Mission & Philosophy
Train the trainer sessions are the starting point for volunteers of all backgrounds to gather in a space and learn what goes into a Morgan Stanley Makerspace session. There will be a presentation of the curriculum, the opportunity to gain some hands on experience with the CPX device, and a discussion of the philosphy with which we run our makerspaces.
The Morgan Stanley Makerspaces are designed to introduce participants to coding and making with the Adafruit CPX device as a starting platform.
The philosophy of Makerspace is one of discovery, experimentation and passion. The curriculum is not used as a test or a required standard to be achieved, but a jumping off point. It introduces the students to the features of the device in order to inspire creativity. An instructor’s role is to facilitate and guide that creativity to create with the CPX what the student imagines.
We hope that by the end of the session, the participants will have cultivated a desire in the students to delve deeper and learn more about whichever aspect of technology inspired them.
Notes from Experienced Instructors
General Guidance
- Give students time and space to explore what catches their interest in each exercise.
- Learn enough on your own to anticipate the student’s needs and prompt or suggest when needed.
- Feel free to make mistakes in front of them and say that you don’t know something. Let them know you are learning too. Show them how to research and teach themselves the way we do as professionals.
- When you don’t know something, work through it out loud with the group. The troubleshooting process is a valuable skill to learn even if they don’t take to coding.
- If your group shows an interest in a certain aspect of a lession (color theory, music notes, etc), dive into it! This is what we are hoping for! Don’t stress about the number of lessons. This moment is the most valuable learning moment.
- If a student is overwhelmed let them know its okay and to take quiet time for themselves.
- If the lessons seem easy to your group, add challenges and encourage creativity.
Remote Lessons
- Give students quiet time to work through the code. Check in by name in a rotating fashion.
- Share your screen and demonstrate examples with your webcam if possible.
- Encourage students to keep their camera on and mics unmuted to foster troubleshooting when needed and natural conversation. -Encourage students to share their screen when troubleshooting.