Design Challenge Prototype - Challenges and Successes

Over the last couple of weeks I have been looking into a range of upcycled design challenges ranging from garden decorations to playground equipment and I have made my final decision.  My design challenge will be an upcycled garden bed using old kitchen and household appliances and tools.  This particular design challenge links in with the Years 5 & 6 Design Technologies Curriculum under the strand of materials and technologies specialisations as children will be "investigating the characteristics and properties of a range of materials, systems, components, tools and equipment and evaluate the impact of their use" (ACARA, n.d.). Throughout the process of the design challenge they will also created designed solutions through investigating, generating, producing, evaluating, collaborating and managing their product (ACARA, n.d.). This Design Cycle process will take into consideration the needs and opportunities for the design, developing, communicating and documenting the 'making' process for an audience (the class group and teacher), utilising safe work practices, creating a criteria for success with a high focus on the sustainability aspect and developing plans that consider the resources used for the finished product and their effectiveness (ACARA, n.d.).
I have sourced my materials from around the house and local op shops and my final resources are an old ironing board frame, fish tank, cupcake tray, teapot, small pan and a pair of old shoes (see below). These were rated against a decision making criteria table in order to assess them across a range of areas (see below).

	Fish tank	Cupcake tray, teapot, pan and ironing board	Boots	Soil and plants
Criteria	1	2	4	5	Total Cost
Cost	$7.00	$10.50	$3.00	$28.00	$48.50
Toxic to environment	Low	Low - rust	Low	N/A
Size	Small	Small to Medium	Small	Small
Absorption	High	High	Low	N/A
Space for planting	Medium	Small	Medium	N/A
Durability in weather	High	Medium - rust over time	Medium rot over time	N/A
Practicality	ü	ü	ü	ü

Once I had compiled my resources I needed work out how to hang or balance the items on the ironing board for practicality, durability and aesthetic purposes before planting my seedlings in the items and creating the finished product of an upcycled garden bed. Throughout this process I was challenged by creative thinking and practical skills. 

I decided to use wire from old coat hangers which I bent to shape using pliers and old fencing wire to attach the hanging objects from the ironing board.  In order to do this I needed to drill and cut holes into the shoes, tray, teapot and pan so that they could be attached and hung level for planting purposes.  This process required much trial and error.  I discovered I was able to drill holes into the cupcake tray and cut holes into the shoes however the tea pot and pan were made from stainless steel and therefore required the holes to be punctured into them using a metal hole punch tool and a hammer. The hole punch process was a challenging one and I will admit that for this particular section of the project I did use some man power to assist me however the rest of the drilling, cutting and bending wire processes I completed by myself. See the pictures below.

Once the holes were drilled, cut and hole punched and the wire was bent into shape it was time to attach the hanging garden beds!

It was very exciting to see the hanging garden bed begin to take shape and I could not wait to show it to my family.  I asked my mother to come outside and look at the progress so far and she thought it looked great however was concerned that I had not drilled any holes for drainage for the water from the plants and that some of them may become waterlogged without this element. I realised this was a factor I had not considered and that I needed to add some holes to the objects in order for my garden to survive so out came the drill and hole punch again!

Once the holes were all created it was time for the plants and soil to go in and for my upcycled garden bed to really start to take shape.  This required careful handling to ensure the root systems remained intact and that the hanging garden beds remained level.  I decided to plant potted colour, in the metal items and petunias in the shoes for aesthetic purposes and herbs in the fish tank garden bed on top of the ironing board to use for cooking and salads to have a practical purpose.

 

 

Once all of the plants were planted it was time to assemble the upcycled garden bed and water the flowers and herbs and stand back to admire my work!

I thoroughly enjoyed this design challenge and the final product I created by upcycling old materials and therefore reducing my impact on the environment.  This project is one I believe that children would be able to really get into as it is 'hands on', creative and I believe that this upcycling phase has a purpose in 21st century society.  It would also allow the learning environment to be taken into the home with parent input into the project and learners could also work collaboratively with peers to form a group project.  This project also allows learners to feel a sense of achievement and pride in their work as they have completed the design process from initial idea through to final product.

