Vejle – The first FABLAB study visit that aimed to introduce FABLAB methodological principles to schoolteachers from four project’s countries has taken place in Vejle, Denmark for 5 days ( 6-12 March, 2017), activating the development phase of methodological principles of educational digital fabrication.
Taking place at Fablab Spinderihallerne (The Spinning Mill) a dynamic working space home to 60 creative micro-companies and artists, this Teacher Training event welcomed the participation of 21 secondary school teachers of different disciplines coming from Denmark, The Netherlands, Italy, and Spain – the four partners’ countries. The event served not only as a launching platform for teachers’ competences to teach design and digital fabrication, but also a valuable networking occasion to establish transnational connections for later class-twinning activities envisaged in the project.
At a closer look, the training’s first milestone was to familiarize teachers with the theoretical aspect through the Digital Design Process Framework developed by the Aarhus University. Under the direct instruction of Prof. Rachel Charlotte Smith, assistant professor at Aarhus University, they worked in multinational groups to generate ideas, explore the multi-layers of the learning process and complement each other with their varying personal understanding on the issue. The design framework favors the development of a creative process rather than a tangible digital product basing on technology devices and digital skills among school students.
The second highlight of the study visit was the on the practical aspect by means of the two half-day visits to two primary schools in Vejle that had already participated in the Fablab@schooldk project, Kirkebakkeskolen “Makerspace”and Vejle Midtbyskole. During those two sessions, the group had the opportunity to witness and directly observe in-class teaching using Fablab method, experience the design thinking in practice; and to talk with teachers and pupils who work with the Fablab method.
As a follow-up, on their return, each participating teacher should use the input gained from the first training to design a project and test it with students. The process should be documented on their blog and at the same time the experiences shall first of all be shared at local level with their national group in the form of class twinning. For the second training in October in Spain, all teachers shall present their ideas, process and results with their European counterparts.
Fablab Schools EU: Towards Digital Smart, Entrepreneurial and Innovative Pupils is a two-year project funded by the Erasmus+ Program – Strategic Partnerships |School aiming at developing common methodological principles for digital fabrication education across Europe. This new technology that includes programming tools such as 3D programming, 3D printers, lasers cutters presents a pressing need to boost the new generation’s creativity, productivity and entrepreneurial spirit.
The project partnership holds together 5 organisations:
- Municipality of Vejle(Danmark, coordinator);
- Aarhus Universitet(Danmark);
- Fundacion La Laboral Centro De Arte Y Creacion Industrial(Spain);
- Vereniging Ons Middelbaar Onderwijs(The Nederlands);
- Centro Per Lo Sviluppo Creativo Danilo Dolci (Italy).
For more information please visit fablabproject.eu or contact Vidjaya Thelen vidjaya.thelen@danilodolci.org.