Workshop

A highly thought provoking and inspirational video from Eric Sheninger, who I had the pleasure of meeting at the Digital Education Show Dubai 7-9th December.

He talks about the current setting of schools in that they are structured and based on conformity, a highly sterilized environment where kids are not able to be creative or allowed to follow their passions.  He mentions creating, 'Maker Spaces', an environment where students are encouraged to think outside of the box and learn what they want to learn through trial and error.

Maker Space is home to the following examples.
Students;

• use 3-D printer to create a phone case. The special printer allows students to create models of just about anything and then makes that model a reality.You can change the color, you have blue, black, white, red, green. Basically comes out a phone case in an hour or two.

•  create video game controllers out of fruit.

• at the school are allowed to visit the Makerspace anytime they want.

• build their own computer  - a student said she loves to take computers apart at the “Take Apart Station.”

• are able to explain for themselves, “This is a motherboard, everything connects to this. This is a CPU, it does calculations for the computer. This is heat sync, which cools off the CPU,”.

Examples of students working on their projects in Maker Spaces