrilliantLabsMagazine

for a chance to win a 3D printer for a project.

Oct. 13th, Innovation in Teaching Day to be held at 33 Spectacle Lake Drive, Dartmouth, N.S. keynote from Dean Shareski, Canadian educator, author, TED talk presenter, and DEN Community Manager. Sessions will include topics such as Deep Learning, Green Screening, Mystery Skype, GAFE, and more! Interested in attending? Submit your application to attend by filling out the form at https://goo.gl/jEMJqU October 25th Halifax Regional School Board Career Fair. Join Brilliant Labs & leading industry professionals for the third year in a row to educate, encourage, and inspire hundreds of high school students to explore careers in STEAM fields! More info contact sarah@brilliantlabs.ca

Brilliant Labs Headquarters October Snapshot: October 11th @ 3:45 : Teacher Think Tank

http://wickedideas.ca/education/introducing-my-nb-150/ Late October. First Nations Storytelling Project to Begin Year Two at AJ Smeltzer Junior High (Sackville, NS). Beginning in late October, the project will continue to combine traditional First Nations stories told by junior high students using multi media platforms, including stop-motion, green screen, 3D design/ printing, and animation as some of the technology and skills throughout this exciting journey of folklore and history! This is a weekly meeting of students returning from last year's group.

Contact Sarah@Brilliantlabs.ca for more information

October 19th @ 3:45 : YouTube LIVE: Interactive Bulletin Board October 27th Deadline to submit halloween challenge decoration to BL HQ October 31st Virtually Tour the Brilliant Haunted Lab 46

What's next

subscribe to Brilliant Labs Magazine

for a chance to win a 3D printer for a class project!

November

All month and beyond! Join Brilliant Labs and Rogers for a telecommunications innovation challenge. The goal will be to use code & the micro:bit to transmit messages wirelessly. Stay-tuned and visit brilliant labs.ca Innovation Challenge for more details.

Nov. 23rd Make Math Pretty Join Jacob at Brilliant Labs Headquarters for a YouTube live event that will give you new ideas and methods to help students discover the beauty of math.

Dec. 4-10 Hour of Code: A Worldwide Coding Event Organize an Hour of Code during . a one-hour introduction to computer science, designed to demystify "code", to show that anybody can learn the basics, and to broaden participation in the field of computer science.

It has since become a worldwide effort to celebrate computer science, starting with 1-hour coding activities but expanding to all sorts of community efforts.

Register at: brilliant labs.ca

december

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WINTER'SÂ ISSUE OF BLM.

E R SHA

SS E C C U S / S IDEA R YOU

SHARING IDEAS AND SUCCESS We hope you enjoyed this issue of Brilliant Labs Magazine (BLM).

Brilliant Labs needs you! If you are an educator, parent, student, or organization that values Maker ED, entrepreneurialism, social innovation and have an inspiring idea or story to share please submit your contribution for our Winter issue on or before November 15, 2017.

TOPIC SUGGESTIONS What you're interested in from this publication.

Inspiring projects & student success stories.

Inspiring quotes or jokes.

Funny student stories that taught you, or others, a lesson.

Ok, so you're not a tech person, but you found a way to make your hobby fit with Maker Ed. What was it? What did you & your students learn?

A hard lesson made easier with STEAM education.

Student project pick. 3 reasons it was hit.

5 great things about a product.

Share a project lesson plan.

What social innovation means to you and how your students are making a difference using Maker Ed.

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BRILLIANT LABS MAGAZINE

THANK YOU superhero educators for taking the leap to innovate, learn, and inspire STEAM & Maker Education.

Special thanks to our partners and the following staff & educators for contributing to Fall Issue: Taking The Leap.

BRILLIANT LABS STAFF JEFF WILLSON JACOB LINGLEY KIM DESVEAUX SARAH RYAN KAYOE STEWART

EDITOR EDITORIAL EDITORIAL EDITORIAL EDITORIAL

CONTRIBUTORS ANDREW HARRIS CRAIG DUPLESSIE GREG NORTON AND TEAM JOCELYN WELLS JOHN WONG NICK BASKWILL WILLIAM CARMICHAEL JESSICA GILLIS PHOTOGRAPHY Most of the photography was provided by staff and contributors. Professional images were sourced at Unsplashed.com

Brilliant Labs is a not-for-profit, hands-on technology and experiential learning platform based in Atlantic Canada. We support the integration of creativity, innovation, coding, and an entrepreneurial spirit within classrooms and educational curricula.

Visit us at www.BrilliantLabs.ca or

CONTACT US

brilliantlabslabosbrillants

info@brilliantlabs.ca www.brilliantlabs.ca

@brilliant_labs Brilliant Labs Channel 49