Our library decided, a few years back, that owning a 3D printer would open a world of possible programs, and encourage the growth of a local maker community. Cool, right? So one day, out of nowhere, a MakerBot replicator shows up in the workroom.  Instructions to staff? “Play with it.”

So I, and a few others decided to do just that. I introduced myself to the wonderful world of hobbyist 3D design with free tools like TinkerCAD, Google Sketchup, AutoDesk products, and more. I delved into the MakerBot: learning to calibrate the build plate; importing .stl models into the Replicator G software; learning to edit the native Gcode in Replicator G to modify printing parameters; tinkering with such settings as layer height, print speed, and infill to find the optimum balance of successful printing and print speed.

I offered some successful programs. My proudest achievement was designing a multi-part working catapult in TinkerCAD and successfully printing it.

And then one day I started a new print and…nothing but big blobs of gooey plastic. I tried again: same result. Coworkers and I researched the problem and tried solutions, to no avail. We discovered that support for 3D printers is very much a hit or miss proposition. Our 3D printing programs came to a screeching halt.

And then, one day a new 3D printer from Cubify showed up in the workroom: a sleek gray plastic number that we named Batgirl and lavished attention upon.

So I sat down to get myself acquainted with Batgirl (okay, I just like the sound of that). How would this compare to the old MakerBot Replicator?

Well, first of all, the Cube is a lot prettier than the old wood-enclosed Replicator, with its filament spools hanging off the back of the machine. The PLA filament for the Cube comes in see-through plastic cartridges that just click into the sides of the printer. Shiny!

And the build plate! On the Replicator you had to manually level the build plate and then cover it with shiny orange kapton tape (for ABS printing) or blue painters tape (for PLA). But the Cube; why you just press auto align and level and Presto! Of course the first time we did that, it didn’t actually align so well and the print heads gouged the heck out of the build plate and we had to calibrate manually anyway but, hey, whatever. At least with PLA printing, there’s no taping of the build plate, just a glue stick that you run over the surface a few times. And the plate is attached magnetically and is easily removed and washable. Score!

But what about printing? Well, I grabbed an .stl file that we’d printed before and…what? First, how was I supposed to get the file to the printer? You can discover the printer via WiFi or on your network, but ours isn’t actually on the network. You can print from the cloud, but that seems to cost. I just wanted to print a freely created model on a printer that we own, locally. Well, the easiest way to do that is to put your file on a USB drive and plug it in to the printer.

I tried that and discovered that the Cube doesn’t read .STL files. What does it read? .cube3 files of course. Proprietary format: not crazy about that but let’s give it a try. Okay, let me convert my file to Cube format. How do I do that? Let me check the online help. Hmm, nothing. We looked and looked and could not find a simple instruction for how to do the most basic task for this printer.

Eventually I discovered that we needed to download Cubify software. I found the right version for our printer, installed it, and…now how do we make this .cube3 file? I and my coworkers looked in the Cubify application, we looked on the Cubify website, we looked in forums, we looked on YouTube. Nothing. Eventually we found the key to print preparation in the Cubify app and—magic—printing! One color printing, because the cool neon green print cartridge isn’t working but, you know, printing! We’re back in the 3D business!

So what have I learned in all of this? Be careful what you wish for. 3D printing is cool and people are really excited about it, but printers can be a real pain. The old gen Replicator felt like a prototype, like you were really getting into the guts of the machine and learning things. The Cube 3D is sleek and modern looking, like a fancy new toaster. At the end of the day, though, it’s just as finicky as our old Replicator and, unlike the Replicator, you can’t get under the hood as easily. I can’t edit the Gcode, the Cubify application seems restrictive and not intuitive. The fancy plastic print cartridges seem like wasteful overkill. But it’s printing as I write this, and I’ve got a lot more to learn, and at least we’re back in business.

Here at Robot Test Kitchen, we’ve been open about learning about learning from our problems and even embracing them. I’m at a point where I keep my eyes open for problems and run toward them because they create learning opportunities and keep things so interesting. Duct tape is so perfect in this regard. It sticks to your hands, it sticks to the table, it sticks to itself, and I’ve seen it get stuck in hair.

