Documentation of the first EduWear Workshop with Children at the “Deutsche Jugendherberge Bremen”
Friday, April 20th, 2007Our first EduWear Workshop was sponsored by the Deutsche Jugendherberge Bremen and the project team would like to thank the staff for being such fabulous hosts for that week. Also, the EduWear project management would like to thank all participants and volunteers who helped, cared and worked so much with us! Have a look at what happened during the 5 days!
The location is the youth hostel in Bremen’s City Centre where the children stayed during the week:
Target Audience
- 20 girls and boys 9 to 13 years old
- No prior knowledge, no prerequisites needed
- No consideration of specific origin or milieu
The first workshop’s theme is bags since they can be created in various ways enriched and made “intelligent” with sensors, actuators and the Arduino Boards. Possible ideas can be for instance security sports bags, glowing hand bags, or games fixed to the bags.
Children develop imaginations and fantasies surrounding the topic and conceive project ideas which are implemented subsequently with the help of the tutors. In the end the results are presented. The workshop process will be divided into stages at different stations as follows:
Workshop Stations
1. Fantasies about technology
2. Introduction to hard- and software, and material
3. Development of project ideas through imagination/ art/ aesthetics
4. Conception, Construction and programming
5. Public presentation
Organisational
Date: 5 days from 01.04.07 – 05.04.07 (Easter holidays)
Place: Deutsche Jugendherberge Bremen (Youth Hostel Bremen) including overnight stays and program for the evenings
Carers and staff: 4 Tutors + 2 responsible carers for the nights + EduWear partners Boras and Bremen
Pedagogical Objectives
- Foster personal development of children
- Foster abilities in solidarity
- Mediate participation with designing the world
- Offer access to Digital Media and its algorithms by making them tangible, open and mouldable
Technological Objectives
Experiencing the deployment of Arduino Microcontrollers
- How will children cope with the Arduino Technology?
- What problems will they face in implementing while using new technology?
- Will children stick to their ideas or will they built variant artefacts instead?
Experiencing the deployment of the graphical programming environment Arduino Blocks
- Will children cope with the interface?
- What strategies will they develop while using the interface?
Insights for the further development of the prototype with Arduino-technology toward a Smart Textile Kit
- What is to be improved?
Day 1 – Getting started
We proudly present the group of our first EduWear workshop:
The first prototype of the EduWear Construction Kit: Patches (Sensors and Actuators), Databusses and Microcontroller:
After staff and children introduced each other in a playful way, the staff started by explaining technology and material at different stations:
The next step is that the staff first explained parts of technology and material, children explain these to each other. Justin explains the function of a patch which consists of sensors and actuators:
Max explains a single sensor, in this case a “stretch sensor”:
Torsten explains the microcontroller and show how it’s supposed to be used:
Fabian explains actuators:
Then the conductive Smart Textile Material is passed around so that all children get a first impression:
Termochrome material reacts on heat, so that it can be used for “secret messages” when words are “heated” within the cloth:
Children had the opportunity to either bring a bag from home or use a bag the staff provided:
Brainstorming – Torsten collects ideas and tries to cluster them – which is sometimes not so easy with contradictory imaginations:
After getting familiar with technology and material, the children write project plans together with the staff. Nadine supports the children with their project plans:
Also, the stuff is always available to help implement the childrens plans:
The project plans are pinned onto the wall in order to remember them while working and being distracted by other ideas meanwhile:
Day 2 – Constructing, Programming and Role Plays
The second day started with the continuation of constructing and programming. All participants are concentrated:
Richard is busy with cutting, sewing, soldering:
Fashion design:
Professional sewing using a stretch sensor:
High requirements for handling:
After so much of concentrated work a break seems to necessary: 
Role playing: Children work together as a machine and show a give algorithm through their bodies:
This is the algorithm the children played:
Day 3 – Constructing, Programming and Excursion
Today the children continue constructing and programming until lunch. The bags and back packs are in progress, see beneath. After the break they visit the University of Bremen and have a look at the work of the MRC Mobile Research Centre where they get to see other projects on wearable computing.
Mascha proudly presents her Bremen Bag:
The program of one group becomes gradually complex:
Work in progress:
During the excursion the children have learnt similarities in technologies they use in the workshop. They see head mounted displays and other modern wearable devices:
The children realize that much of technology consists of sensors, controller and actuators. They find it easier to see now that they got familiar with these in the workshop:
Day 4 – Constructing, Programming, Technology and Everyday Life
The children have improved their projects and meanwhile e.g. the formerly known “Bremen bag” has completely changed to the “glowing bag”:
Other ideas have come up, too, e.g. a wristband which works without programming. The wristband works as a simple circuit with a switch that reacts on up and down movements:
The children are interviewed by the staff as well as themselves:
A camera for each child is included in the workhop fee. The children have 27 photos on their cameras and they are free to document what they want:
To tie up to the excursion a discussion about technology and everyday life takes place. Similarities and differences between dish washers, laptops and smart textile workshops are discussed. After the discusstion the children enjoyed the playground outside:
Day 5 – Finalizing, Dress Rehearsal and Presentation
Today the plan is finalizing the projects, cleaning the room (it’s a mess), and preparing the presentation. The idea is that the children altogether create an umbrella story where each single project is integrated. At 3 o’clock there will be a rehearsal and we expect the children to be very nervous.
Cleaning the mess soon seems to be necessary since a lot of valuable material is lying on the floor meanwhile:
Dominic explains Milena the program. She archives the project on the Internet so that it can be reused later:
The soldering station has been used quite often since the cable connections did not work well. We need to rethink the connection concept:
Soldering will be replaced soon because it is a bit dangerous. The children are not allowed to do without the stuff, but they do sometimes:
Milena interviews the girls about what to improve for the programming environment:
After cleaning the children create the final role play. The story is about school, teachers, vampires and thiefs:
The plot is invented and roles are assigned to the children: thiefs, vampires, students, extras, and mechanics:
During the dress rehearsal all steps are clarified and the children write story cards so that they know at all times what they wanted to say:
The stage is decorated as much as necessary (and possible):
The audience consists of family members and/or friends of the children…
…as well as of local tv and newspaper people:
Smart Bag:
More:
And more:
And more:
And more:
And more:
The presentation is also recorded by the project’s video-conferencing tool since a video conference during the presentation serves as another transnational meeting for the project partners to see how the workshop works:
After the presentation the children summarize all their acitivities and insights during the week:
In the end, Marion in her function of a real professor gives certificates to the children:
