More about Stefania
Stefania Druga is the creator of Cognimates, platform for AI education for families and a Ph.D candidate at the University of Washington. Her research on AI education started during her master in Personal Robots Group at MIT Media Lab. Currently, she is also a Weizenbaum research fellow in the Critical AI Lab and an assistant professor at NYU ITP and RISD, teaching graduate students how to hack smart toys for AI education. She co-founded Hackidemia, a global community for maker education present in 40 countries, Afrimakers, initiative for learning by solving global challenges in 10 African countries and MakerCamp , global camps for learning how to build and run maker spaces. During her research in the past two years, she has observed in longitudinal studies how 450 children from 7 countries are growing up with AI and how they can acquire AI literacy concepts through creative learning activities with the open source AI coding platform she has created.
We are pleased to share a recent webinar led by Daniel Schermele with several FabLearn Fellows in a conversation about assessment strategies for maker courses.
The conversation included:
Tony shared the goals of the program and current opportunities for young people in their Invention contests and programs. Justin Brown, one of the FabLearn Fellows, discussed how the InventTeams program works in his high school in Hawaii. It was an interesting conversation, as we discussed the similarities between “maker” and invention programs in schools, how to gain support from students, parents, teachers, and administration, fundraising, and encouraging students to believe that they can invent things.
In this last installment, we’ll discuss What it means to prepare students for the real world, how learning is not necessarily the result of having been taught and when it’s good to give instructions.
Gary Stager is one of the world’s leading experts on and advocates for computer programming, robotics and learning-by-doing in classrooms. He worked closely with Seymour Papert on a number of projects. He led professional development in the world’s first laptop schools and played a major role in the early days of online education. He is the founder of the Constructing Modern Knowledge summer institute for educators. He and our very own Sylvia Martinez are the authors of Invent to Learn.
In this second installment of three, you’ll join Stager in a discussion with the FabLearn Fellow about the difference between instructionism and constructionism, the importance of instilling students’ pride in their work, and whether tis nobler to document or not to document.
Gary Stager is one of the world’s leading experts on and advocates for computer programming, robotics and learning-by-doing in classrooms. He worked closely with Seymour Papert on a number of projects. He led professional development in the world’s first laptop schools and played a major role in the early days of online education. He is the founder of the Constructing Modern Knowledge summer institute for educators. He and our very own Sylvia Martinez are the authors of Invent to Learn.
In this first of three installments, you’ll hear more about Gary Stager’s background in working and promoting maker education, reflections on how to create "nutritional" maker projects and the benefits and drawbacks of working with ready-to-make kits.
Gary Stager is one of the world’s leading experts on and advocates for computer programming, robotics and learning-by-doing in classrooms. He worked closely with Seymour Papert on a number of projects. He led professional development in the world’s first laptop schools and played a major role in the early days of online education. He is the founder of the Constructing Modern Knowledge summer institute for educators. He and our very own Sylvia Martinez are the authors of Invent to Learn.