But it is forgiving! Is your project turning out too short or too small? Just add some duct tape. Is it bigger than you’d planned? Cut it with scissors. Has it stuck to itself and everything else and now it’s a mangled sticky ball? Toss it and start over; it’s just duct tape. We have lots more!

Most importantly, making things out of this challenging but forgiving material lets me ask the questions I really want to ask. One quote from The One Minute Manager by Kenneth H. Blanchard that always stuck with me is, “If you can´t tell me what you’d like to be happening, you don’t have a problem yet. You’re just complaining. A problem only exists if there is a difference between what is actually happening and what you desire to be happening.” I’m not suggesting anyone say that to a middle-schooler, but we can guide them toward a mindset of productive problem-solving. When someone shows me their shapeless project and says, “It’s so ugly!” I can say, “How would you like it to look different?” When I get asked how to make something completely new and different, I can ask, “What do you think the pieces would look like? How would they go together?” I can even grab the prototype and say, “Let’s take this apart and see how it’s put together.”

Working with a duct tape is the perfect metaphor for so much of the STEAM programming we’ve been doing. Unsurprisingly, it’s not about the duct tape or anything we make from it. Our young patrons are not just building wallets or bow ties (which are very cool), they’re building community and building confidence and developing problem-solving skills. Even when we’re not talking about new kinds of programming (hi, robots!), we can still talk about new ways of approaching our roles, especially in guiding rather than instructing.

What went wrong

Things started going wrong in the days leading up to the program as I received the supplies and tried to make a sample project. The motors we had were too big, and the dollar store toothbrushes could not support them. In trying different methods to attach the batteries to the motors, I ended up draining some of the batteries and needed to go to the store to buy more.

At the time of the program, I still wasn’t happy with the project. I made the best of it by telling program attendees the problems with the design, and presenting it as a challenge to design a way to make it work. The closest we came to success was by fastening two toothbrush heads with adhesive foam strips, but we only got the tiniest of scoots before the batteries died or it tipped over. It wasn’t devastating, but it was disappointing.

Look at this sad thing:

What I learned

Having the right supplies is pretty important. We purchased the smallest motors we could find locally, but we should have gone online and perhaps bought these or these. By the time I realized the motors we had were too big it was too late to have smaller ones shipped. The whole thing was a learning experience for me, and after almost two years I will be attempting DIY robots again this summer. I’ll let you know how it goes!

What about you?

At Robot Test Kitchen we believe that learning is at its best when you are ready to fail forward. Do you have a program failure you’d be willing to share with Robot Test Kitchen readers? Contact us and tell us about it.

Supplies: Paper, masking tape, paper clips, scissors

1. Discuss the forces of flight: Lift, Weight, Thrust, and Drag. You’ll just want to provide a very basic understanding of these concepts.

2. Discuss how the forces of flight work on paper airplanes, such as how the large or heavy paper stock will have more weight, and how careful folding can result in less drag.

3. Provide books and templates to make a variety of paper airplanes, and use masking tape to mark a practice range to test them. Paper clips and tape can be used to experiment the effect of adding weight to different parts of the plane.

4. At the end of the program, have the participants compete for the farthest flight. I’ll give them three throws for their best-flying plane with the opportunity to make adjustments to the plane between throws.

• Because my coding experience is limited and my workplace encourages cross-departmental collaboration, I co-planned it with a librarian from adult services who has more of an IT background.
• At the beginning of the program, I told the participants that it was coding club, not coding class, and that they were encouraged to contribute and teach others.
• We had a plan for what we would demonstrate, but had plenty of flexibility within this plan depending on our attendees’ interests.

While we were demonstrating a game created with Scratch, a 5th grader asked if he could show a game he had made. I was apprehensive for a moment because his behavior while in the library is frequently disruptive, but he calmly and capably stood in front of the room and demonstrated the game he had made, described how he had built it, and showed how it could be modified.

It was awesome. After so many interactions in the library where we had to remind him about his behavior, I saw this boy absolutely shine. This is what makes it worth stepping out of our comfort zone. To some extent the programs we do are not about coding, or robotics, or basket-weaving. It’s about us connecting with the community, and giving community members of all ages a chance to learn something new and share what they know.

