According to Techopedia “The maker movement is a trend in which individuals or groups of individuals create and market products that are recreated and assembled using unused, discarded or broken electronic, plastic, silicon or virtually any raw material and/or product from a computer-related device.
The maker movement has led to the creation of a number of technology products and solutions by typical individuals working without supportive infrastructure. This is facilitated by the increasing amount of information available to individuals and the decreasing cost of electronic components.”
https://www.techopedia.com/definition/28408/maker-movement
As a student at Maharishi University of Management we are given the opportunity to take a one month intensive course on becoming a Maker. This course teaches students “(just) enough to make (almost) anything”.
As promised, the first week I gained the skills to make almost anything.
Day 1- Monday, 22 February: On day one we had a nice course overview fallowed by an introduction to our shop and makers spaces. We then broke up the class into three groups for the rest of the weeks skill training.
Day 2- On day two we began our skill training with metal. We covered cutting, grinding, drilling, and joining (welding).
Day 3- In the morning on day three we took a break on our skill sets and watched a short movie called Crafted, about masters of the maker movement. We then began brainstorming possible projects and things we would like to make. In the afternoon we worked as a class learning the basics of Sketchup.
Day 4- After watching a few instructional videos the night before we dove into lighting up an LED on an Arduino. I was so excited about this, and was very inspired to learn more as I could now see the endless possibilities for solving world problems with this software. In the afternoon we learned basic household wiring, plumbing, and soldering.
Day 5- On day five we were learning about wood. We learned to drill, screw, join, glue, assess, cut, and sand wood.
Day 6- On Saturdays we only have morning class, so we dedicated ourselves to thinking harder on what project we would like to make as a final project. Through the two hours I narrowed it down to building a longboard, celtic harp, and hang drum. Thinking over the weekend I also wanted to explore the possibility of making wind chimes as well.
This week of experience was very empowering for me. As my teacher explains: we are doing things that for most of peoples life, they have been told not to do because it is dangerous. We are using an array of dangerous tools and techniques that most people have not learned how to use or do safely and are therefor unaware of the power that knowledge holds. When you learn these skills you begin to see the world a bit differently. Now when I think of something I need I don’t think about ordering it online, or heading to Walmart or Goodwill to pick it up, but rather the what resources and how much time it would take for me to make it myself. I feel that I am, for the first time, initiating my connection to my environment in a very specific way. Not only do I know that the cute shirt I want from Forever21 is contributing to slave labor in other countries, but I can relate to the people that made it. I am beginning to see and feel what people go through to bring me the items that I often take for granted. This is a very profound realization and has effected me very deeply this last week. I encourage everyone to start your journey to becoming a maker, because I think that this might just lead to a social revolution and understanding.
I plan on researching and planning my project further this week.
My Journey Through Sustainability 