Report 1.
about
the EduWear Workshop
1.
Setting
Date: October 26-28. 2007
Participant: Fazekas Gábor Utcai Általános
Iskola, Kiskunhalas
Number of students: 16 pupils, 12-15 years old,
from five different classrooms, 6 girls and 10 boys. There are gipsy and
handicap children among them.
Getting started with
Technology and Smart Textiles: We prepared the workshop in the physics, technology and information
technology lessons. In the afternoons we organised meetings for the
participants and presented the EduWear concept, the tool kit, the Smart textile
materials, Arduino blocks and its softwares, we introduced some examples and
ideas from the dimeb website and some commercial products. We have gathered new
ideas as well.
We prepared the workshop afternoons: there were
4 stages ready, when we started
working:We woke up the Fantasy, introduced Technology, Imagination/Design/Aesthetics/Art,
Conception and Construction.
The Presentation is the last step for the
participants.
2.
Constructing, programming, other activities
First we made warming up; then we organised the brainstorming
to collect project ideas.
The pupils might choose their groupmates (team building); they developed their project ideas and
created the project plans.
They started to work on their own ideas. They
were working with cooperative method.
2 groups have chosen ideas to create the idea in
reality.
One group were organised for helping the
others: they were sewing, soldering.
One group used various techniques -mostly
pencil or oil pastell to put their ideas
on paper. While they were working, one of the colleagues was helping the by
listening to their plans and encouraging them to be more creative. They
understood that the design is an essential
part of the process of creating something. One
teacher supported the programming, one was a partner in every activity and one
colleague was taking photos, films. The manager was writing the documentation,
had contact with the journalists, ordered meals, etc.
We managed to reconcile the experience in the
workshop with everyday life of the children.
3. Ending
of the workshop, presentation
The children were very motivated and creative. They
were very happy taking part in this workshop- in spite of the autumn-holiday.
All of them stayed with us till we have finished the workshop- it was hard to
send them home in the evenings, because they were so interested. They collected
lots of ideas, were open-minded. The idea of the gipsy boy was to use Arduino board
and put some LEDs on a girl’s top to
make a flash dress for dancing. They were pride and satisfied when they
presented their products, especially during the television shot.
4. Results
Ready made, working structures:
Children have built lots of LEDs into bikers’-T-shirts and fitness-dress.
Drawings, paintings:
Altogether 6 pupils worked on designs involving the mentioned things above.
Evaluation sheets are filled in.
5. Summary
and Conclusions:
Children coped with the Arduino Technology
easily.
They quite quickly got used to the the new way
of using technology in their everyday life even in their clothes. They could
enjoy working in groups, in this living lab. Children started immediate work on
their projects. They were able to build, create complex structures, with
written descriptions. They have discovered new user interfaces (not only the
usual sensors, but other touch sensors, photo diodas etc). Children often
thought about possibilities using new technical methods.
Children were flexible about their ideas; they built different artefacts
instead. They coped with the interface.
The creations for many purposes were designed
by the children. Their drawings are at very high level. 10 drawings are created.
Some of them represented the structures,
others used their ideas.
2 groups of children have built Arduino
directly into the clothes (fitness, policeman and biker dress).
Interesting idea was the dress for fitness
because our school is specialised in sport- especially gym and fitness; anti-thief purse that will alert you if
somebody gets too close to you.
More than 50 sketches were collected from
children as project target group. Many of them were very creative, designed and
used techniques at the same time. They represented so called „mental models”.
Children understood the idea behind Smart
textiles. The work between sensors, conductors and actuators was well
developed. Textiles and smart textile played important role in this workshop. The
most interesting sketches were scanned, and you will find them attached to this
text on the DVD. We are also planning to
use some of the best ones as a decoration on the bulletin board at school. Video
films as the parts of the documentation are made by teachers.
We’ve made hundreds of photos.
Local television has made interviews with participants.
Local press was interested in this workshop on
this area: teaching methodology
We’ve saved every programme written by
participants; photos, films and scanned every drawing.
It was easy to understand the Arduino through examples. It was great that this
technology can “understand” the children’s mistakes.
The biggest problem was the missing of the
Hungarian translation and the examples
but we solved this problem.
We have taught the children in advance:
1.- How to use electric things. 2.- What is the
difference between the analogue and digital input and output. Sensors and activators
. 3.- They got acquainted with the possibilities of the programming.
Children worked with the teachers’ help
1.- Brainstorming in groups. 2.- Making plans
in drawings. 3.- Knowing tools and materials.
Working in small groups -3-5 participants.
1.- They made an electric models and they tried
it. 2.- They worked in a cooperative way. 3.- They tested an looked for the
mistakes all the time. 4.- They talked about their ideas. Some children helped
the other groups as well. They decided how to work independently in the groups.
The edit of the graphic development system was
difficult to use. We couldn’t improve the mistakes. Save of the graphic system
was missing.
Are the components accepted? Yes ,there were
and we built in all of them.
To what degree need circuits and electronics in
general to be addressed?