Web 2.0

 

 

Web 2.0

This week the focus was around using technology to connect with a range of other people or to make your views public through the use of social media, YouTube, Blogs or email which is referred to using the term Web 2.0.  Below is a short animated clip describing the difference between Web 1.0 and Web 2.0.

Posting on the web was initially a very slow process which required knowledge of HTML code; however, through the use of Web 2.0 technologies it has become far more simple for people with any level of technological ability to create a web space (Peace, n.d.).  The internet is now a "read/write tool, not simply a reference tool with one-way communication, but a collaborative communications board on which anyone can publish" (Peace, n.d.).  Throughout this course we have been working on both Blogs and Wikis.  As a result, I have become aware of the many benefits of working in an online space both as an individual and working collaboratively in a group.  Our Course Co-ordinator provided the following summary of the benefits associated with working in an online space, which I believe is concise and relevant: 

Individuals:
– Transparent learning

– Publishing for an audience

– Log and record of thinking development maintained

– Supports reflection on and about learning

– Multimodal ways of representing thinking

– Easily commented on, easily edited

– Supports interaction with others across boundaries of time and place

– A container for embedded artefacts

Groups:

– Equitable contribution

– Transparent and trackable ideas

– Easily negotiated and edited, improved, built upon ideas

– Global collaboration, easy translation and interpretation of ideas

– Continuation of learning

– Networking beyond the classroom (Fasso, 2015)

The above list led me to question why Web 2.0 is not used more frequently within the classroom environment and ways in which it could be utilised.  Peace (n.d.) outlines a variety of different uses for Web 2.0, include digital scrapbooks, class journals created on Blogs, group work using Wikis, podcasts, multimedia presentations and brochures.  Although concerns regarding privacy, online respect and safety have been voiced in alignment with children using technology, it is clear that with the appropriate education around their use they can create meaningful and engaging learning experiences for children. It is inevitable that technology use and availability will continue to become more prevalent, therefore it is important that future educators embrace and maintain currency of knowledge to ensure that students' learning is relevant and engaging.  In closing, the images and statistics below provide some insight into the importance of using technology within the classroom to maximise learning outcomes. 

Sourced from: http://edtechreview.in/trends-insights/trends/393-kid-tech-by-apple-infographic

 

 

 Sourced from: https://rampantred.wordpress.com/multimodal-literacy/ 

Sustainable thinking - what is this?

 

 

 

Sourced from: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Product%E2%80%99s_lifecycle.jpg

This week we have been exploring the idea of sustainability and how it can be embedded in the way we as educators teach Design Technologies. This topic is one that is increasingly important in 21st century society as consumers aim to become more concerned about the environment and want to be more knowledgeable about sustainable choices and environmentally friendly products (Manufacturing Skills Australia, 2015) in their day to day life such as using green bags at the shopping centre over plastic bags etc.  However, upon watching videos and completing readings around this topic it is clear that there is much more to the process than making simple 'greener' choices.  To make sustainable choices for design you need to think about the whole process of how the materials will be produced, transported, used and discarded - (stages shown in diagram above).  This includes things that consumers may not usually think about such as the use stage of a pair of jeans for example where detergents, water usage and energy is high when consistently washing the product and how this would have an effect on the environment (Disrupt Design, 2012). This approach means a lot of consideration needs to be taken when choosing resources for design in order to use eco-design strategies.  So what are some of the characteristics of eco-design? They can include but are not limited to:

• Reducing the amount of material used
• Reducing amount of energy consumed during production, transportation and use
• Enhancing material recyclability and component reuse
• Extending product durability where appropriate
• Maximise sustainable use of renewable resources

See diagram below for eco-design features for eco furniture products:



