fabschool

There will be five new 'Maakplaatsen' in Amsterdam in the coming years. That will bring the total to 11 locations.

 

Henk from Waag tells why we need more hackers and people with the hacker attitude. Teaching this to kids is a good start, he explains.

 

On 13 December, 2017, the final workshop of FabSchool took place at the Waag, where children demonstrated their sustainable solutions.

 

Fabschool tought a series of classes in the 021 Maakplaats (Makerspace) in Reigersbos. Kinderen got acquainted with new technology such as 3D printers, lasercutters and design software.

 

The second series FabSchool of this year was completely about the wonderful world of biotechnology. Covered by our Open Wetlab for five years by now, but within the context of FabSchool still uncharted terrain. What did we do in our 12 weeks of biotech activities?

 

On Friday June 2nd, another FabSchool series of four afternoons by Waag started at the Maakplaats 021 Waterlandplein (Amsterdam-North). This time, they were programmed around the theme of making your own fidget spinner.

 

We believe that everyone should have the opportunity to be a creative inventor. With that in mind, Waag is proud to present our new, do-it-yourself mini computer for young creators.

 

Maker Education has the future, says Remco Pijpers (of Mijn Kind Online) in an opinion article about maker education.

 

On Firday 11 December 2015, the first national work conference of the Platform Maker Education took place at MakerSchool X11 in Utrecht.

 

Sometimes you find find something on Instructables or a similar website that you would like to make yourself, but all the parts you need are hard to get.

 

Maker education is in the spotlights in The Netherlands. Amsterdam started the new schoolyear with a conference on educational innovation: Scratch Amsterdam 2015. Maker education stands for learning programming and coding, making things and invent: working with your hands and not only with your head.

 

In two schools in The Netherlands, we examine semi-plug 'n play materials you can put to use in the classroom. Such materials contribute to knowledge construction rather than just knowledge transfer.

 

On December 21, 2014 Jeugdland / Maakland was transformed into a true Winter Wonderland. The whole outdoor area was available for kids to do all sort of ‘make’ activities. The WEAVE workshops were also part of the programme.

 

During the FabSchool Kids workshops, the young participants discover a world of 3D printers, programming, and advanced graphic design applications. Four of these workshops have already taken place, so the kids are now busy building and designing their own inventions.

 

Could 3D-printers, FabLabs, and Makey Makey’s be incorporated into the education system? These are all examples of tools and initiatives linked to the ‘learning by making’ philosophy. But what does this new teaching method mean exactly? And, more importantly, what is the added value of including 'maker education’ in the regular education system? These subjects and questions were the main focus of the FabSchool event on September 24, 2014. More than 70 teachers, makers, and other interested parties came to the Waag to talk about recent developments in the field of education.

 

FabSchool.nl - learning by making, initiated by Waag in collaboration with Rotslab, gives an impulse to creativity and making.

 

Marleen Stikker has written an article about the role of the makers movement in education for the 100th issue of the Boekman magazine, published by the Boekman Foundation. This publication is available in Dutch only.

 

Programming games, making a mini-computer or working with a 3D printer? Children of group 7 or 8 in primary education in Amsterdam can join FabSchool Kids. Fall 2016, we again organise a series of eight Wednesday afternoon sessions at our Fablab.

 

On Sunday March 30th, 2014 there was a special FabSchool Kids edition in de Waag. Mitch Altman, an American hacker and inventor, visited Holland this week. I got him so far that he would give one of his famous soldering workshops in the Fablab Amsterdam. Mitch Altman sells his own designed electronic kits, the rest of the time he can fill in with the things he likes most. His first wise lesson for the group of young participants marked his personal vision: "Try to make a living of what do you most love to do."

 

On Saturday 15 February 2014 at the Melkweg in Amsterdam, a day for children was organized, called ‘Helemaal Melkweg’. Besides listening to music and watch movies, children could also come to a FabSchool workshop Bristlebots making by Waag.

 

The Education Council of the Netherlands is currently formulating an answer to the question: Are schools optimally using ICT in their primary processes and organisation? We have inspired them with the story of the technology movement in society and how learning changes trough its influence.

 

Armed with dishwashing brushes and vibration motors we travelled South, to the Zomerparkfeest in Venlo. At four o'clock, we had 170 different robots made.

 

Fabschool Kids at #OHM2013: enjoying the sun between hackers and nerds.

 

Sylvia Todd is “big on the Internet.” The 11-year-old science star has already received more than 1.5 million hits on her YouTube series.

 

Programming is no longer restricted to programmers! On March 6, 2013 we held a workshop programming with Scratch in our series Fabschool Kids. Scratch is an application which learns children programming in a playful way.

 

Don’t throw out your old toothbrush just yet because you can make fun robots out of them. In the last edition of Fabschool Kids, the kids learned how to make their own Bristlebots.

 

Already in 2007 Waag established the first Dutch Fablab in Amsterdam. Right now, there are around 150 of these workplaces worldwide.

 

On February 13, the first edition of Fabschool Kids took place: this is a series of workshops for curious kids that want to work in our Fablab, design fashion or work with computers and electronics. In this first edition, the kids could make their own speakers.

 

OHM2013 – Observe. Hack. Make. was a 5-day international outdoor technology and security conference.