Start up in classroom context
[Best practice]
This workshop is designed for teachers and educators to get a good understanding of digital fabrication and the potential of integrating such tools in different school subjects. The workshop presents methods to structure a basic activity with a vinyl cutter in an interdisciplinary project, having Math and Art classes as the entrance points. The workshop is based on an activity developed with 5th grade at the NOVA School in Vejle, Denmark.
Place: Session A+B – 11:00 at DD Lab (Foyer). Participants should bring their own computer, if possible with Inkscape installed. (If you have a Mac computer, please install the software Inkscape before the workshop, it has shown to be very time consuming compared to the instalation on a pc).
Introduction and background
This workshop is based on an activity developed with a 5th grade class at the NOVA School in Vejle, and resulted from the collaboration between the school and FABLAB@SCHOOL Vejle. The two entities have structured an interdisciplinary project with focus on introducing design thinking and digital fabrication technologies on a 5th grade class. The project lasted for five weeks, during Math and Art classes. The pupils worked with the theme “Decoration”, and throughout different activities were driven to explore and reflect on the relationship between jewelry, patterns, identity, Math and Art. The project relied on “hands on” learning and the active role that construction/ producing a physical product plays in the learning process. FABLAB@SCHOOL.dk Vejle was at the school only 3 times during the whole project, where the students had to produce decoration themselves, by using Math concepts – “mirroring” and “rotation” –, learn a new computer software and use the vinyl cutter. The rest of the time, teachers and students have worked independently.
The vision is to develop more activities, start introducing some complexity and more focus on problem based learning. However, before introducing complexity, it is necessary to have a basic understanding of the machine and the process to work with it. The workshop at the NOVA School focused on a meaningful introductory activity to get familiar with the technology in classroom contexts.
About the Workshop
The workshop aims to present a short introduction to digital fabrication and its potential in relation to education. It is mainly “hands on”, with focus on a structured process to work with a vinyl cutter in classroom context. The process of working with a vinyl cutter will be introduced step by step. It is suitable for beginners; teachers and educators, but also designers and makers that wish to know more about digital fabrication and vinyl cutter.
About the Facilitators
Ana Catarina Cabral has master degree in Architecture from Aalborg University and is currently part of the project FabLab@SCHOOL.dk, as FabLeader at Spinderihallerne in Vejle.