About me
AI-generated portrait based on my personal photographs, inspired by my work in STEAM education and digital fabrication.
Hi! I’m Yaro (Yaroslav Artsishevskiy), a STEAM educator, maker and makerspace specialist originally from Russia, now living and working in Hangzhou, China. I help students turn ideas into purposeful products through design, engineering and digital fabrication.
My students and teaching context¶
I teach Design and Technology to Grades 1–6 at Dingwen Academy Hangzhou, a bilingual K–12 school. My work combines project-based STEAM learning with IB PYP integration. Since 2018, I have taught children in China in kindergarten, school, science and engineering programmes.
At Dingwen, I helped transform an empty classroom into a makerspace: planning activity zones, storage and student movement, sourcing equipment, and developing daily routines for safe tool use. The space includes 3D printers, a laser cutter, a drill press, a heat press, a cardboard cutter, and soldering and hot-glue stations.
My students design, build, test and improve projects such as magnetic mazes, paper roller coasters, student-designed 3D models and Future City models. I also teach robotics, programming and digital design with Tinkercad, micro:bit MakeCode, Arduino IDE, and Dash and Dot robots.
My background and digital fabrication experience¶
I completed Fab Academy in 2026, studying Principles and Applications of Digital Fabrication. This strengthened my practical experience in prototyping, electronics and fabrication, including 3D printing and laser cutting. My earlier engineering education focused on computer hardware, systems and networks. I also hold a PGCEi from the University of Nottingham.
Before Dingwen, I worked as a Science and Engineering Coach at WOW KIDS in Shanghai and Hangzhou, where I developed learning spaces and project-based STEAM activities for children aged 5–12. I developed a kindergarten curriculum that was introduced in 12 kindergartens during its first year. Earlier, I taught with Mad Science in Shanghai.
I am currently studying for an MBA at Fudan University. I am interested in connecting STEAM education with real-world needs, entrepreneurial thinking and thoughtful uses of AI.
Explore my Fab Academy portfolio and personal website.
Why Fab Learning Academy?
Fab Academy helped me develop my fabrication practice. Through Fab Learning Academy, I want to deepen how I design learning with these tools: connecting maker culture, learning sciences and classroom practice.
My teaching philosophy is that students learn through exploring, building, testing, making mistakes and reflecting. I want to develop age-appropriate maker activities that build independence, collaboration and problem-solving, with clear learning goals and opportunities for students to explain their decisions.
Initial Field Activity idea¶
One possible direction is a collaborative design-and-build challenge for primary students. Small groups could create and test a marble maze or a simple moving model, using cardboard and, where appropriate, laser-cut or 3D-printed parts.
Students would identify a challenge, sketch ideas, build a prototype, test it, and explain an improvement. I would document their design decisions, collaboration and reflections to explore how making supports learning. This is an initial proposal; the activity and age group will be refined with my instructor.
My makerspace and introduction¶
My teaching makerspace is at Dingwen Academy Hangzhou. This full-length tour shows my teaching and making environment. The web version was compressed directly from the original recording to fit the upload limit.
Watch the full tour in high quality on YouTube. The YouTube version was uploaded from the original MOV recording and is available by link.
My introduction video under three minutes will be added separately.
This introduction was drafted with AI assistance using my CV and information I provided.
Student Agreement
The Fab Learning Academy is responsible for:
- Teaching principles and practices between technology, learning sciences, and innovative practices in education.
- Arranging lectures, recitations, meetings, and events for the class.
- Evaluating and providing feedback on student work.
- Offering clear standards for completing assignments.
- Certifying and archiving student progress.
- Supervising class preparation and reviewing prospective students, instructors, and labs.
- Providing central staff and infrastructure for students, instructors, and labs.
- Publicizing the program.
- Promoting a respectful environment free of harassment and discrimination.
- Encouraging a diverse, accessible, and equitable community.
I am a Fab Learning Academy student, responsible for:
- Attending class lectures and participating in reviews.
- Developing and documenting projects assigned to introduce and demonstrate skills.
- Allowing the Fab Learning Academy to share my work, with attribution, in the class for purposes compatible with its mission.
- Honestly reporting on my work, and appropriately attributing the work of others, both human and machine.
- Working safely and leaving workspaces in the same or better condition than I found them.
- Ensuring that my tuition for local and central class costs is covered.
- Following locally applicable health and safety guidance.
- Recognizing limits on lab and staff time.
- Promoting a respectful environment free of harassment and discrimination.
Signed by Yaroslav Artsishevskiy
Fab Learning Academy 2026