AmosLightnin

Dancing with solar powered drawing machines and mirrors.

Along the way I'm developing what I see as a coherent criticism of #STEM as a focus, based on life in the info age. Trying to get a comprehensive understanding of the STEM fields is a lost cause and a poor goal, because success means the learner is almost certainly overwhelmed with more info than can be integrated. The goal state should not be to have each student at a similar level, but rather to give them the ability to use formal or engineering methods "on tap." To understand what the right tool is and where to find it. Project based learning is the best way to achieve that.

Ran a taxonomy of invented creatures workshop in Dokk1 with Klaus and a group of pedagogs from Norway where the topic was aesthetics. In general they confirmed my impression that an aesthetic experience invites a mental openness to playfulness and curiosity. One described how a collaborative aesthetic experience seemed to invoke emotion, which when reflected on together led to the sorts of conversations that seem to support danelse / bildung. One said that for her Uni students it seemed to provide a motivation for synthesis of ideas and theory making that was important.

Ecology of Invented creatures workshop on the ramp in Dokk1. At three generations one can begin to see the lineage of ideas. #tinkering

Generations of invented creatures at Dokk1. #tinkering

Gemini portal in Dokk1.

Layout in Dokk1.

Moving the tulle with projection, rich with interesting aesthetic distortions. Extremely engaging. #tinkering

Scrolling through the @scratch sprite library projected into tulle at Dokk1 library. #tinkering #aesthetics

Projection into tulle at Dokk1. #tinkering

Scratch projections into tulle at Dokk1 library, researching aesthetics and #tinkering.

Lego zeppelin, by Lander and Finn. #tinkering

Self-hosting is cool, but have you thought about community hosting for your city, town, and neighborhood? #tw

https://www.vice.com/en/article/pkb4ng/meet-the-self-hosters-taking-back-the-internet-one-server-at-a-time

The standing model with stationary foot is interesting too.

The kids built this installation at #skibetmakerspace . It suggests a new direction. #tinkering

Wind and mirrors are a challenge.

Placing a small protrusion on the bottom face of an oblong wheel parallel to the ground makes for wonderful floppy movements. #tinkering

Mirroring light onto the solar machines in the shared drawing table, an example of a "watering hole" designed to encourage cross pollination of ideas in #tinkering workshops.

The use of mirrors to increase power changes the experience of solar art machines. #tinkering

It's over 9000!!!!! #tinkering

Solar drawing machine and watercolor pen is a step closer to drawing with the sun. Masking tape dampens power a bit in full sun. #tinkering

4 base models for solar drawing machines. #tinkering

This base model for Drawing with the Sun illustrates its relationship with the sun through its movements relative to its orientation. #tinkering

Note to self, when ordering electronic parts from Mouser, be sure to look carefully at the package size, or you'll end up with MEGA CAPS! #tinkering

Liam's wire and cardboard base model. #tinkering #playingwiththesun