1. Week 01

This week we learned about circuits and how to practice them with our classes.

A simple circuit

With the help of our instructor and some previously bought materials, we quickly got to work making a circuit that could power a small LED light.

The materials we used was paper, copper tape, a button battery, led lights, paper clips, and regular tape.

We first tried making a complex drawing of a snake eating an apple, but were struggling to understand which side of the battery needed to connect to which side of the light’s pins, as well as how to make the apple not covered up when the paper is folded back. So, we scratched the snake idea, and turned it into something simple like this instead.

Attaching the copper wire to the battery was a bit difficult as the wire didn’t stick very well to the battery. Also, we struggled with the sticky side of the tape being as conductive as the pure copper side.

When pressed, if the wire was in exactly the right places, the light would turn on. It was a challenge to get this to work, but eventually it did work!

Reflection Questions

What are the challenges of using electronics in your space? How can you design an activity using electronics that takes into accounts your children age and cultural backgrounds?

Explain one successful educational activity in which you collaborated with other educators. What are the advantages and disadvantages of working with other educators? What are the main aspects to take into account to prepare an education activity among 2 or more educators?

How could you integrate both culturally reflective learning and digital fabrication in your environment? Could you come up with some project ideas using digital fabrication in which cultural diversity of students is highlighted?