A place to collect and share tidbits, resources, and experiments from my time spent in Makerspaces on the topics of learning to create, creating to learn, and cultivating creative spaces for makers. A guide to these posts can be found here.
More @ celestemoreno.design
Bringing Storybooks to Life with Machine Learning and Coding
In 2021, in collaboration with my friends and colleagues Andrea Devore and Mariana Tamashiro, we faciliated a virtual workshop for an event called PLAYFEST. This “day of wonder” conference was hosted by the Playful Learning lab at the University of St Thomas. We were thrilled to share our process of getting creative with machine learning tools and beginner-friendly coding environments to build playful programs that recognized book covers and triggered a response on the computer such as an animation or a sound. Just the phrase, "machine learning" can evoke a sense of complexity or intimidation. However, we were excited to show how with just a little guidance, anyone can tinker with these ideas!
Makerspace Archive Guide
Accessible Adaptations
What is switch-adapting? & Instructions for switch-adapting a mini massager
3D Printing on Fabric
Inspirations and Experiments
What can folding paper teach us about how leaves grow?
Creating Origami to Explore the Connections Between Craft, Biology, and Engineering
Solar Garden Lights Workshop
Merging electronics, art, and solar energy
Toddler Tinker Storytime
Makerspace + book pairings for young readers and makers
The Little Things no.2
Organizational details from "electronics studio" in the Makerspace
Fragments
Bits and pieces of misc projects
Drawing Data
Using beginner-friendly code, programmable motors, microcontrollers, and sensors to explore data visualization
Creating Temporary Art that Feels like Magic with Photochromic Pigment
This is a post from the archives - originally published in February 2023
The Little Things no.1
File cabinet cover & Prototyping shelf
The Best Soldering Station?
French cleats are cool.
Makerspace Trash
And the beauty of it!
Cardboard Castles
On the joys of open-ended cardboard play
Making Examples and Making Connections
An experiment in helping Makerspace visitors understand, and connect example projects to the space