2. Digital fabrication in education

This week I used Adobe Illustrator and the Vinyl cutter to create a sticker that I added to my school laptop.

Reflection

1. How does this process relate to what you are teaching in the classroom?

In my class, I am encouraging students to create things. Often, I have not told them that I haven’t specifically told them how to do everything in it, but I want them to look around to problem solve and learn things and try things.

It’s interesting then, to have noticed how much I wanted my Fab Lab teacher to help me through this project. Part of this is I hadn’t really set up enough time to work on the project. While I try to give students enough time, I can imagine that they feel this crunch as well. Part of it was honestly just that I really wanted to “get it right” which I imagine is also on my students’ minds. I can tell them it doesn’t have to be, but that doesn’t mean they’ll see it that way.

1. How does this project inspire you?

It was fun to consider how I wanted to present myself in the nametag. I have a music note, a tie, and a computer to show different aspects of myself, the enby Computer Science

I love the little thrill I get looking at it as a thing I made, and still get every time I look at my computer. I also wish I had taken a little bit more time to size the tie vs the music note properly, which is because this is a sticker that exists for longer than most school assignments do. This is a good reminder to give students work that matters outside of the specific date it is assigned as often as I can.

1. Shortly describe an educational activity in which you could use a vinyl cutter. Explain how would you implement each one of the steps of the design process model explained in the Master Class. Do not forget to discuss about learning outcomes.

As a Media Computation teacher, I can encouarge students to create a repeating pattern with loops and randomness that they will turn into a sticker with a vinyl cutter. The idea would be for them to learn about looping to create their image, but the vinyl cuttter would let them create a design that gives them the feeling I have when I look at my name sticker on my computer.

I have also considered having them do the same thing, but with e-textiles. Possibly, we can have them do both, and talk about the difference between making somethiing on a screen and off, and the difference between building something for a vinyl cutter vs 3D printer vs embroiderer.

1. In which part of the digital fabrication continuum would you feel more comfortable? Why?

I am most comfortable when students can do the entire design process themselves, and I am merely facilitating. This does not happen without lots of work in the middle, however; with me doing the initial problem-finding to find problems that will get them to practice the skills they need to learn to use what we are learning, and to give them ideas for these projects.

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