Stemiverse 0056 – Gil Poznanski discusses thinking like a maker, exploring ideas and peer-to-peer learning 

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In this episode, Peter talks with Gil Poznanski.

Gil is all about engaging people with technology.

As an international leader in the Maker community, inspiring speaker and teacher, Gil has spent the last eight years building a proven track record in developing STEM and Maker environments and is excited by the challenge of harnessing technology in new and innovative ways.

Gil is always looking for the personal narrative in every project and shares it with as many people as possible.

Gil is currently the Creative Technologies Lead at the Department of Education NSW helping shape STEAM within the public education sector. In the past, he worked with the City of Melbourne running the Makerspace at the Library @ the Dock in Docklands, as well as developed and deployed the Creative Technologies Hub for Hobsons Bay City Council.

In our discussion, we drill into Gil’s previous life in the movie industry in Los Angeles and how his learnings and experiences lead to his re-invention as the “Kosher Tony Stark.” We talk about his experiments with cutting edge technology, prototyping, how he’s using social media and YouTube to expand his reach, and much more.

This is Stemiverse Podcast episode 56.

Stemiverse podcast is brought to you by Tech Explorations, a leading provider of educational resources for Makers, STEM students, and teachers. Go to techexplorations.com to see a complete list of our books and courses covering the Arduino, Raspberry Pi, and electronics.

Show Notes

• [spp-timestamp time=”0:00:00″] Introduction – Introducing Gil Poznanski
• [spp-timestamp time=”0:02:08″] Greetings
• [spp-timestamp time=”0:03:12″] Gil talks about his background in media arts, his studies at UCLA, and his work in the film and television industry
• [spp-timestamp time=”0:07:31″] Gil’s experience with using 3D printing technology as a tool to create prototype props for films
• [spp-timestamp time=”0:09:01″] How this experience brought Gil to the maker’s movement
• [spp-timestamp time=”0:11:38″] Thinking like a maker: Does it come naturally or is it something one needs to learn?
• [spp-timestamp time=”0:15:05″] Exploring ideas, and how prototyping in 3D digital or physical space allows us to understand and improve upon these ideas
• [spp-timestamp time=”0:17:25″] Have the desire to create something and share it with the world
• [spp-timestamp time=”0:21:54″] The minimal cost of experimentation today compared with the 80s and 90s, and how it has impacted the growth of the maker culture and the global maker community
• [spp-timestamp time=”0:22:40″] Jimmy DiResta
• [spp-timestamp time=”0:23:57″] Gil talks about his return to Australia and how he created a full-sized operational Dalek (Orange Blend) from the television show Doctor Who
• [spp-timestamp time=”0:29:26″] Connected Community HackerSpace (“HackMelbourne”)
• [spp-timestamp time=”0:31:30″] Melbourne Library Services: Makerspaces
• [spp-timestamp time=”0:31:53″] Quote from Gil’s about page: “I spent years watching from the sidelines while people created amazing things while I wondered why it seemed so easy for them, but not for me.”
• [spp-timestamp time=”0:35:54″] Don’t be afraid to ask questions and don’t be afraid to fail
• [spp-timestamp time=”0:39:47″] The examples of Elon Musk and Warren Buffet
• [spp-timestamp time=”0:40:28″] How giving permission to fail can be implemented in the traditional school system
• [spp-timestamp time=”0:41:23″] How humans evolved and developed peer-to-peer learning, creativity, and communication
• [spp-timestamp time=”0:46:40″] Creativity, complexity and technology required in blue-collar jobs
• [spp-timestamp time=”0:49:16″] Innovative ways in which Gil uses technology to be a better teacher
• [spp-timestamp time=”0:52:33″] What makes a successful workshop?
• [spp-timestamp time=”0:56:24″] DNA sequencers (handheld devices)
• [spp-timestamp time=”1:00:57″] In the next 5-10 years the technological development that Gil sees influencing the way we teach and learn is none other than Artificial Reality (AR)
• [spp-timestamp time=”1:05:12″] Rapid Fire Questions
  • [spp-timestamp time=”1:05:20″] Gil’s favorite application: The YouTube app
  • [spp-timestamp time=”1:06:10″] The Makers Monday, Gil’s YouTube project that introduces you to a new maker each week
  • [spp-timestamp time=”1:08:54″] How Gil does his coding: He mostly uses Notepad, Blockly, Scratch, BBC Micro:bit with Visual Studio Code, and is interested in delving into Python & MicroPython
  • [spp-timestamp time=”1:10:31″] Gil’s method and advice: Choose the one tool that allows you to achieve your target outcome as quickly as possible
  • [spp-timestamp time=”1:12:13″] Parting thoughts, dos and don’ts: “Don’t be afraid to fail; go with the thing that excites you.”
• [spp-timestamp time=”1:14:21″] Gil’s Contact Information:
  • Instagram: @koshertonystark
  • Twitter: @koshertonystark
  • Facebook page
  • Facebook profile
  • YouTube Channel
  • T4L TV