Network Meeting Thursday 16.11.2017 at 16.00-18.00
Scandic Hotel Grand
Marina, Helsinki
On Thursday we had a meeting with Iván Sánchez Milara, Research Scientist. PhD Candidate from University of Oulu, a leader of Finnish FabLab4School -project in Fab Lab Oulu.
Iván described the
background of the project and Fab Lab Oulu. Initial idea has been to support
university students in different courses but also focus on earlier levels, to bring
pupils and students to Fab Lab, familiarize them with the concept, and get good student
applicants for the fields of technology and science.
So far, the
main topics used in FabLab4School learning activities have been 1.
design of quick prototyping, 2. electronics, 3. 2D/ 3D-designing, and 4.
embedded programming (Arduino).
However,
since teachers are the ones who have the pedagogical skills, and know how to
create learning activities and assess the outcomes, there is a need to focus on
and train teachers.
Claus
Skjøth Nicolaisen, Learning Advisor from FabLab Spinderihallerne reminded
always to think about the project for a longer space of time – not only how is
it right now but what would we like it to be in next five years.
Hanne Voldborg
Andersen, National Coordinator of FabLab@SCHOOLdk pointed out another important
aspect – “you cannot change the behavior,
you have to change the believe in” meaning, that what ever we do, we need
support to do it. In the case of applying Fab Lab for schools and developing
education we, necessarily, need the support of our municipality. If it has to
be fight about the believes, then it is not going to happen.
We had a short
discussion about so-called Mobile-Fab Labs also, and it seemed to be nice idea
for offering possibilities for a bigger number of pupils and people to
experience digital fabrication activities. However, it has experienced having
its faults as well. For pupils it can be two fantastic weeks or months but then
it’s all gone, and for teachers, they can feel even “why even bother and use
your spare time for that because it will go away anyway”.
Thomas Lauenborg, Teacher
at Vonsild school in Kolding raised a faced issue, how to make also (other)
teachers to believe this is the future, being one of the biggest topics there
is a need to work on. Ole Kjær Thomasen from Fab Lab Silkeborg went along with
him by the concern, how to spread the interest in to those “not fablabbers” and
make sure that the competencies will be equal, since we are going to see this
as a subject for everyone. At the moment, it is evident that instead of being
producers, people are still more like users – they have iPads and other devices
to consume but – the great understanding of technologies is lacking.
So, it is
not about the technologies but the believe, which you cannot change instantly
but you might have to work for believe, for a mindset and a new way of
thinking, for a long time. Therefore, it was suggested to start rather by only
a little and very few technologies but make it last. Because, teachers make the
decision so in the end, it’s not the technologies but educating the teachers,
and small steps to make teachers think that this is something for me. Thus,
instead of buying all the machines and stuff, we rather should use our
resources for educating teachers.
We may have
to think carefully what are the technologies for learning, how to use technologies
not in the sense of technologies themselves but for a pedagogy and, how to
train teachers for applying and using technologies appropriately. Remarkable
is, that it can be dangerous to make the very technology skilled guy
responsible of these processes, it can even increase the gap inside the school.
Instead, it might be good idea to find a person who is dedicate for making
this, and sharing with colleagues what has taught and learned. Thus, it is not
chance making to educate the one who already have the skills but, have to find
the one who doesn’t but is interested in to learn and share!
Fab Labs grow when they create the community
Iván
introduced us also FabLat Kids ( http://fablatkids.org/ ) from South America (all around
South America, but mainly in Brasil, Argentina, Chile, Peru and Mexico), where
similar ‘Fab Lab activities’ are carried out as after school activities. In there
they can collaborate and do same activities in different countries at the same
time.
People in
Oulu are willing to create similar international collaboration between Nordic
countries. As a concrete outcome of the meeting, we will contact and present the
idea in the faculties at University of Oulu and for City of Oulu.
Take the long-term strategy – but also take the
first stage step
In parallel,
we would like to make a small pioneer project for two-three schools from both
countries FIN and DK as a start point, using eTwinning as a platform of collaboration.
By Kati Pitkänen