Reflecting on Summer Camp

I have been thinking about how we will expand the Art and Design Thinking Camp this coming summer in the Mayfair area of San Jose. A few things that really worked well were:

•  the use of scale figures
• the hacked solar light stakes ( we used the mini solar panels, switches and lights for bench designs)
• guest speakers from creative engineering and design professions 
• peer project reviewers 
• parent and community showcase. 

I will improve upon the pinwheel/turbine project and will allot each workshop session more time.  I will add in MakeyMakey, toy hacking and Squishy Circuits into to the mix of things to explore. One thing I really want to do is add blocks of tinkering time at the end of the day so that campers and revisit an activity or tool and explore an idea in a open ended way. We want this camp to make engineering and science fun. I will be building up this website for this summer: Art & Design Thinking Camp 2014.

I would like to also have them video document more of their learning. Here are two camper made videos that made it into the Next Vista for learning library: how to make a brush bot and how to draw a dragon. In the camp this summer we will have 4-6 weeks of camp and each week of camp will have a different overall theme: http://www.alumrockef.org/arts

Also, as I attempt to expand our resources and reach in Alum Rock and Mayfair, we are partnering with the Science Lab in the community center at Joseph George Middle School run by Dr. George Castro. We will bring the tools and engineering/design explorations to their after school program. 

mini scale models to set up with photography of model designs.

Hacked solar light components from solar light stakes on clearance from Target.

Triggering the light sensor in their bench envrionment.

Finishing touches.

MakeyMakey. Musical fruit (orange and passionfruit).

some of the plastic watches we will be hacking in this 2014 summer camp at Mayfair.

Paper turbines.