Hello,
I would like to work on home education taking place here. There should be plenty of things possible.
What do we have on offer that is possible? Please comment!
Questions:
What are your thoughts?
As the Ready Makes & Projects become more and more, I think, every Sunday 11 - 15 is bound to be an increasingly social and used time to do home schooling activities here.
@niccokunzmann:
Hi,as a meta commment: I think, I would have such discussions in the forum. We need trust that it is usable for this. All participants have access to it. Also, we can link to the other topic as well as engage other people in it, have it searchable and new people can understand what is possible in year’s time.
Content: In the forum, we have several “always workshops”: Barbie crafting, Bird boxes, Pyrography. From the material we have, I can also offer microcontroller/electronics projects. We have Lego and train tracks if younger ones get bored.
Questions:
- How many people
- What is the audience
- Who are the stake holders
- What is the age range
- What do we know that the particiants can do and want to do?
- What are the times?
Formats I think about (just to start the discussion and open it up):
- Barcamp: At the beginning, we say what we can offer and what we need, see how many people want to do this and that and where and when to put it. Parents, Kids, Volunteers are equal. start, middle, end are together. Different sessions, crowd created.
- CoderDojo-style: We have a set of possibilities for beginners and encourage own projects. This usually leads to low cooperation between the participants. Presentations at the end.
- YoungHackers(Fr-Su usually, can be shortened): We create a brainstormin session before on topics/big problems participants want to solve. We later find teams to work on projects with one or more mentors. General idea: People assemble as a team around a ccommon purpose and get mentoring. Mentors do not do their project but are in service. Comon start, presentations at the end.
- School: We say what is possible and they choose where they have the least distaste.
I do this to empower, to free people. I aim for a high level of participation. Low is e.g. I tell you, you do. High is participant led where possible. The normal way cuts the edge of the beauty we are capable to create together. That is also why I aim for speaking about this in the forum: It matters if we talk about people or with them.
Happy to help. Happier if people not only learns the skills of making but also of self-gouvernance.
Greetings!
Nicco
@DomAman:
Hello all, might I suggest that we move this conversation to the forum? Home Education Events This way we can have it with input from anyone interested, including the Home Ed groups!
New to the forum so hi 
I am the aforementioned home edder who came in to see the space with my son, Harri, who was blown away and so excited by the resources on offer. Massive thanks to Dom and Rob for giving up your time for us 
A couple of comments/replies from the previous ongoing conversation -
From the feedback I’ve had, a weekday session over the suggested Sunday, would be better supported. Certainly for us Sunday is a no go, its taken up by rugby unfortunately and i know many other home edders whos weekends are booked up too. Weekday sessions always seem to be better supported, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays perhaps, as i know there are long established group meetings on mondays and fridays.
There has been great interest shown in woodworking skills with an end goal in mind e.g bird/bat box, planters etc.
Similar interest in 3D Design/printing - the christmas theme idea sounds great!
Also lots of interest for mechnaics/vehicle repair.
Most home edders will firstly ask what costs are involved as we fund all education for our children unless we attend courses run by the LA, but they then tend to be curriculum based courses that do not offer the range of learing skills ,still very much sit down classroom based.
Group participation size - 6 was suggested as a good size when i met with Dom, Certainly this group size works for other workshop/group learning that i organise.
Age range will, i guess, depend on the activity and how safely the children can use tools/equipment and also the individual childs ability/experience.
Whilst cookery, planting outdoors etc sounds great, this isnt something i have mentioned to the home ed group as i know many already do cookery sessions, and like myself, many are home growers too. So im not sure how well supported these sessions would be. There was a great deal of interest in sessions such as I’ve previously mentioned as these are skills/resources that are not readily available to the home ed community. School subjects such as CDT etc are such an important skill for children, but home edders do struggle to find a place like you have that can offer learing in these areas.
Im happy to help however i can to get this going for our home ed kids. My son, Harri, will be coming to volunteer on Tuesdays to start with.
Thanks all
Claire
Hi @CDP, thanks for your long reply! I am German:
What is CDT? Craft Design Technology?
I value your post because it clarifies the field these sessions need to consider to work! Thanks a lot! The costs are a good conversation to have.
See you two (or more?) on Tuesday!
A taster day sounds great, with achieveable projects to try and rotate around. Personally, we’d be coming from Cardigan, so being able to drop in at midday would make it a comfortable event, and during the week is good. Parent to be present if the child/young person needs it (parents often do stay in the home ed community). How would you manage numbers (can you cope with lots of families at once?) - should people book a timeslot (if you offered timeslots of say 1 or 2 hours and scheduled people in, so you know how many bodies and young people to expect and support, and sufficient available equipment). Contributions: I would state the price, depending on what you need to raise, and maybe per family - or at least cap it sympathetically for those with larger families (e.g. £1 per child, £3 per family, or whatever). You could do an eventbrite or just pay at the door. Thank you for organising this and for consulting, too. Diolch yn fawr.
Thanks @EmNelson for the input. That is good to know for me as I am not so familiar with the scene.
A little update:
@DomAman is gathering a list of courses that we (staff + volunteers) can offer. I added a few to the list. I think, we will have a wide range of basic skills to offer a learning space for. Ideally from my perspective, we progress from pieces of ability to a wholistic project based approach that makerspaces are made for. It will take time and I am looking forward to this learning possibility, especially focussing on how to prepare the space even more for people of young age! I am excited to see you there one day 