They have to get acquainted with the basic electronics and simple circuits, activators, isolator,
switch, battery, conducive .Process of the teachers’ work : regulation,
controlling, sensor, interference.
What role do textiles and smart textile play?
Children used their fantasy to make things from
the Smart Textile in the territory of the sport and households.
Which textiles are suitable?
All of them were suitable.
To what degree are prepared products
All of them are made completely.
All documents will be given the project
coordinator - you’ll get them end of January in Kiskunhalas.
We’ve prepared the visit to Kiskunhalas and are
waiting for our guests with pleasure!!
Report 2.
1.
Setting
Date: 4-5 April 2008.
Participant: Fazekas Gábor Utcai Általános Iskola,
Kiskunhalas
Number of students: 16
pupils, 12-15 years old, from five different classrooms, 6 girls and 10 boys.
There are gipsy and handicap children among them.
Getting started
with Technology and Smart Textiles: We prepared the workshop in the physics, technology and information
technology lessons. In the afternoons we organised meetings for the
participants and presented the EduWear concept, the tool kit, the Smart textile
materials, Arduino blocks and its softwares. We have gathered new ideas as
well.
We prepared the
workshop afternoons: there were 4 stages ready, when we started
working:We woke up the Fantasy, introduced Technology,
Imagination/Design/Aesthetics/Art, Conception and Construction.
The Presentation is
the last step for the participants.
2.
Constructing, programming, other activities
First we made warming
up; then we organised the brainstorming to collect project ideas.
The pupils might
choose their groupmates (team
building); they developed their project ideas and created the project
plans.
They started to work
on their own ideas. They were working with cooperative method.
2 groups have chosen
ideas to create the idea in reality.
One group was
organised for helping the others: they were sewing, soldering.
One group used various
techniques -mostly pencil or oil pastell to put their ideas on paper.
While they were working, one of the tutors was helped them by listening to
their plans and encouraging them to be more creative. They understood that the
design is an essential
part of the process of
creating something. One teacher supported the programming, one was a partner in
every activity and one child was taking photos, films. The manager was writing
the documentation, had contact with the journalists, ordered meals, etc.
We managed to
reconcile the experience in the workshop with everyday life of the children.
3.
Ending of the workshop, presentation
The children were very
motivated and creative. They were very happy take part in this workshop. All of
them stayed with us till we have finished the workshop- it was hard to send
them home in the evenings, because they were so interested and motivated. They collected
lots of ideas, they were open-minded, pride and satisfied when they presented
their products.
4.
Results
Ready made, working
structures:
Illuminating rug
Indicator for cyclists
Intelligent jacket
5.
Summary and Conclusions:
Children coped with
the Arduino Technology easily.
They quite quickly got
used to the the new way of using technology in their everyday life even in
their clothes. They could enjoy working in groups, in this living lab. Children
started immediate work on their projects. They were able to build, create
complex structures, with written descriptions. They have discovered new user
interfaces (not only the usual sensors, but other press sensors, photo diodas
etc). Children often thought about possibilities using new technical methods.
They created sound sensor on their own.
Children were flexible
about their ideas; they built different artefacts instead. They coped
with the interface.
The creations for many
purposes were designed by the children. Their drawings are at very high level.
5 drawings were created. Some of them represented the structures,
others used their ideas.
2 groups of children
have built Arduino directly into the intelligent jacket and the cycling shirt.
A lot of sketches were
collected from children as project target group. Many of them were very
creative, designed and used techniques at the same time. They represented so
called „mental models”.
Children understood
the idea behind Smart textiles. The work between sensors, conductors and actuators
was well developed. Textiles and smart textile played important role in this
workshop. We are planning to use some of the best ones as a decoration on the
bulletin board at school. Video films as the parts of the documentation are
made by one of our pupils.
We’ve made hundreds of
photos.
We’ve saved every
programme written by participants; photos, films and scanned every drawing.
It was easy to
understand the Arduino through examples. It was great that this
technology can “understand” the children’s mistakes..
We have taught the
children in advance:
1.- How to use
electric things. 2.- What is the difference between the analogue and digital
input and output. Sensors and activators . 3.- They got acquainted with the
possibilities of the programming.
Children worked with
the teachers’ help
1.- Brainstorming in
groups. 2.- Making plans in drawings. 3.- Knowing tools and materials.
Working in small
groups -3-5 participants.
1.- They made an
electric models and they tried it.
2.- They worked in a
cooperative way.
3.- They tested an looked for the mistakes all
the time.
4.- They talked about
their ideas. Some children helped the other groups as well. They decided how to
work independently in the groups.
Were the components
accepted? Yes, they were and we built in all of them.
To what degree need
circuits and electronics in general to be addressed?
They have to get
acquainted with the basic electronics and simple circuits, activators,
isolator, switch, battery, conductive .Process of the teachers’ work :
regulation, controlling, sensor, interference.
What role do textiles
and smart textile play?
Children used their
fantasy to make things from the Smart Textile in the territory of the disability
and sport.
Which textiles are
suitable?
All of them were suitable.
To what degree are
prepared products (e.g. patches) suitable?
All of them are made
completely.