EdLab Project Archive
This archived site is a record of the manchester met University Faculty of Education edlab project. Active from 2015 to 2000.
Funologists
Summary of EdLab 2018 – 2019
From 2017 EdLab was integrated into the Faculty’s programme and is now led by a variety of staff and external partners, most of our updates have moved to other project blogs. Here are descriptions and blogs where they exist for the academic year 2018-19.
- Stitched Up: Re-think, re-work, re-make: tackling school uniform waste – stitchedupedlab2019.wordpress.com
- MeSeeMe: Exploring performances in an online world
– https://meseemeedlab2019.wordpress.com/ - Fun will save the day: Working with global issues through using the playing and making of games as a medium. – https://funwillsavetheday.wordpress.com/
- The Language of Clay: Use ceramics as a medium to support confidence in English – https://languageofclayedlab19.wordpress.com/
- Geo-Domes; Shape, Make, Discover – Creating imaginative spaces with children – https://geodomesedlab201819.wordpress.com/
- Environmental Play: Exploring learning in the natural environment – https://environmentalplayedlab2019.wordpress.com
The process of being part of EdLab in 2019 is reflected in the student focused project catalogue.
Photo Gallery of projects from 2018-2019
Summary of EdLab 2017 – 2018
As EdLab has become integrated into the Faculty’s programme and is now led by a variety of staff and external partners, most of our updates have moved to other project blogs. Here is a list of the active projects for the academic year 2017 – 2018.
- The Language of Clay: https://clayedlab17.wordpress.com
- Grimm and co: https://grimmandcoedlab17.wordpress.com
- Elizabeth Gaskell’s House: https://eghouseedlab17.wordpress.com
- Environmental Play: https://environmentalplay.wordpress.com
- Oubliette: https://oublietteedlab17.wordpress.com
- The Game Makers: https://gamemakersedlab17.wordpress.com/
- Early Years Explorers: https://eyexplorersedlab17.wordpress.com
There have been some updates in terms of the process of running EdLab which are reflected in the student focused project catalogue, and the staff focused handbook.
Work with Grimm & Co
Grimm & Co are a Yorkshire charity based in Rotherham town centre, championing the writer in every young person through the joyful discovery of stories. Their story centre and imagination gym can only be accessed through the secret door of our ‘Apothecary to the Magical’, selling wit, humour, awe and wonder to all children. They aim to creatively engage young people and inspire a new confidence and motivation to write.
Funologists
The practices of coding and electronic ‘making’ have recently entered mainstream education. Their reach has, however, not been universal – and particular groups of pupils (boys, for instance) tend to feel that they are more relevant and accessible than others.
EdLab students facilitating a Sonic Pi workshop
Scavengers of Calderdale – Pilot Workshop
As part of a project that came out of an entry in the Calderdale Bootstrap Project, Scavengers of Calderdale is a joint project of Noisy Toys and EdLab MMU.
This opening pilot workshop at the Hackerspace in Hedben Bridge explore the possibilities offered by taking apart electronic waste and / or recycling computers to create Retro Arcade machines.
The “unmaking” of computers and other devices had a really positive response. Getting CD drive motors working again was a real Frankenstein’s Monster moment (It’s Alive!).
Making Arcade Consoles to Play Video Games
It was the last of our regular sessions with our Y4/5 Roll Crescent group of young people recently. So what better to do that play video games.
The learning element here was to use a combination of Arduino, Makey Makeys and authentic arcade buttons and joysticks to assemble DIY control panels.
It was also happening at the same time as the Playful Learning conference so there were plenty of other large scale games to play with as well.
This pilot was a good success. The joint motivation of really good quality electronic components and the final goal of playing retro games was irresistible for young and older alike!
EdLab Highlights of Community Learning Festival 2017
EdLab was happy to be able to contribute some key workshops aimed at children and families for the 2017 Summer Community Learning Festival in the Birley Building.
The festival is an idea way for us to develop our partnerships with local education providers and give us and our students an opportunity to try out new educational sessions.
Below are some photos and quick descriptions of some of the sessions we ran or supported.
Mono Printing and T-shirt creation
This was a session with a great buzz about it and fantastic feedback from families that came to it.
