> Hi all,
> Jerry pointed me towards this discussion after we met at Maker Faire
> in San Mateo. I wanted simply to let you guys know about our free
> teacher supportive materials that we will soon be offering to everyone
> on SparkFun.com. We already have lots of tutorials and what not but we
> are also developing materials to help educators do their job with
> technology they may not have deal with before. Basically trying to
> support all you educators out there. Our Department of Education at
> SparkFun is fairly small and new, but we've got big aspirations. The
> exciting part is that we offer all the educational materials for free.
> This should interest all you homeschoolers. To sign up for our
> Newsletter go towww.learn.sparkfun.com. Or watch the website and we
> will let you know where you can get those materials the second they
> are official. Here's hoping that hackerspaces can become a larger part
> of the education system.

> On May 26, 9:59 am, MauiMaker <isd...@gmail.com> wrote:

> > Paul

> > Serendipity. There is a conversation on the Hackerspaces.org
> > discussion list (http://lists.hackerspaces.org/mailman/listinfo/
> > discuss) about hackerspaces and education. In particular about sharing
> > class/teacher materials.
> > This was sparked by my seeing a couple panels at Maker Faire Bay Area
> > about "Future of Education" and "Hackerspaces and Education". Hacker/
> > Maker spaces are definitely an emerging source of education in a
> > variety of subjects.  Mostly these are tied to maker activities -
> > electronics, wood/metal working, etc. However, there are also ways to
> > tie in more complete STEAM education (Sci, Tech, Engr, Art, Math)
> > using projects in a maker space.

> > Getting home schoolers involved with makerspaces would be great. I
> > encourage you to look up your local space - seehttp://hackerspaces.org/wiki/List_of_Hacker_Spaces. Be sure to check
> > the 'planned' spaces too.  The site defines a space as one that
> > actually has a permanent dedicated physical meeting space.  A lot of
> > spaces do not have permanent or dedicated space. It takes a fair bit
> > to cover rent.

> > There is alsohttp://schoolfactory.orgaloose organization of
> > hackerspaces and other groups that helps set up spaces, education
> > plans, etc.

> > Jerry Isdalehttp://mauiMakers.com

> > On May 25, 6:53 am, "Paul D. Fernhout" <pdfernh...@kurtz-fernhout.com>
> > wrote:

> > > Just of general interest, a somewhat-local-to-me homeschooler sent me
> > > this hackerspaces link, in the context of chatter about a homeschooling
> > > kid interested in smelting metal. The link has been on the list several
> > > times before obviously, and most people here probably know of, but I
> > > just thought I'd put it up again, especially for anyone new:
> > >    http://hackerspaces.org/wiki/Hackerspaces

> > > It's great how much info is there, like in the documentation part on
> > > setting up a hackerspace as far as legal info, insurance, etc.. I have
> > > not looked at that site in quite a while and it really is great to see
> > > it going so well. There is a lot there.

> > > The "Sprout" space I visited at the H+ Summit (Bryan helped set up a get
> > > together there, thanks) has a quote on their site that goes perfectly
> > > with the unschooling-variation of homeschooling.
> > >    http://thesprouts.org/
> > > "A good educational system should have three purposes: it should provide
> > > all who want to learn with access to available resources at any time in
> > > their lives; empower all who want to share what they know to find those
> > > who want to learn it from them; and, finally, furnish all who want to
> > > present an issue to the public with the opportunity to make their
> > > challenge known." Ivan Illich "

> > > What's also of interest is this idea of a homeschool/hackerspace
> > > connection. I can wonder if that is an underexplored idea?

> > > I also saw this two year old essay by Dougald Hine yesterday, which adds
> > > another aspect to hackerspace advocacy:
> > >    "The Future of Unemployment"
> > >    http://agit8.org.uk/?p=307

> > > So, yet more reasons to:
> > >    "Build 21000 flexible fabrication facilities across the USA"
> > >    http://pcast.ideascale.com/a/dtd/44897-8319

> > > Anyone know what's happening to that bill in Congress related to more
> > > funding for creating some centers?
> > >    "H.R.6003 -- National Fab Lab Network Act of 2010 (Introduced in
> > > House - IH) by Rep. Bill Foster [D-IL14]"
> > >    http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c111:h6003:
> > >    http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d111:h.r.06003:
> > > "(3) to seek to establish at least one Fab Lab per every 700,000
> > > individuals in the United States in the first ten years of its operation."

> > > I wonder if homeschoolers could get behind that somehow?

> > > --Paul Fernhouthttp://www.pdfernhout.net/
> > > ====
> > > The biggest challenge of the 21st century is the irony of technologies
> > > of abundance in the hands of those thinking in terms of scarcity.