Author: STEAMLab

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Plans for the Fall

As we all know, planning for the fall is like shooting at a moving target with a pile of sticks with no fletchings. Sometimes the target even disappears completely. Even so, while it is safe, we want to help.

Our working plan for the fall semester is to offer “camp” out of FSN on Mondays/Tuesdays and Thursdays/Fridays from 9 – 1. Camp would be mostly outside to help with germ containment, but we would have access to bathrooms, a sheltered overhang, and wifi, as well as an indoor space in emergencies.

Depending on our audience and their needs, our activities would be a mix of hiking, playing with robots, and help with schoolwork. As always, we roll with how people are feeling on any given day and don’t push our goals and agenda too hard when it’s clear we aren’t going to succeed.

The goal here is not to provide full day care or a school replacement, but to ease the burden on working parents. Presumably parents can split shifts with one working a bit earlier and the other later, and kiddos can keep themselves occupied for awhile in the afternoon.

If you’d like us to email you when we have some more solid plans, or if you’d like to help us figure out how best to serve you, please fill out this very quick survey.

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Learning Python with Minecraft – An Explanation

One of the amazing features of the Raspberry Pi when it first came out was that it came with a free version of Minecraft that had the ability to be interacted with via Python. Players could place blocks and create functions to make elaborate structures.

Minecraft was then purchased by Microsoft. While it has grown in many ways, the free raspberry pi version ceased development. Luckily and Minecraft grew, so did the ability to mod it, or create APIs that allowed for scripts and players to change the ways the Minecraft world behaved.

One of the Mods that was developed was RaspberryJuice. With this mod and the mcpi python library, players who have access to the appropriate server can use python with Minecraft in ways that weren’t possible on the Pi. We run one of these servers at STEAM Lab as part of our Python in Minecraft class, but you can also set one up on your own computer.

Sometimes one of the hardest bits of learning to program is coming up with a project that really makes you want to learn. Being able to add your own touches to Minecraft by programming a turtle to create Mt. Vesuvius, making flowers bloom wherever you walk, or designing your own parkour course can create just this motivation.

Over the next few months, I’ll work on posting some of the content I’ve created for our class for those who would like to work through it at home on their own server. In the next post I’ll provide some links that demonstrate how to set up your server and install your python libraries.

I encourage you to think about signing your kiddo up for the class though. Our world is a truly beautiful mess of colored wool towers and parkour course as kiddos try out the new material. The weekly meetups turn into a bit of a python-less free-for-all of just playing and laughing, but I have office hours for answering all of their python questions.

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Minecraft! Minecraft! Minecraft!

The kids are playing a lot of Minecraft these-a-days and I don’t really blame them. It is engaging and creative and sometimes quite challenging for the brain. They learn spatial reasoning and problem solving.

But it is also, very often a social game. We wanted to encourage the social nature of Minecraft while respecting the need to be physically distant. With that we’ve got four separate weekly meetups planned for June.

Each of these meetups includes access to a shared server for the entire month, a weekly two-hour supervised voice chat, and access to a Google Classroom for sharing ideas or planning additional time online together.

Minecraft Creative Bedrock

This class is held on Tuesdays from 3pm-5pm and is meant for kiddos who play Minecraft on a tablet. Get together and build amazing things and show them off to each other!

Minecraft Redstone (Java)

This class is held Mondays from 1pm -3pm and is a place for kiddos to collaborate and show off their amazing Redstone creations and other automations. It will also include weekly video tutorials to teach and inspire. This class uses the computer edition of Minecraft.

Minecraft Survival Java

This class is held on Thursdays from 3pm-5pm and requires the computer edition of Minecraft. Survival is what it is all about. In this groups kids will truly have to mine for their materials and craft their tools. This group is collaborative and kids work really hard to keep their village safe while showing off their style.

Minecraft Survival Bedrock

This class is held on Wednesdays from 1pm-3pm and requires Minecraft on a tablet (no consoles). Just like our Java version, kiddos will collaborate to conquer their world and defeat monsters.

