#ChattFab19

#ChattFab19 is a #Maker #FabLab workshop/conference, mostly for Chattanooga teachers to get more experience with the FabLabs that VW has been partnering with Hamilton County School District to implement. They are also nice enough to let some others participate. Which is why they had it right after NOMCON19 (very convenient, thanks). It is run by The Public Education Foundation (PEF) & Hamilton County Schools. They modeled it after PittFab (which I just found out about while I was in Chattanooga). It was a great event. Michael Stone was a great host.  Go to it next year if you are near Chattanooga.

---

We started the days with a keynote at Chattanooga Whiskey Event Hall (yes it smells like whiskey). Day one was Shinjini Das talking about entrepreneurship. Day two was Sylvia Martinez speaking about #MakerEd. (you should get Sylvia’s book). Then they split us up into manageable size groups and bussed us to one of the VW eLabs to learn about and work with the tools : laser cutter, vinyl cutter, cnc router, coding, soldering. The teachers helping us were great. Our goal was to use these tools/materials to build a lamp. There was a time crunch (always when making) and not everyone got finished. But boy did some of those teachers make awesome lamps. 

I was not worried about building a lamp, since I did not want to take something on the plane home. But I did work some with the laser and vinyl cutters. I helped others (distributed teaching and learning in a #MakerSpace) with some software and hardware. I did learn about “the noun project” which has free vector images (needed for the cutter machines). I also got to work with a Dremel Laser cutter. Though we had trouble with it not cutting all the way through with the prescribed settings, even after focusing and cleaning laser.
Below are the rest of my pictures :