Developing “Usual Theatre in Unusual Spaces”
This was a fun and interactive imagineering session aimed to support young people to develop an interactive promenade theatre show. This involved sharing case studies where participants have been integral to shaping the project and sharing tactics on engaging audiences. This was planned by EdLab together with Jana Kennedy from Z-Arts and the teacher training Drama department at Man Met.
This was a session delivered by Lucy an Master student doing Science Communication. It was a hands on introduction to the electromagnetic spectrum – what is a radio wave and what are they used for? How do we communicate with outer-space? This interactive workshop allowed participants to build their own satellite, design your own alien, and learn some Physics.
Hulme Sweet Hulme A collaborative poem
A fantastic preview of Reel Mcr’s upcoming project. Make sure to look out for the premiere of this film poem and documentary.
A great moment on Thursday, TASC really put the effort into getting great physical resources to support immersive play and creating environments.
Gizmobots Robot Making Workshop
Messy play at it’s best involving recycling waste electronic equipment into cute robots that participants can take home.
Another collaboration between EdLab and Becky and Alison from the Man Met’s Drama Education department. This was a new session using the appeal of retro video game arcades as an enticing way of then getting young people and families involved in the process of creating games. This was done via creating a dramatic situation where the young people had to save the Arcade.
Junk Percussion Workshop with Andrea Vogler
This is a fantastic hands on way to learn how to be part of a musical band. Andrea ran two sessions and many from the first came back to the second!
This session led by student Roxanna is a very engaging way of learning about energy content of food and related issues of nutrition. It took place in the Food Lab of our building.
Some Ideas behind Funologists
The Funologists series of activities that EdLab runs has some fun and accessible ideas at its core. This blog post aims to scratch the surface of the theory behind having fun with technology.
Video of Funologists Launch
This video of our launch event is a great place to start.
Resources to support Unmaking / Remaking session
Story of Estevan from Bolivia
Story of Hanan from Agbogbloshie
Belen from Barcelona’s story
Tips about being in coding and making games and keeping healthy and happy.
Belen’s great tutorial on Making Phaser Games in the Browser
Play Belen’s game – Platformer – Groow – Sky Panic – Tales of Underworld – Hipster vs Metal
The Story of Stuff! Infographics on E- Waste
“Brave Ideas”: Facilitating Year 9 Girls Tinkering with Code Bugs
As a result of an earlier project aimed at widening the participation of girls in science, engineering, technology and maths (STEM) subjects EdLab facilitated a follow up tinkering session at Whalley Range High School with Year 9 girls. To do this we took along mini codable LED devices called Code Bugs, and engaged the girls in a 90 minute competition to create an interactive page from a children’s book.
Create a One Page Wonder Website Workshop at HCGC
The key message for this workshop was Keep it Simple. We wanted to avoid over complicated processes when creating a website for a new project. To do the workshop was divided into three parts.
- Chat about us and our experiences with websites
- Generate ideas on paper and talk about an upcoming project that would need a website
- Play with technology that will allow us to share these ideas
Digital Storytelling Workshop at Hulme Community Garden Centre
Hulme Community Garden Centre are legends full stop. But for us at EdLab they provide a rich resource for our students to experience high level community learning right on our doorstep.
This session as designed to give back and a bit involve students in a community targeted workshop on digital skills.
Children’s Reading On Screen: RSA Catalyst Grant for Manchester Metropolitan University
This article is reposted from The RSA website to increase reach. Written by: Natalia Kucirkova FRSA
Sharing books with young children is known to be one of the most enriching and educationally beneficial activities that parents can do with their young children at home.
Shared book reading is typically associated with a parent and child sitting down snuggled together with a printed book. However, increasingly, printed books are being replaced with digital books downloaded on a reading device such as a tablet or Kindle, and in many families a quiet bedtime reading routine is becoming more akin to watching TV or playing a video game.
EdLab Challenge: Support an Artistic Workshop involving Robot Making
Student mentors required for an exciting two-day workshop with Manchester School of Art.
Workshop Description: For this workshop, participants will be challenged to write and perform short sci-fi dramas featuring their very own prototype robots. They will invent and perform a dystopian future for Stockport whilst exploring Arduino physical computing. This workshop is aimed at 11-16 year olds.
This opportunity would be ideal for:
- Those with an interest in pursuing a career within arts education or education
- Those interested in working directly with young people
- Someone with an interest in technology and design