EPISODE 6: LEARN 2 TEACH, TEACH 2 LEARN
Hosts: Sam Phillips, Tracy Rudzitis, Betty Elias, Tyla Smart, Naeem Wilson
Learn 2 Teach, Teach 2 Learn is a 16-year-old STEAM maker education program that runs from April - August in Boston. L2TT2l engages youth of color in creative possibilities of technology & engineering and hires 36 teenage youth teachers every year who represent Boston. The program is organized by Susan Klimczak (2014 FabLearn Fellow)
Resources from this episode:
• Naeem Wilson Portfolio and Website
https://nemodude.com/
• South End Technology Center
http://www.tech-center-enlightentcity.tv/
• Tracy Rudzitis Twitter
https://twitter.com/wagongrrl
• seyMour’s puBlic enTities, eDith’s maKe-ing conVersation & DeSign ReViews by Susan Klimczak
http://fellows.fablearn.org/seymours-public-entities-ediths-make-ing-conversation-design-reviews/
• Blynk
http://www.blynk.cc/
• Theme music: Love to the World by Tall Black Guy
https://tallblackguy.bandcamp.com/album/mini-therapy-chops
EPISODE 5: FROM EAST PALO ALTO TO KIGALI, RWANDA
Hosts: Alphonse Habyarimana, Nico Janik, Sam Phillips
Nico Janik is the Makerspace/Engineering Coordinator for the Ravenswood City School District. RCSD is a public school district with seven campuses serving low-income students of color, from transitional kindergarten through 8th grade, in East Palo Alto and eastern Menlo Park, California, United States. A team of dedicated STEM-oriented people have been working since 2013 to build the makerspace program at RCSD from one pilot program in an empty classroom, to having equipped and staffed makerspaces at all of its 7 school sites. Nico’s work includes helping a team of site tinkerers (our makerspace staff), tinker teachers and classroom teachers bring making to their students. She is also lucky to still be able to occasionally make thing with kids! Before becoming a classroom teacher, she worked professionally as a mechanical engineer, most notably at IDEO Product Development, OddzOn Products and Hasbro Toys. She holds a multiple subject teaching credential. She also holds bachelor’s degrees in both mechanical engineering and environmental studies from the University of California at Santa Barbara, and a master’s degree in Engineering/Product Design from Stanford University.
Alphonse Habyarimana is the manager & developer of Kepler Tech Lab, a science, and technology laboratory based in Kigali, Rwanda aims to improve and provide hands-on learning experiences for high school students and accelerates technical business ideas through workshops, outreaches, and advising. Alphonse is a member of the International Development Innovation Network, and he educates youth to help them acquaint themselves with technical skills and hands-on experiments through STEM courses and independent projects. He holds Associate of Arts in General Studies from prestigious Kepler University Program, a partner of College for America at Southern New Hampshire University, where he is completing Bachelor of Arts in Management. Prior to joining Kepler in the summer of 2014, Alphonse has studied Electronics and Telecommunication for three years at the Integrated Polytechnic Regional Center and earned National Advanced Certificate of Technical Secondary Education, A2. At IPRC, he involved in Electrical/Electronic workshops and Telecommunication Laboratory which both stimulated his interest in engineering education and manufacturing sectors. His topics of interest in education are but not limited to electronics, manufacturing, STEM, design of experiments, and sketching modeling and prototyping.
This is the first of two webinars where we explore the three Cs that underline maker pedagogy, which are constructionism, constructivism and critical pedagogy. In this webinar, the FabLearn Director sits down with a group of the FabLearn Fellows and the Principal Advisor, Sylvia Martinez, to delve deep into the 3Cs.
FabLearn Fellows that are with us in this episode are Kevin Jarret, David Hahn, Mario Parade, Gilson Domingues, Josh Ajima, Christa Flores and Dodji Honou. Go to fablearn.org/fellows where they share ideas, best practices and resources for maker education.
Resources from this episode:
Paulo Blikstein:
http://www.blikstein.com/paulo/
Sylvia Martinez:
http://sylviamartinez.com/
2014 Fellows:
http://fellows.fablearn.org/2014fellows/
2016 Fellows:
http://fellows.fablearn.org/2016fellows/
In this episode, we share webinar where we discussed a paper by the late and great Edith Ackerman called Constructing Knowledge and Transforming the World. This is the first of two webinars where we explore the three Cs that underline maker pedagogy, which are constructionism, constructivism and critical pedagogy.