On Tuesdays, we’re tackling the budget question with programs you can run at your library for under $10. We’re also addressing the interest and support questions by asking you to share your inexpensive STEM programs in the comments, and to let us know what kinds of feedback you’ve gotten when you’ve tried these or similar programs in your buildings! This week: Strawberry DNA Extraction

Cost: About $5 for strawberries and a bottle of rubbing alcohol; the other items are usually available around your home or workplace (and only needed in very small quantities)

Age Range: elementary-middle school

Difficulty: Easy to set up; explaining the procedure will take some staff preparation

Here’s what you’ll need:

1. The day before, put the bottle of rubbing alcohol in the freezer and keep it icy cold right up until you’re ready to use it.

2. Remove the stems from 2-3 strawberries, put them in a Ziploc bag and have the kids mash them up.

3. Create an “extraction buffer” with 1 cup water, 3/4 tsp. salt, and 3/4 tsp. dish soap or shampoo; add this solution to the mashed strawberry, and mash the bag well to mix it well.

4. Place the funnel over a glass, and a coffee filter into the funnel, and pour the mixture from the baggie into it; use a spoon to press as much through the filter as possible.

5. Carefully drop or pour the cold rubbing alcohol down the side of the glass. The mixture will separate into layers; the strawberry’s DNA is the white mucous-like substance on top. You can remove it with a craft stick or coffee stirrer to examine it more closely.

This activity works well in a program with a discussion about DNA in general, solubility of liquids, forensic investigations, or even gardening.

I learned about the procedure from Cool Forensic Tools by Esther Beck, 2009.

First, I think the babysitting comment indicates a need to change our perspective about how we define the community we serve. To bring up babysitting only focuses on the parents responsibility (which I certainly don’t want to minimize). Young people in the library aren’t just children of members of the community; they are the community. They aren’t just important because someday they will vote and have careers and families; they are just important. I may be preaching to the choir, as this is something that awesome librarians have known for many years.

Second, I’ve noticed that a lot of complaints center on how these middle schoolers are using the library after school. Some are browsing for books and doing homework, but many are also eating snacks, chatting with friends, playing board games, and playing Minecraft or other computer games. This does not mean they are using the library as a recreation center; it just means that they have a broad definition of what the library is used for. Many adults remember the library of their childhood as a quiet place for reading and studying, and to this day reminisce fondly about the card catalog and learning the Dewey Decimal system. The many young people who come to the library today will not have those same experiences, but I assure you they are creating memories of their own. When they are adults, they may look back at the hundreds of hours they spent at the library and recall the programs they attended, the librarians who greeted them by name everyday, or how they played games with their friends. Let’s not impose our memories of how we used the library when we were young on how the library should be used today; these kids are members of the community, and this is their library.

Librarians tend to be detail-oriented, and some of us may be so wrapped up in the details of doing our jobs that we forget to take a step back and ask why we do our jobs. Every once in a while, ask yourself, “What does the library mean to this community?” and “Who is our community?” The fact that sometimes up to a hundred kids come into the library has been framed as our “after-school problem,” but I prefer to think of it as an opportunity to for these kids to be engaged in their community. I’m going to reframe my own thinking on another issue as well: rather than thinking about the problem of those who complain to me about the library being a babysitting center, I’m going to see it as an opportunity to advocate for these young people and the role of the library in the community.

With this new weekly feature, Ten Dollar Tuesdays, we will be tackling the budget question with programs you can run at your library for under $10. We’ll also address the interest and support questions by asking you to share your inexpensive STEM programs in the comments, and to let us know what kinds of feedback you’ve gotten when you’ve tried these or similar programs in your buildings!

Take It Apart

Cost: $0

Age range: tweens & teens

Group size: Up to 20, depending on materials

Staff amounts: 1

• Give kids an opportunity to explore how things work, how they’re put together, and what happens if they they take them apart.
• Ask for donations of broken appliances (no tube TVs or microwaves) and computers, supply tools, and let kids explore.
• Disassembling a PC is a great learning opportunity, and you don’t necessarily need to know a lot about computer hardware. I supplied printed diagrams for kids to match up the components, and I learned a lot from YouTube videos. You may need special screwdrivers for some of the screws on the computer case; our IT department was happy to let us borrow those, and a staff member even helped at the program
• Taking things apart can very exciting, so caution your tweens and teens not to get carried away and get scrapes or cuts on sharp parts
• Ask kids what similarities they saw, what surprised them, what parts they already knew about, and what they would like to learn more about
• After the program, you may be able to salvage some parts for a future craft program (another Ten Dollar Tuesday!), or check with your local recycling facility to see what they can accept.

