"Make 4 Fun": Maker's Experimental Studio by Banqiao Senior High School DIY Education
This is the third year that Banqiao Senior High School teachers are bringing students to the Maker Faire at the Bay Area through backpacking, fully embodying and displaying the spirit of DIY, in planning and executing the trip, every step of the way. Teachers involved in this endeavor include Yan Wanjun, Li Ruiting, Lin Shiguo and Lin Yuxiu. While more than twenty students used to participate in the two previous trips, this year, the trip took place in a more cosy setting, with twelve students. The students used their innovation and creativity to transform materials recycled within Banqiao Senior High School, combined with electronic supplies, to produce Taiwan-inspired music instruments for sale at the makers’ fair.
Their products included a Taiwan drum made of dimsum baskets and bells, DIY piped flutes, wind chimes and the likes of a Taurean horn harp, mini harps and ukeleles. They performed Taiwan classic tunes such as "Flowers in the rainy night” at the fair and exchanged souvenir trinkets with the locals. They also visited Stanford’s School of Design, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Disney Museum, the Bay Area Discovery Museum and other spots such as the Farmers’ Market in their day tour.
The kids reflected on the characteristics that a maker should possess and some concluded that a maker should have an observant pair of eyes, be willing to venture out of comfort zones and pay attention to document one's surroundings. Other kids said that a maker should have a child’s heart and be empathetic, determined, brave and fearless to achieve breakthroughs. Teacher Yan Wanjun was hopeful that the students had learnt to be self-motivated and aware of their intentions behind their tasks, enjoying what they are doing through our own sense of mission. Possessing a variety of skills in music, performing, fashion and art herself, she is influenced through contemporary art and hopes her students can learn through the self-motivated mastery of skills according to their own interests. She also has a wealth of experiences at commercial art initiatives, believing that art is a way of showing concern for the world.
At the Banqiao Senior High School, a Maker Experimental Studio has been set up and named 'Make 4 Fun’. This learning space includes a digital design classroom and a technology manufacturing section. The lessons for the makers’ curriculum used to be conducted at night and on weekends. However, after the first visit to the Bay Area Maker Faire, the teachers have discovered that it would be more useful to implement experimental education through a holistic curriculum involving other subjects. They developed a curriculum using The Little Prince as an interdisciplinary theme for the subjects not limited to the languages, math, geography, art and home economics. During the English class, students are taught to analyze the text. In Geography class, a board game method was utilized. Rose planting and mug production were carried while students also thought of and created products such the fox neck pillow, a red fox bicycle, ginger biscuits representing the B612 planet and rose jelly. They also had to up an end-of-semester play with these products, exhibiting their learning outcomes. Such a curriculum allowed the students to show their own interpretation and understanding of the text, of life and of the world.
Yan believes that education should nurture students who are self-starters and independent thinkers. While the focus may not fully be on the specific hard skills taught and education may not be the sole solution to any problem in life, she believes it is more important to inculcate the sense of purpose in students so that they may enjoy more convenience and fun as they learn to take initiative to explore what life and the world has to offer, in navigating for their own position and mission and what may bring them joy.
Student Wu Mingyan said he is no longer afraid to take action to actualize his visions now. Student Chen Tuoyuan said he came up with many ideas after being under pressure to think of products for the makers’ fair, and also picked up new machinery skills for this, hence he has a great sense of achievement having come so far!
Student Wu Mingyan said he is no longer afraid to take action to actualize his visions now. Student Chen Tuoyuan said he came up with many ideas after being under pressure to think of products for the makers’ fair, and also picked up new machinery skills for this, hence he has a great sense of achievement having come so far!