Sourced from: http://greenfurniture.se/about-us/eco-design-strategy/#prettyPhoto

So why is it important to embed sustainability when teaching design technologies and how can this be done? For my design challenge I have chosen to do upcyling and therefore a large focus of the project is on recycling old products and reusing them for a new purpose.  This forces students to think creatively and it also allows them to realise that in an age of  the one use and disposal of products there are other uses for things you no longer want or need in their current purpose.  For example one of my key features is as an old muffin tray which no longer is needed to make muffins however, can be used and converted into an outdoor garden bed.  This kind of idea allows students to realise that there are endless possibilities for design.  In addition, understanding the concept is crucial as they will realise that "sustainability is about meeting the needs of current generations, without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs" (Our common future, 1987 featured in The Good Design Guide, 2014).

Sustainability can easily be embedded into the Design Technologies strand of the curriculum in many ways including asking students to think critically about what products they are using such as natural or recyclable, how their end product will eventually be disposed of and will this cause harm to the environment, how it will be manufactured will it use water, energy or need to be transported, is it able to be mass produced etc. Sustainability is also a cross-curriculum priority of the Australian Curriculum and my design challenge idea links to the Futures strand of Sustainability in relation to teaching students and the school community to be informed about sustainable practices and how to take action to preserve natural environments by reflecting upon projected future environmental impacts (ACARA, n.d.) if products continue to go to landfill and have no re-use.

For further information about the Sustainability cross-curriculum priority follow this link: http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/crosscurriculumpriorities/Sustainability.



Design challenge

Upcycled Design Challenge:

This week I have looked at a range of options around my initial design challenge concept of upcycling.  I found that it is a trend many people are involved with and it is not only for aesthetic, vintage purposes but for the sustainability and low environmental impact purposes too.  It seems that in society many people are becoming concerned about the Earth's resources and the affect that human activity is having on the environment and are opting to re-use a range of materials in order to reduce their impact.  There are many levels to the upcycling project, they can be simple such as a tea cup and saucer turned into a bird feeder (below) or more complex and on a larger scale such as the car garden (below).

Sourced from: http://secondchancetodream.com/2015/03/10-upcycled-diy-birdfeeders.html.

Sourced from: http://www.fleamarketinsiders.com/car-parts-into-furniture/.

I must admit that  I did get a bit carried away with my researching looking into options that would not be age-appropriate for school students so to keep myself on track I decided how my ideas could link to the Australian Curriculum.  When looking at the Scope and Sequence of the Design and Technologies Curriculum I decided that I  wanted to create a project that would challenge students in terms of their innovation, creativity and design and so decided to opt for them creating either a garden bed, garden decoration (wind chime, scarecrow, bird feeder) or outdoor play equipment using only upcycled materials.  I felt that this particular project came under the Year 5 and 6 Design Curriculum as they explore how designers "address competing considerations including sustainability in the design of products, services and environments and for current and future use" (Australian Curriculum, n.d.).  This particular project came under the Materials and Technologies specialisations strand where students "investigate characteristics of a range of materials, systems, components, tools and equipment to evaluate the impact of their use" (Australian Curriculum, n.d.).

In this way students could investigate a range of recycled materials and their properties and how they could be best suited to re-use.  For example, could they withstand the elements if they were placed outside? If used to grow plants such as an upcycled garden bed could the root systems grow into the object to sustain its growth?  These questions and investigation allows students to think critically whilst creating their design and has many avenues for exploration through trial and error before the final product is developed. The students will be required to complete the design cycle (see below) where they research, weighing up the pros and cons of their designs (investigate), explaining its value and purpose, explore the materials properties and benefits (plan) create a prototype (create) and then design the final product and reflect upon it (evaluate).

Sourced from: http://mypdesign.weebly.com/design-cycle.html.

To begin my exploration within this design challenge I researched some upcyled garden beds, garden decorations and play equipment.  Below are a few of my favourites that I have used for inspiration.