Have you done a Take it Apart program? Share your experience with us!

As the webinar began, I experienced a moment of self doubt (which is unusual for me, but I know I’m not the only one to go through this) as I read the comments from the participants. So many of them have thriving Makerspaces, and are already using LittleBits in innovative ways that I thought, “Who am I to be a panelist and impart any knowledge to them?” I was already in and I accepted that plowing forward was the only option, so I gave myself a brief pep talk and carried on. I did talk about my experiences with LittleBits thus far, as well as plans for in-house use and circulation of kits.

Here are just some of the things I learned and ideas I gleaned:

• The other panelist, Jessica Lamarre, shared the fantastic idea to use small pictures of the LittleBits components to make sure they get put back correctly, whether they’re housed in the original packaging or in a plastic tackle-box type container.
• I learned that there is a LittleBits Synth Kit, which I think will be a great fit in my library for next summer’s Read to the Rhythm summer reading program.
• There is an Arduino component so you can use Scratch extensions, there is a LEGO brick adapter, and they’ve even been used to power 3D printed cars. Is there anything LittleBits don’t play nicely with?

In the end, I’m glad I had this experience. I may not be an expert, but I have a lot to share. I’m not new to this either, but I still enjoy learning, sharing, and being inspired by the ideas of others. It was worth it to step out of my comfort zone, sit in front of a webcam, and share what I know because this is all so very important.

Whatever we’re working on, our ultimate goal is enrich lives and build communities. At the same time, if you’re reading this you’re part of a community. Whatever fantastic things get made or invented in our schools and libraries, however many kids are inspired to pursue new interests, we are part of it. Just as we’re giving people in our communities a chance to create and connect, we need to keep on connecting with each other. We’re not just making the makerspaces so the makers can come make, we are the makers too. So let’s embrace that maker spirit and realize that each of has a unique perspective and something to share. Your experiences and even the questions you ask can spark an idea for someone else.

By numbers alone, the first difference is about $30. You can purchase Sphero 2.0 on the Sphero website for $129.99, or you get pick up an original Sphero (let’s call it 1.0 for a moment) on Amazon for $99.99. Other numbers of interest: on the box, Sphero 2.0 purports to be twice as fast and three times as bright as the original Sphero, as well as waterproof and pet-proof.

Both models synced with an iPad with relative ease, but I could only get 2.0 to sync with an Android smartphone. I tried with a couple of different Spheros on a couple of different days, but I haven’t given up yet — I’ll keep working on this (I may even contact Sphero’s tech support, which has been very helpful in the past). For the purposes of this road test (which really took place in a hallway), I only used the iPad.

They seemed equally bright to me, although our 2.0 has a few more miles on it and so is not as shiny. Perhaps the difference is more apparent in a dark room. I didn’t get out a stopwatch to determine if the 2.0 is twice as fast, but it definitely has more spring in its step; the extra power is apparent. The 2.0 starts smoothly from a stopped position, whereas the 1.0 needs a few extra taps on the iPad to get going. The 1.0 is also a little harder to rescue when it finds it’s way under things. I did send them both down a hallway that’s the length of our library, and while the 2.0 is zippier, the 1.0 is also satisfyingly fast. You can also adjust the maximum speed of either. They both operated just fine from as much distance as I could give them

I’m just covering the mechanical differences here, but the smoother handling of the 2.0 will streamline any apps that are used with it. As to the final claims of durability, I’m not brave enough to put a Sphero in water, so I’ll just take their word that it is waterproof. I never actually set out to pet-test the 2.0, but my dog did indeed chase it down and then drop it at my feet, and it was unscathed.

Hopefully you now know what you need to make an informed Sphero decision. I’d recommend either for library use, buy you do get what you pay for, and for $30 more Sphero 2.0 is somewhat faster and easier to maneuver, and possibly more durable.