[hackerspaces] Spark 181 – Mitch Altman says hackers could raise $10mil

[Rose White]

Jerry,

Now that I've read about the "flipped classroom" model, I think it
sounds good for this effort--but I think that the term isn't common,
or at least not common to folks who aren't parents or involved in
online education. Could you explain it to the group? All I know is
what I found on a quick search.

Cheers,

Rose

On Thu, May 10, 2012 at 11:47 AM, Jerry Isdale <isdale at gmail.com> wrote:
> Matt Joyce said ...
>
> I know that nyc resistor pitched a grant proposal to the MacArthur
> foundation probably in 2009 or so.  We had floated an idea nearly
> identical to the hacker scout badges that adafruit and phil torrone (
> of make ) have come up with as well.  We did not get the grant.
> Which to my mind is a pity.  It would have been pretty great.
>
> I really think that a hacker scouts style approach is the right way to
> go about it.
>
> If you want to have a real impact on a kids education and
> opportunities the goal is to engage the parents as well as the kid.
> It should be a shared experience.  That's all there is to it.
>
>
> -Matt
>
>
> I like the Hacker Scouts idea.  There is a group over at SchoolFactory.org
> that is working to organize this ...
>    https://atrium.schoolfactory.org/makerscouts/
>
> One issue I have with the Adafruit approach is that while they provide the
> badges, there is no associated 'requirements' for each (at least not yet.)
>  Each badge needs a sample activities list showing the types of things that
> should be completed to achieve the badge.
>
> As Mitch noted, the in-school space funding may be harder to get with
> makerspace.com already rolling.
> What about a flipped school approach?
>
> I propose the hackerspace community collectively create an archive of course
> materials for teaching various skills. This would include how-to videos,
> presentation slides, teacher support material, lists of materials, etc.
>  Skills would be the classic hacker activities - coding, soldering, metal
> bending, laser cutting, 3d printing, metal foundry, crafting, locks etc.
>  and also tie in more conventional school skills -- eg showing how 3d
> printing can be used to illustrate geometry, etc.  The course materials
> archive would get peer review, and require use of an open (Create Commons)
> license. Then schools, spaces, fablabs, and other kid/adult organizations
> around the world could access them online and use them locally.
>
> On top of that we create an organization that solicits funds from
> foundations, etc and collects up the $10mil+, which it in turn passes on to
> courseware developers to support their activities.   This organization helps
> reduce the grant scramble that individual efforts would need to do ... and
> collects them so MacArthur etc sees one well done proposal rather than 20
> lesser ones.
>
> Jerry Isdale
> isdale at gmail.com
>
>
>
>
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