Bonus! Minecraft for Little People

Because sometimes it is hard when your older siblings get to have all the fun! This class is specifically meant for the 4 and 5 year old set. We’ll play twice a week for an hour at a time. Kiddos will need Minecraft on a tablet. As of this post, the class is almost full, but we’ll make another section if you tell Lis you are interested.

Extra Bonus! Learning Python with Minecraft

In this class kiddos will learn how to program in Python. When they run their scripts they’ll see the results on our Minecraft server! Lis will create YouTube tutorials for different concepts. We’ll discuss ideas in the Google Classroom. Once a week we’ll get together to show off and inspire each other.

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Camp and Covid

Heading into summer with covid still in the air I see two reasonable options for how we could proceed.

  • We could cancel our camps so as to best facilitate and encourage social distancing. This is the stance PEEC has taken and we respect them for that.
  • We can acknowledge that some parents are still trying to work from home and others need to actually go to their workplaces and need childcare even if it is less than ideal and we can provide that childcare as safely as possible. This is the path we will be taking.

The decision to continue to offer summer camp this summer is not a light one and it will come with some changes to our plans.

  • We will no longer be offering individual weeks of camp. We want to reduce the number of camper everyone comes into contact with as much as possible.
  • We *will* be offering half-day camp for the whole month.
  • We *will* be spending our entire mornings through lunch outside. This means half-day campers will be outside all day.
  • We *may* not use public transportation and instead have different base camps each day of the week.
  • We *will* do a lot of hiking. We *will* play with robots, even if it is under a shade tent.
  • We *will* be limiting camp in June to just five families. If there is enough interest in the half-day camp, we may offer a second session with a different teacher, but no more than five families will be in any group and those groups will remain separate.
  • Geocaching! We’ll find a few and maybe even create some!
  • I’m in the process of putting a few BreakoutEDU activities together. Maybe we’ll have a massive scavenger hunt to solve one of our boxes.

Our camp is for any kiddo entering elementary school next year. Campers must be able to take care of their own personal needs and be able to hike a couple of miles a day.

According to the current plan by the governor we should be able to open half-day camp on May 15th. We’re taking names for this camp, so please contact us if you are interested.

We’re also working on being deemed essential, so that if things close back down we can keep offering camp for essential workers. If we need to close or you are not an essential worker, we’ll offer refunds for any missed weeks of camp.

Please talk to us about any concerns you may have and we will work with you.

Sign up for camp here: https://lasteamlab.com/event/summer-camp-june/

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What to expect this year.

We decided to create the STEAM Lab because we are passionate about education. We hope that this year and in all years to come that the STEAM Lab will be a community building resource. That children and families can use the space to dream, explore, create, and bond, not just with each other but with other community members.

Community members should expect to find themselves having fun while learning new things at the same time. It is our hope that kids can use our space to try new things that maybe they wouldn’t otherwise be exposed to. We envision a multi-purpose learning co-working space with children and families in mind. Everyone is welcome!

The following guidelines are for everyone who uses the STEAM Lab, kids and adults. This is an ever evolving list of guidelines and things may change as we grow and learn from each other. Please don’t hesitate to share your thoughts with us!

Guidelines

Do’sDon’ts
– Have fun!
– Treat everyone with respect
– Create new things
– Make a mess
– Clean up your mess
– Be excited and share it!
– Ask questions
-Try all the things!		-Run
-Carry robots over your head
-Crazy feet (we have downstairs neighbors)
-Throw things
-Touch people without permission
-Use our computers to visit NSFW sites

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What is a STEAM Lab?

Most people have heard the term STEM learning, and understand that STEM is an acronym for science, technology, engineering and math. So what differentiates STEAM from STEM and why is that important?

STEAM includes the importance of art in scientific, tech, engineering and mathematical learning. Art education allows students to learn things in a more open ended way and make them applicable to real life.

Artistry and creativity are what make STEM exciting! Discovering creative ways to apply scientific exploration, technological feats, engineering mastery and mathematical calculations is what drives our society.

If we left out art what would the Sistine Chapel look like? Would it be da Vinci’s Vitruvian stick figure? Would geometry have potential to be sacred?

Don’t just take our word for it, find out more for yourself: Huffpost News, Education Closet.