Category Archives: open source

Detecting Motion using Python, SimpleCV and a Raspberry Pi

Posted on March 3, 2018 by Michael

My wife and kids enjoy bird watching. In our dining room, we attached a bird feeder to a window in the room. My wife asked if I could hack together a way to snap pictures of birds that visit the … Continue reading →

Posted in open source, programming, stem | Leave a comment

5 Fun BBC Microbit Project Lessons

Posted on February 20, 2018 by Michael

As I have reflected on various physical computing activities we tried with our kids, I started reviewing a novel microcontroller from our friends at the BBC, the micro:bit.   In addition to the BBC bringing us awesome stories like Dr. Who, … Continue reading →

Posted in creativity, open source, programming, stem, technology | Leave a comment

Connecting Community Service to Makerspaces and Developer Communities

Posted on November 24, 2017 by Michael

In November 2017, I had the honor of speaking at DevFest Florida, a community organized developer conference focusing on Google technology. I had an amazing time at this conference. You can check out my reflections on this experience at GDGCentralFlorida.org. … Continue reading →

Posted in creativity, leadership, making, open source, programming, teaching, technology | Leave a comment

10 AFrame.IO Resources For Your WebVR Project

Posted on November 10, 2017 by Michael

I’m a big fan of the work of the AFrame.IO community.  Thank you to Mozilla, Diego Marcos, Kevin Ngo, and Don McCurdy for their influence and effort to build a fun and productive platform for building WebVR experiences.   For some … Continue reading →

Posted in creativity, making, open source, programming, technology | Leave a comment

Bot Draw : Logo like framework for building VR experiences

Posted on August 26, 2017 by Michael

Welcome to Bot Draw!(aka Project Dark Bat) Looking for a fun way to practice your JavaScript skills and build cool VR experiences? InspiredToEducate.NET designed this code sample to enable you to play with very simple ideas in JavaScript. This sample … Continue reading →

Posted in creativity, open source, programming, stem, technology | Leave a comment

AFrame: Building WebVR experiences with HTML and JavaScript

Posted on August 19, 2017 by Michael

Hey, makers and web developers! Looking for a fun weekend coding challenge? In this post, I wanted to introduce you to a simple tool called A-Frame for building VR experiences using HTML and JavaScript.  Originally sponsored by the Mozilla foundation, … Continue reading →

Posted in creativity, making, mobile, open source, stem, technology | Leave a comment

Maker uses Arduino to enable his Wife To Hear Again

Posted on May 30, 2017 by Michael

During our last Arduino meetup at SparkMacon makerspace, I had the pleasure of witnessing a most moving talk.  In organizing this conversation, we wanted to discuss why tinkering and engineering with Arduino matters.  It’s helpful to remember that the makers … Continue reading →

Posted in creativity, making, open source, programming, technology | Leave a comment

Making Chord Progressions using Sonic Pi

Posted on April 29, 2017 by Michael

I have to confess that I love music and code. When I get to share my two favorite things in one package, it gets me excited. In previous blog posts, I had talked about an amazing tool called Sonic-Pi for … Continue reading →

Posted in creativity, making, open source, stem, teaching, technology | Leave a comment

7 Free Apps for 3D Design and Building Cool Stuff

Posted on April 15, 2017 by Michael

AutoDesk TinkerCAD – This web-based application has become my favorite way to introduce 3D design to makers of all ages.  It comes with accessible tutorials to help you understand the software quickly.  I have used TinkerCAD.com to engage students as … Continue reading →

Posted in 3d printing, creativity, making, open source, stem, technology | Leave a comment

Import 3D Scenes Into Minecraft using MCEdit2 #makered #minecraft #minecraftedu

Posted on November 14, 2016 by Michael

In our classes for young makers, we discuss how digital fabrication technology will be a game-changer.   In future work, more jobs will involve converting digital content into physical things through technologies like 3D printing, CNC, and other similar technologies. … Continue reading →

Posted in 3d printing, creativity, game based learning, games, making, open source, stem, teaching, technology | Leave a comment