Resources and links from this episode:
Edith Ackermann:
http://web.media.mit.edu/~edith/publications.html
Constructing Knowledge and Transforming the World:
http://web.media.mit.edu/~edith/publications/2004-Constructing_Knowledge.pdf
Sylvia Martinez:
http://sylviamartinez.com/
2014 Fellows:
http://fellows.fablearn.org/2014fellows/
2016 Fellows:
http://fellows.fablearn.org/2016fellows/
EPISODE 2: THE MAKING IN YOUNGER CLASSROOMS EDITION
Hosts: Angie O'Malley, David Hann, Sarah Emerson
Angie O'Malley is a STEAM Specialist at Brighton School, a preschool through 8th grade private school in Mountlake Terrace, Washington, United States. Angie began as a technology instructor and worked to develop a comprehensive, integrated STEAM program for elementary and middle school students. Angie helped plan and design the schools new STEAM lab, where she holds weekly classes, before-school programs, and summer camps. Angie received her undergraduate degree from Linfield College and a Masters of Arts in Teaching from Seattle Pacific University.
David Hann teaches 8th grade math and 6/7/8th grade Design & Technology at Donview Middle Health & Wellness Academy, a public school in Toronto, Canada. He was the first teacher to pilot a 3D printing program in a Toronto middle school, complementing his existing Design & Technology program in a wood/metal shop. In 2014 and 2015, David and several colleagues collaborated to have 8th grade students build pinball machines using Makey Makey and Scratch for a cross-curricular final project (covering Math, English, Science, History and Geography). He has presented this project at conferences and Maker Faires, including the 2015 World Maker Faire in New York. David is one of the co-founders of the MakerEdTO group, which organizes a summer maker conference for Toronto/Ontario teachers, and facilitates the development of educators maker skills and professional network. He holds two bachelor’s degrees from the University of Toronto, in Education, and in History & Philosophy, and has additional qualification as a Design & Technology specialist teacher.
Sarah Emerson is the co-founder of the iSTEAM Lab at Bing Wong Elementary School, a public school in San Bernardino, California, United States. The iSTEAM Lab was founded to inspire students to imagine, innovate and engage in building hope for their futures. Emerson is the school's STEAM program facilitator, primarily teaching mechanical engineering, manufacturing, product innovation, entrepreneurship, and animatronics to students in kindergarten through sixth grade. She also collaborates with her colleagues at the elementary level, as well as the secondary and post-secondary levels, and community partners to design and implement cross-curricular units in which students explore careers in various STEAM industries. Emerson is currently a certification writer for Linked Learning at the elementary level. She holds a bachelor's degree in Chicano studies, a master's degree in education, and a GATE certificate from the University of California, Riverside.
EPISODE 1: THE DESIGN MAKE TEACH EDITION
Hosts: Daniel Schermele, Josh Ajima, Sam Phillips
Josh Ajima is better known as DesignMakeTeach to his many thousands of followers on Twitter and Thingiverse, where he advocates for maker-based learning in the classroom and has become a globally recognized expert in 3D printing. Josh has served as a member of the MAKE Magazine digital fabrication review team, been a featured designer on Thingiverse, led Dominion High School’s winning proposal for the US Dept. of Education’s CTE Makeover Challenge, and is a 2016 FabLearn Fellow.
designmaketeach.com
https://twitter.com/designmaketeach
Resources from this episode:
• How Do We Scale Up MakerEd
http://fellows.fablearn.org/how-do-we-scale-up-makered/
• Beam Center NYC
https://www.instagram.com/beamcenter/
• Minifig Pussyhat Thingiverse Collection
http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2069758
• Teaching Tolerance: A Project of the Southern Poverty Law Center
http://www.tolerance.org/
EPISODE 0: THE COMPUTER AS MATERIAL EDITION
Hosts: Andrew Carle, Daniel Schermele, Sam Phillips
Andrew Carle, Daniel Schermele, and Sam Phillips discuss Seymour Papert's seminal essay COMPUTER AS MATERIAL in this podcast pilot.
Resources from this episode:
• Computer As Material / Seymour Papert
http://www.papert.org/articles/ComputerAsMaterial.html
• 2016 FabLearn Fellows
http://fellows.fablearn.org/2016fellows/
• 2014 FabLearn Fellows
http://fellows.fablearn.org/2014fellows/
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