Wenhua Shi, Colgate University

Arduino is a tool for making computers that can sense and control more of the physical world than your desktop computer. It’s an open-source physical computing platform based on a simple microcontroller board, and a development environment for writing software for the board. In this hour long MAKE session with demonstrations of a few prototypes and art projects, participants will build paper circuits and learn a beginner level of Arduino programming.

Ann Anderson, John Rieffel, Union College

Are you interested in knowing more about the basics of 3D Printing?  Perhaps you have wondered about the ways in which your teaching (or your research) might be augmented or changed by incorporating 3D Printing techniques?  If so, please join us for this interactive, hands-on boot camp led by Ann Anderson and John Rieffel (Union College).  One of our goals for the event is to reach across the disciplines in order to integrate 3D printing into the humanities and social sciences.  During this 90-minute event, we will provide a very brief introduction to 3D Printing, engage in a conversation together about the possible ways in which 3D Printing might help us to cross and/or bridge divisional or departmental divides in research and teaching, and actually print out during the event a 3D model, based on audience interests, questions, and ideas.

Alex Chaucer, Skidmore College

In this hour long MAKE session, participants will learn how digital mapping tools, such as ArcGIS Online and Google Earth, can be used for telling geographic stories and sharing online. Included in the session will be a hands on activity including mapping a spreadsheet of coordinates in ArcGIS Online, and georeferencing a historic map in Google Earth, creating a .kmz file, and creating a tour. Examples will be shown of other extensions of these tools in the digital humanities and other similar products. Session is geared toward the introductory user with no experience with mapping tools.

Prerequisite: Please come to the session with Google Earth installed on your computer and having created a free ArcGIS Online account with username and password.

Meg Worley, Colgate University

Makerspaces (aka hacklabs, hackerspaces, hacker dojos, etc.) are communal workshops where members share tools, ideas, and skills to build physical objects.  We will be focusing on makerspaces within the educational environment — how to start one at your institution (gathering support, planning space, considering technical requirements, lining up funding) and how to integrate it into both the curriculum and the life of the campus.  This will be half bootcamp and half brainstorming session, and it should be of equal appeal to those new to the idea and those who are already deeply involved in thriving makerspaces.