1. Week 01

Summary

The task was to design and cut with the laser cuttera 3D object. As material is strongly recommend using cardboard, because is a great material for prototypes. I desided to go for a tabbed box, with built in light illuminating a plexiglass image. I used Inkscape, but to make my work easier I uploaded the CNC Tools and used a tabbed box maker to help me with my work.

The task

The main task of this week is to create with the laser cutter. In addition I should answer the following reflection questions: 1. How your press-fit can be utilized in education? How other teachers could use it 2. What has been your experience using Project Based Learning / Problem based learning in the past? What were the main challenges? How Digital Fabrication can support Project Based Learning / Problem Based learning? 3. When organizing Digital Fabrication activities with kids, What are the aspects that you think should be prepared beforehand? What aspects can be improvised?

Reflections

1. Boxing like I did can be useful for many things. Students might make a box to store pencils and such on their desk, but in my school students are provided with stationery and books. A student could use their own imagination to decorate and mark their own box. If the box is used the way I designed it, it can be used to help the student understand how electricity works.
2. My have some experience with Project Based Learning. One of the math tasks I have used, is that the teenager is supposed to refurnish a room (his/her) for a certain amount, then uses the internet to search for furniture, paint, flooring and so on. There are many different ways to calculate and choose. A similar project was to organize a Christmas dinner for a family of a certain size. Choose recipes for appetizer, main course and dessert. Estimate how much raw foam is needed and how much it costs. The advantage of these tasks is that the student connects well with them. The main challenges is, in my opinion, is to find project wich the student connects with. One example of Problem based learning, where Digital Fabrication was very supportive, was that coats can’t be hung up in the Fab Lab Vestmannaeyjar, because it wasn’t a coat rack. Students were tasked with designing hanger in 3d and printing them out - a problem that was obvious and students could let their imaginations take off in solving it.
3. When organizing Digital Fabrication activities with kids it is essential that material and equipment that may be required is available and the teacher has already planned the project. During the project, the teacher must examine with an open mind the ideas the student has for solving it.

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