FabLab Thinking and Tinkering in Experimenting Networks around the World
This workshop gives the participants first-hand insight into the potentials of inviting children to become globally networking fabricators. On the basis of a short introductory video showcasing a workshop-setup for children fabricating in different locations but networking together to fabricate and transform together the participants will try out this setup for themselves. That is, after gaining insight into the capabilities of children to be globally networking fabricators, participants will gain insight into how they can set op such workshop structures and processes for themselves within their own educational contexts.
Place: Session A – 11:00 at INCUBA 143+147.
Workshop Format
1. An introduction to ‘FabLab thinking and tinkering in experimenting networks around the globe’ by the workshop facilitators focusing on the global networking potentials in children’s experimenting, fabricating and communicating activities, interactions and experiences.
2. A video showcasing how this comprehension unfolds amongst children partaking in actual workshops as global fabricators supporting each other’s learning processes through digital fabrication in intertwined networks through mutual experiments.
3. A workshop where participants become globally networking fabricators themselves by being placed en different locations but as co-designers working together on a mutual project. The process will evolve around the breaking, making and transforming of each other’s individual artifacts, stories and media materials through the use of analogous and digital fabrication in an effort to construct a shared artifact as story. More precisely, we will work together on constructing a joint creation through networking processes by way of intertwining, remixing and communicating through MaKey MaKey, LEGO WeDo, Minecraft, Moving boxes, LEGO Duplo and photos and video on tablets. In this way, participants will be given a first-hand hands-on non-intimidating, playful and immediate insight into how they can themselves set up such processes for “FabLab thinking and tinkering in experimenting networks around the world” that are both affordable, approachable, mutable and easily applicable within the participants own contexts.
4. A recapitulation pointing towards future potentials, possibilities, processes and products in relation to thinking about developing future global experimenting communities where children work together on mutual projects through digital fabrication in networked communities to become global fabricators. The workshop is addressed to teachers, pedagogues and other educators that wishes to gain insight into what it means to be ‘a child experimenting in a global community’ children’s abilities to construct, experiment, learn and communicate in different dis-located contexts while working together in real time on mutual projects through digital fabrication in networks.
Aim of Workshop
The overall aim of the workshop is, through the use of, for example, MaKey MaKey, LEGO WeDO and Duplo, Minecraft and tablets, that participants gain insight into and become able to set up their own future workshop structures for ‘real world global fabrication in networks’ by trying, like children do, to view the globe as our mutually shared material. We will, like children, work together to construct a shared artifact as story through working together with people around the globe to merge analogous and digital fabrication into shared artifact as story. In this way, the workshop provide educators with a ‘best case practice’ of setting up digital fabrication workshops and processes for children at all ages and stages that foster and support children as global fabricators.
About the Facilitators
Klaus Thestrup is Assistant Professor at Center for Teaching Development and Digital Media, Aarhus University. He holds a PhD from Media Studies, Aarhus University on ‘Experimenting Communities and Media Play’. He currently teaches and researches learning and technologies, reflective communities of practices, learning in context, digital world citizens, children’s culture at Aarhus University and is currently involved in the FabLab@School project and working together with Coding Pirates and Dokk1 to bring learning through making and breaking into Higher Education in and effort to establish participatory academic communities focusing on ‘FabLab Thinking and Tinkering in Experimenting Networks around the World’.
Rikke Toft Noergaard is Assistant Professor at Center for Teaching Development and Digital Media. She holds a PhD from Media Studies with the dissertation ‘Gameplay Corporeality – the corporeal-locomotive dimension in gameplay activity and experience. She currently teach IT-Didactic Design, Digital Design, Gameplay Design at Aarhus University, is involved in the FabLab@School project and are working together with Coding Pirates and Dokk1 to bring learning through making and breaking into Higher Education in and effort to establish participatory academic communities focusing on ‘FabLab Thinking and Tinkering in Experimenting Networks around the World’