 



Guitar garden bed:

Upcycling an old guitar by cutting it in half and using it as a garden bed to be stored outdoors.  It does not only meet aesthetic needs but is a practical and re-usable product.

Sourced from: https://www.pinterest.com/upcyclethat/in-your-next-musical-life/.

Hanging window frame:

This is a garden decoration where an old window frame has been upcycled into a hanging ornament housing pot plants. It again meets both practical and aesthetic needs within the one product.

Sourced from: http://dishfunctionaldesigns.blogspot.com.au/2012/05/upcycled-garden-using-recycled-salvaged.html.

Playground equipment made of tyres:

This playground equipment is made using recycled tyres and upcycling them into balancing equipment and climbing walls.  The perfect addition to any playground! Sustainable, aesthetically appealing and practical.

Sourced from: http://kaboom.org/blog/playgrounds_made_junk.



From my research I have decided that playground equipment may be too challenging for the Year 5 and 6 age group, and so I have decided that my design challenge will either be making an upcycled garden bed or decoration (bird feeder, wind chimes or scarecrow). Stay tuned for my attempts!

Trialling Twitter

 

 

 Sourced from: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/daniella-gibbs-leger/dont-mess-with-black-twitter_b_3797870.html

 

This week we explored the digital system of Twitter which was a new field for me. I did not have a Twitter account nor did I really know how it worked so I started from scratch and created one.  Firstly you needed to come up with a Username which should be simple except that every one I tried was already in use by the millions of other Twitter followers.  Eventually I settled on a name with a range of letters and symbols in it which I should have written down as next time I went to log on unfortunately I could not remember it and had to reset by account, which was an unexpected hurdle. All of this aside when I was finally on Twitter I was able to explore and gain a sense of how it worked.  The posts needed to be small, a maximum of 140 characters and this small message sent out was called a 'tweet.' As you set up your account you were prompted to select interests in many fields including travel, music, health and food, once these were selected you automatically added a whole range of groups or individuals across these fields and they could choose to add you as friends.  If they added you, you could view their posts and the posts of their followers. 

 

This week we are asked to use Twitter to post about the ways in which children learn using technology.  In terms of posting on this topic I found it very challenging to say what I wanted to in 140 characters or less however, this forced me to draw out what the key ideas were and make it very to the point.  After my third attempt I decided on - "children need to learn through exploring, they need to be exposed to the different technology platforms through play to learn!"  I then ended this tweet with the #EDCU12039 so that others would be able to search the courses hash tag and my post would come up.  I learnt that the hash tag is a linking device so if someone posts something and hash tags it and I search for that particular hash tag such as EDCU12039 I can see every other person who has used that in their post.

 

The next element to explore was how could technology such as Twitter or TodaysMeet (safer school version of Twitter) be used in the classroom with students.  My initial thoughts were - Twitter and social media in a primary school classroom? How could this be useful?  But after thinking about it and researching ways it could be used I've decided it could be a very beneficial digital tool and here is why:

• Every student is able to contribute regardless of time and place (Twitter homework could take place at home, school or even on the bus ride home on their phones).
• It is a log of student thinking where teachers can access the classroom hash tag and see students responses in a collective space.
• It caters for the diverse needs of the classroom - those who are too shy to talk up in class may prefer posting online.
• It gives students a chance to think about their answer and have time to edit and post. (Fasso, 2015)

Therefore, I believe that social media tools such as Twitter or TodaysMeet could have a place in 21st century classrooms and may be a great way to cater for diversity, allow reflective thinking time and be able to store all students answers in a collective space.  These 'tweets' could then be accessed in the classroom on the smart board and all students answers examined collaboratively to explore their thoughts and feelings on a topic.  This would allow the teacher to discover any commonalities or prior knowledge of the students and elements they wished to explore in more depth which could assist in scaffolding an appropriate learning program for a topic.