D-Lab Jr. Public Wiki
This is the public wiki of D-Lab Jr., a collaborative effort between MIT's D-Lab and various primary and secondary schools in Boston, Brazil, India, Ghana and elsewhere. The purpose of this collaboration is to create, share and teach curriculum that forms connections between, and encourages creativity, hands-on exploration and social-mindedness within, K-12 students around the world.
In order to do that, D-Lab Jr. will foster
- the development of “D-Lab Jr. kits” to facilitate the adoption of D-Lab-like projects by schools and after-school programs
- the exchange of experiences among students and among students and practitioners from different parts of the world
Each D-Lab Jr. kit will include, among other things:
- Detailed instructions on how to prepare and run the project
- Support materials to help facilitators choose the project, adapt the suggested activities to the local context, and explore the scientific and social dimensions inherent to those activities
In addition to enabling the dissemination and implementation of already-existing projects, D-Lab Jr. will encourage students and facilitators to come up with their own ideas and share them with other members of the initiative. That might be accomplished via online venues such as websites and email lists, or via the organization of face-to-face events such as “invention parties” in different locations, special science fair tracks, and more.
This effort is just beginning. For now, you may follow this work through this public wiki.
Implementation plan
Phase 1 - Pilot
- Create mailing list and wiki to facilitate exchange among interested partners
- Identify a few D-Lab projects to start the pilot with
- Generate kits out of those projects
- Pilot kits as part of D-Lab trips
- Summarize and share the lessons learned
Phase 2 - Dissemination (implementation of the network)
- Promote the initiative to other partners
- Foster the creation of new kits by members of the network
- Organize events (invention parties, gathering at IDDS, science fair track, etc.)
Meeting Notes
Upcoming Activities
5/6 November 2011 (exact details t.b.d.) - Curriculum Development Session
Project lists
Potential projects to start building kits from
- Charcoal project
- Salt-water battery
- Pedal-based cellphone charger
- Other
- Wind turbines made of plastic bottles
- LED flashlights (to be assembled)
- Biogas digestor
- Quiz Board that teaches how to build circuits
References
- Promoting Science in Schools: Research Institutes Play their Part
This article from 2010 discusses the potential role of research institutes to enrich school science, demystify health research in the communities in which they work, and encourage future generations of scientists and health workers. It focuses on the work of the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI)-Wellcome Trust programme (KEMRI-WTP) in Kilifi, Kenya.http://www.comminit.com/africa/content/promoting-science-schools-research-institutes-play-their-part - Handbook: Organise a Project for Public Understanding of Science
By Joanna Deridder, Raphaële Nisin, and Marie-Lise Sabrié
This handbook, produced by the Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD) in 2006, offers information about how to carry out projects to encourage public understanding of science and technology. It is designed to cater for those who have little or no experience of science outreach activity management and who wish to set up a project, and will be useful for people involved in associations, non-governmental organisations, cultural activities and organisations in the arts, health, environment, schooling, and sciences. The handbook was designed especially to assist project initiators and their partners in Africa taking part in the programme Promotion de la Culture Scientifique Et Technique, run by the IRD on behalf of the French Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs.http://www.comminit.com/africa/content/handbook-organise-project-public-understanding-science