The curriculum
Each student receives a task, the solution of which he’ll be seeking for the next 10 weeks (1 trimester). While working on it, he’ll use his interests and skills, which will make each project completely different and unique.
The organization of the school year
The school year at Maker Studio starts at the beginning of October and finishes at the end of June. It’s divided into three 10-week trimesters with one week off between them.
- The 1st trimester = from October to the end of December (finishes before Christmas)
- The 2nd trimester = from January to March
- The 3rd trimester = from April to June
- AN EDUCATIONAL PROJECT = one trimester = 10 weeks
- A SCHOOL YEAR = 3 trimesters + summer holidays
- Studio 0
- Studio 1
- Studio 2
- Studio 3
- Studio 4
During the school year, 4-month introductory and diagnostic programs are organized, which constitute the first stage of enrolment into the school. The monthly program is a compulsory entrance element that every student joining the school must complete.
It consists of a psychological and pedagogical diagnosis, familiarizing the student with the concept of computer-aided design (CAD), and carrying out one of the mini-maker projects. The dates of the monthly diagnostic and introductory programs are symmetrically distributed throughout the school year to allow students to join the school at any stage.
12 hours with the instructor: once a week for 3 hours, from Monday to Thursday, 3pm-9pm.
* sample calendar
- For: high school students
- In: small groups
- Studio 0
- Studio 1
- Studio 2
- Studio 3
- Studio 4
During one trimester, students take part in the program of one theme studio. It’s a comprehensive 10-week design challenge. Each trimester studio program is autonomous and independent from the other trimesters, which means that a student can join the school during any trimester.
Each studio is an independent educational program dealing with separate issues. It consists of:
1) 60 hours of contact with an instructor: 2 meetings a week, 3 hours each, from Monday to Thursday, from 3pm to 9pm
2) approx. 30 hours of independent work in the makerspace: once a week, on Fridays or Saturdays, at the time individually determined by the student.
* sample calendar
- For: high school students
- In: small groups
The educational offer
Our educational offer is addressed to high school students and consists of:
- - month-long diagnostic and introductory programs – Studio Zero. more Studio Zero is a month-long, afternoon educational program which every student of the school begins with. The aim of this 4-week program is to get to know the student’s predispositions and skills profile, as well as to familiarize him or her with the basics of CAD and the Design Thinking workshop – the creative and design work equivalents of pencils, textbooks and tests in a traditional school.
- - trimester-long afternoon educational projects – Studio One, Studio Two, Studio Three. more The trimester-long educational projects are thematic creative tasks during which students design and create innovative solutions and physical or digital prototypes, thus addressing the challenges and problems of selected users. Each trimester-long studio is a complete and coherent program that lasts 10 weeks, during which students of the school learn about new technologies, study Design Thinking and use knowledge in the field of STEM science in practice.
- - a summer educational project – Studio Four. more The program is equal in volume to trimester-long studios, but performed in an accelerated, “boot camp” form. It lasts 5 weeks, 1 month.
and introduction
program more
The modules of the monthly diagnostic and introduction program consist of the following:
-
1) Psychological and pedagogical tests.
The tests aim to increase the student’s awareness
of his own talents and creative resources.
The student undergoes a series of psychological tests, gets to know his interests, the architecture of his own motivation system and his social competences. In addition, in the process of additional pedagogical diagnosis, the student learns the level of their own grit, the concept of growth mindset, looks at their own intelligence from a multiple intelligencies perspective and becomes aware of the sense of self-efficacy. The aim of this action is to increase the knowledge and awareness about one’s own resources, but also about potential obstacles that may be encountered in the process of developing creativity. The tests are designed to increase the awareness of the student’s talents and creative resources.
-
2) Introduction to computer-aided design (CAD)
tools.
It aims to familiarize and present the student with
the basic tools that designers use on a daily basis.
For a designer, the ability to use CAD is equal to a pen and a pencil in traditional school education. In two short design exercises, the student gets to know the tools used in vector graphics and photography. He learns to illustrate the concept of a sound he hears and redesigns the images of famous artists.
-
3) Mini-maker project.
The project aims for the student to experience the
creative process with the use of fabrication
machines.
The mini-maker project, i.e. the experience of what the creative process is, starting from the conceptualization stage, through communicating ideas in 2D, to externalizing them in the form of a three-dimensional prototype. It is important to the student for several reasons. The student gets used to the uncomfortable feeling of having to pursue a goal without a predefined key. In addition, he experiences how many complex processes must take place to finally be able to see its physical or digital representation. The student experiences a sense of peculiar satisfaction that comes from expressing his or her own idea in a way that is useful for others.
AD 3. Mini-maker projects
BEAUTIFUL SYMMETRYA project in which students become familiar with the mathematical concept of symmetry, the foundation around which both works of art and the functionality of materials used in physical or digital format revolve.
FUTURE OF SPACE DININGA project in which students, after familiarizing themselves with the restrictions that astronauts at the International Space Station must observe, design solutions to improve the process of nutrition in space. They can adapt their favorite recipe or design tools to help with eating or disposing of waste. Media buffs can design a cooking show for astronauts.
INFLATABLESHere, students design creative inflatable structures using recycled materials (such as a packet of crisps). In this project, students explore the concept of pneumatics, a branch of engineering that uses compressed air. They can apply it in the field of art, architecture, mechanical engineering, fashion, or... deep sea diving. In this activity, students combine the strength and properties of air with simple materials to create innovative prototypes.
CUBESATSA project in which students explore space through play. By creating a prototype of a miniature satellite, students address the challenges we face on Earth today.
play installations
Interactive physical and digital objects created in the process of combining creative technologies with the process of creative fun.
The main design question
How can we promote socialization and increase people-to-people contacts through playing and games?In this Studio One, students examine the creative technologies and the process of creating toys through the lens of the sociological phenomenon of loneliness so common in today’s youth culture.
W In the first part of the studio, students will learn about:
- toy manufacturers’ practices
- the grammar of the Design Thinking creative workshop
- creative technologiessuch as “smart” Makey Makey cubes
- the block-based programming language Scratch
- paper electronic circuits useful in constructing interactive games, experiences, or toys.
In the second part of the study, students face the main design challenge consisting in constructing physical, digital or hybrid objects or experiences that, through play and gamification, will support interpersonal contacts and thus address the problem of loneliness.
The audience and users of the main design challenge will consist of residents of old age homes. Through a series of small design exercises and the main design challenge, students will learn how:
- toys are made
- the game changes due to the age of the participants
- to support interpersonal contacts using play
- to manifest a personal understanding of the sociological phenomenon of loneliness through its manifestation in the process of constructing interactive objects or play experiences supporting socialization.
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