Experience Workshop supported one of the most innovative teachers in Finland, Jukka Sinnemäki’s plan to explore modern technologies as learning tools. Sinnemäki’s class received cutting-edge educational digital fabrication technology from the worldwide acclaimed Hungarian 3D-printer producer CraftBot.
Sinnemäki’s students at the Christian School in Jyväskylä, Finland, have already opened their own learning paths to introduce European Key Competency areas through digital fabrication, and digital and physical modelling, both in subject-based and multidisciplinary contexts.
Jukka Sinnemäki is a trendmaking creative teacher and an innovative educational influencer from Finland. He was a top 50 finalist in 2018 at the Global Teacher Prize, which is often regarded as the Nobel Prize for Education. In 2019, he received the Global Teacher Award in New Delhi, India; and was selected by RoundGlass as one of the world’s most progressive thinkers and doers in the field of learning from the key discipline that focuses on wellbeing. His motto is ‘Learning happens when you see the unseen in every child.’ Sinnemäki’s classroom, as a movement-centred, creative learning environment went viral on social media and set the record as the most viewed social media post ever created in Finland, with 7 million views, over 55,000 shares, and tens of thousands of comments.
The Sinnemäki class’ first steps with the Craftbot 3D printer have shown the potential to encourage networking, co-creation, and context-based, inquiry-based, ICT-enriched learning. Digital fabrication and modelling contribute to implementing real-world scenarios.
Following a cyclical process of design, creation, reflection and adaptation in a digital learning environment seems to be very useful for promoting inquiry- and project-based learning in a cross-disciplinary manner. Learning, thinking, reflecting and problem solving in action is at the core of the digital fabrication and modelling-related STEAM activities in Sinnemäki’s classroom.
In addition to learning, kids participating in the Finnish CraftBot project were able to surprise their friends and parents with the most innovative Christmas gifts for sure 🙂 Their own designs of various 3D-printed tools and decorations – including 3D-printed jewelry. The participation in this project meant a lot for everybody, especially in the midst of the period of the COVID-19 crisis.
Do you want to know more about CraftBot? Contact Experience Workshop for educational and purchase information at info@experienceworkshop.org.
Check out Experience Workshop’s STEAM webshop at www.learningbydoing.fi.