In general, I got a lot of feedback about safety concerns, so I wanted to address those.
I will have signage, I want to include some instructions on one as well as some safety tips and warnings. I had an example of possible signage in my presentation, but I think I will also include a sign saying something like "Guests under a certain age need parental supervision or a spark to help". What age do you think would be able to handle the pen without a parent directly helping? I was thinking maybe 10 and up, any thoughts on that?
I also want to have some safety glasses and gloves available, Tarah is it possible to get the heat protective gloves in kid sizes? I also want to put the silicon soldering mats on the table under the pens so that guests won't be tempted to test the pens on the wooden tables. A couple people mentioned that the pen stands weren't very sturdy, could we use the holsters for the soldering pens instead? I also like the idea of having a small fan next to the station to help keep the smoke out of guests' eyes. A couple people also asked if we could have different pen tips available, I think I would like to have those available but only if guests ask for them so they don't change the tips on their own while the pen is on.
I also want to have lots of pieces of wood of different types and sizes for people to be able experiment with and take their own creation home.
Sam, you mentioned in the feedback that creating experiments would be a good idea, what specifically did you mean by that? Just testing the pen on different types of wood, or something else?
Matthew, I definitely want to emphasize that parents of younger guests should work with them as a team on their project, but I also think that as long as the parents are supervising their kids, the older ones should be allowed to try it on their own. You also mentioned heat transfer and a burn tool, can you elaborate on those suggestions? Is a burn tool different from the pyrography pen? What is involved in heat transfer techniques?
Sophia, I liked your idea of adding markers and pens so younger guests can contribute to the collaborative piece without needing to use the pen itself or having their parents do it for them.
Destiny, do you have any specific ideas on making the activity more accessible to guests with disabilities?
Samantha, since it's a side activity, I think I want to use the back table that currently has the MOXI I spy station, I think that would be enough space for two people. What did you mean by textile stimulation?
Danielle, I think that oven mitts would make people more clumsy, but they could work in a pinch. I'm hoping we can get more protective gloves in some smaller sizes.
Tarah, I want to have paper available to guests so they can sketch their designs onto paper instead of directly onto the wood. They can sketch directly onto the wood if they want, but I have found that to be slightly frustrating because if you mess up the sketch, it doesn't tend to erase well. I'm excited people worked in parallel! To encourage that, do you think that increasing the size of the collaborative piece would encourage that since there would be more room?
Ron, I think your suggestion to have patterns out for guests to copy or be inspired by is great! I will also do some research on if other makerspaces or museums have done wood burning before and share my findings.
KJ, I like your idea to provide prompts for guests to inspire them, do you think that they would be more helpful on a sign or to include them in the curriculum as something for Sparks to say while they facilitate? There will be takeaways, I think what I want to emphasize is the collaborative project but I also want to allow guests to make take home pieces. I definitely did not think about people burning their hair, so I will provide hairbands for guests along with safety glasses and protective gloves! I will include in the curriculum that when sparks set up, to check the pen tips and tighten them with pliers if they are loose. I want to put this station in the back of the room so that it minimizes the risk of kids running in and grabbing the pens, like they might if it were the first thing they see.
I think for your signage, it would be very important that it was loud and obnoxious. People easily overlook signage, especially those small chalkboards and transparent standing signs.
ReplyDeleteI think 10 and up is an acceptable age group to limit the activity to. Honestly, 12 and up would be even better. I broke a couple bones when I was about 10 years old doing stupid stuff.
As for the location, it's up to you! I just thought it'd provide more arm space and thus be safer if it was on a bigger table (also for if a fire broke out).
And by textile stimulation, I mean the images smoldered onto the wood can be felt and figured out with your eyes closed. Finished pieces can be put on the side for guests who can't necessarily participate to enjoy.
I think an activity like this, safety is the number one concern. For an age limit, maybe think: as a Spark in the IWS, what age visitor would I NOT worry about being at this station unsupervised?
ReplyDeleteIn terms of prompts--I think that's up to you! And what type of activity you want, and what the goals of the activity are. If the prompts don't directly relate your goals, maybe they are added to the curriculum as bonus facilitation. If they are related to the goals of the activity, then maybe figuring out how to make those explicitly clear to the visitors!
I had so much fun burning things + I think guests will too!
Great activity with lots of opportunity for creativity. Danielle, my suggestion for experimentation was something along the lines of having a large piece of "scratch paper," but made of wood. This would allow guests to test how different pressures and speeds affect the outcome of the burn mark, and also allow for a collaborative free-form piece that everyone can contribute to. They can also explore the activity even if they don't feel like making something to bring home - this will save materials.
ReplyDelete-Sam S
DeleteI think we talked in class about turning them off in between uses, as another safety precaution. This would allow guests to plan their design before burning, and for Sparks to check in with them before they start using the tool.
ReplyDeleteAs a bit of non-essential science background, it might be nice for Sparks to know a little bit about combustion? I'm not sure about this, but I just started wondering what is actually happening when things turn black when they get burned. It's totally non-essential for the activity, but might be a nice way to Spark some more curiosity around science. Even just as a questioning technique, Sparks could ask guests why they think that happens.