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E56 - Empowering Imagination and Engineering – Makerspace Adventures in LA County
Tovi Spero and Jonathan Bijur share about their respective organizations, AWFS and reDiscover, and talk about the value of makerspaces, tinkering, woodworking, and design thinking, with outcomes like careers in the trades, design and engineering skills, and environmental awareness through sustainable maker practices.
Tech Lasso is not a platform to promote companies or organizations per se, but we aim to share the incredible stories of educators in Los Angeles County who are creating opportunities for students and educators to expand their STEAM knowledge and practice.
Jonathan Bijur is the Executive Director of reDiscover, a youth makerspace nonprofit serving LA County. With over 20 years experience in informal education for elementary and middle school age children, Jonathan is a seasoned teacher, curriculum developer, and maker. Prior to reDiscover, Jonathan led outreach programs in art, engineering, and biology at the MIT Museum in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and American Decorative Art and Native American Art Programs at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Massachusetts. He is a passionate tinkerer, artist, educator, and STEAM advocate. Jonathan has a BA from Yale University and Masters of Library Science from Simmons University.
🌎 Earth Day Sustainable Art Festival at Mid City reDiscover Center
"Celebrate Earth Day with hands-on sustainable art and STEAM activities at the Mid City reDiscover Center. This huge event will have multiple activity booths for littles, families, and teens, hands-on woodshop demos, refreshments, performances, and special guests. Join reDiscover and turn discards into art this Earth Day."
Tovi Spero is the Education Director for AWFS, a not-for-profit trade association supporting the woodworking industry in Southern California and nationally. Tovi came into the role he is in now after 13 years of teaching STEM at the high school and college levels including physics, astronomy, engineering, and robotics. Tovi helped train pre-service STEM teachers at Rutgers University, his alma mater, in a graduate level course on integrating engineering in science courses, standards-based assessment practices, and guided inquiry. He has taught in public schools on the east coast, private boarding and day schools across the US, and charters in LA county. Tovi has a BS in Physics and MEd in Physics Education from Rutgers University.
Production Notes:
Tech Lasso is produced in collaboration with the Instructional Technology Outreach (ITO) Coordinators with support from the LACOE Technology, Learning & Support Services Department.
The views expressed in the podcast are those of the presenters and may not be endorsed by the Los Angeles County Office of Education or the respective organizations of the guests.
If you have recommendations or feedback for us, please complete this form.
Twitter/X @lacoe_ito | Facebook @lacoeITO | LinkedIn @lacoe-ito | [email protected]
Media credits: Soundtrap, MusicFX, StableAudio, Canva, ChatGPT4, Google Gemini
Many thanks to Spotify and Spotify for Podcasters for syndication and support.
View all episodes
By EdTech and Innovation at Los Angeles County Office of EducationTovi Spero and Jonathan Bijur share about their respective organizations, AWFS and reDiscover, and talk about the value of makerspaces, tinkering, woodworking, and design thinking, with outcomes like careers in the trades, design and engineering skills, and environmental awareness through sustainable maker practices.
Tech Lasso is not a platform to promote companies or organizations per se, but we aim to share the incredible stories of educators in Los Angeles County who are creating opportunities for students and educators to expand their STEAM knowledge and practice.
Jonathan Bijur is the Executive Director of reDiscover, a youth makerspace nonprofit serving LA County. With over 20 years experience in informal education for elementary and middle school age children, Jonathan is a seasoned teacher, curriculum developer, and maker. Prior to reDiscover, Jonathan led outreach programs in art, engineering, and biology at the MIT Museum in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and American Decorative Art and Native American Art Programs at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Massachusetts. He is a passionate tinkerer, artist, educator, and STEAM advocate. Jonathan has a BA from Yale University and Masters of Library Science from Simmons University.
🌎 Earth Day Sustainable Art Festival at Mid City reDiscover Center
"Celebrate Earth Day with hands-on sustainable art and STEAM activities at the Mid City reDiscover Center. This huge event will have multiple activity booths for littles, families, and teens, hands-on woodshop demos, refreshments, performances, and special guests. Join reDiscover and turn discards into art this Earth Day."
Tovi Spero is the Education Director for AWFS, a not-for-profit trade association supporting the woodworking industry in Southern California and nationally. Tovi came into the role he is in now after 13 years of teaching STEM at the high school and college levels including physics, astronomy, engineering, and robotics. Tovi helped train pre-service STEM teachers at Rutgers University, his alma mater, in a graduate level course on integrating engineering in science courses, standards-based assessment practices, and guided inquiry. He has taught in public schools on the east coast, private boarding and day schools across the US, and charters in LA county. Tovi has a BS in Physics and MEd in Physics Education from Rutgers University.
Production Notes:
Tech Lasso is produced in collaboration with the Instructional Technology Outreach (ITO) Coordinators with support from the LACOE Technology, Learning & Support Services Department.
The views expressed in the podcast are those of the presenters and may not be endorsed by the Los Angeles County Office of Education or the respective organizations of the guests.
If you have recommendations or feedback for us, please complete this form.
Twitter/X @lacoe_ito | Facebook @lacoeITO | LinkedIn @lacoe-ito | [email protected]
Media credits: Soundtrap, MusicFX, StableAudio, Canva, ChatGPT4, Google Gemini
Many thanks to Spotify and Spotify for Podcasters for syndication and support.