Welcome to the GLOBAL 3D PRINTING project Newsletter
Welcome to our first newsletter of the “One for all” project which includes a quick overview of the inception, objectives, as well as the participants of this project. Needless to say, that we are very excited about the “One for all” project, eagerly awaiting the first practical sessions in the new school year and all the inspiration that the next few years will surely provide!
THE IDEA
This project started in autumn 2017 at a teachers exchange with the question:
What can we learn from each other?
Nova College, Amsterdam area, Oakton Community College in Chicago, USA, and later also Tcknikum in Sweden worked on a digital blueprint of this project, leading to the first results represented at the Koehnline Museum of Art in Chicago. From these original beginnings of the project, students learned digital skills within a practical, and up to date, 3D printing environment.
A natural growth and extension ensuing from this learned application, is to build a shared curriculum with all partners to include and prepare Level 2 students for the modern labour market. Education is changing, with traditional professions evolving through digital techniques.
With the event of Covid-19, it becomes self-evident that we need proficiency in long distance learning, sharing of files, conference calls and digital skills. This is also, or maybe especially, valid for level 2 students. This project is an addition to the traditional classroom pedagogy and curriculum. Simultaneously, teachers should also be aware of the change of their students in accommodating a lifelong learning perspective. As a result, we as teachers need to learn from each other during this project. What works, what’s your approach and how to keep level 2 students involved?
ECVET principles of learning outcomes on knowledge, skills and attitude will be defined and agreed upon by all partners. This will be the foundation of the projects’ shared values, with these comprising different building blocks. Students will develop the knowledge and digital as well as soft skills, to be able to find and keep their place in a changing labour market.
Level 2 students will develop very practical digital skills (general digital skills, file sharing, designing through a drawing programme, 3D printing, implementation of sustainable materials, setting up conference calls, working together internationally, using English as a second language), and when they have completed this project, will be proud of themselves and arc trained as digital citizens. They will be working at tangible, visible results whilst being aware of the 17 Sustainable. Development Goals’, important aspects to be considered under the changing global climate and job market settings.
THE CHALLENGE
The methodology used in the project is a blended learning environment in a carousel set-up. Our participants, of whom there will be 60, are level 2 students. One class of 15 per school will take part. During the project we will use a carousel model to exchange students. Each carousel ride, four students from one school will visit the next school and so on. Resulting in 16 students being abroad at the same time, whilst their classmates (11 per school) will receive students from another country and participate through internationalisation@home.
Two teachers and a project/international coordinator will be involved per school. We will work upwards, step by step from small to large, building up small cubes into large cubes, small statues into a large statue. The final outcome, being a statue of 1-ness, built from sustainable materials, will be illuminated and carry the students messages, based on the 17 world goals. The decisive aim being to exhibit this finished statue at the Light Festival in Amsterdam in November 2022.
The objective of the project is to create a shared curriculum of smaller building blocks, with each carousel ride being a pilot for one of the building blocks of the curriculum. It is anticipated, that during each carousel ride a building block is tested, then evaluated and adjusted if needed.
We believe this project will have an impact on students, staff and the curriculum. It offers a view on a different way of learning, both inside and outside of the classroom. Subsequently providing a final result, made in collaboration, and that our students can be proud of. After successfully completing this project, there will be a shared curriculum, a blueprint to invite more schools, as well as other students and partners, to work with this method and benefit from this groundwork. The end of this project is the start of the next.
This project, being of a truly multi-faceted character, requires the expertise of outside partners such as 3D Makerzone. As one of the main goals of this project focuses on sustainable development, 3D Makerzone have been looking into alternative materials for the development and production of the final statue. They are currently analysing, testing and researching the prospect of using Napier grass (Pennisetum purpureum), as a sustainable material alternative.
THE JOURNEY SO FAR
Just in time for the official launch, a welcoming package arrived from Nova College at all its participating partners. Amongst various treats and unexpected presents, this also included a red button, which would be pushed to symbolically launch the project in June. Another pleasant surprise was the arrival of the Ultimaker 3D printers, which both staff and students had great pleasure in unpacking, setting up and hying out!
After a lot of preceding organisational work and numerous online meetings, the eagerly anticipated official launch of the project One For All took place on the 3rd June! This was a truly international digital event, hosted by Nova College and attended by all international participants and partners. Following the initial introductions of each participating college, by their respective principals, and an explanation of tire project, a film then displayed the potential benefits to students of partaking in such international projects. Furthermore, individual student were invited into the studio to participate in the launch and to explain their perspectives and what they hoped to gain from this project. The countdown then proceeded to the official launch time, initiated by all principal partners pressing the symbolic red button in unison.
Following the official launch, the next highlight will be the first carousel-rides, which will take place hi November. The opening carousel ride was hosted by BBS Soltau from the 8th to 12th November where four students from NOVA College attended classes at BBS Soltau, collaborating in experiences and knowledge of work completed so far. Four German students then traveled to Sweden from the 15th to 19th November.
THE PARTNERS
- Nova College
- Oakton Community College
- BBS Soltau
- Teknikiun
