Creative Technology After-School

Trisha designed and co-developed the Creative Technology After-School Program through the Zankel Fellowship at Teachers College, Columbia University. Her and her co-fellow, Avery Forbes, developed a curriculum for the program covering simple circuits, animation, 3D modeling/printing, coding/computational thinking, and 2D design for laser cutting.

S.A.A.T.E. (Students Applying Art and Technology to Education) is a hands-on work opportunity for future makers to learn the skills necessary to create their own interactive art projects using physical and digital technologies. Students create, inquire, learn, and develop understandings of new maker tools necessary to realize their own creative projects.

S.A.A.T.E. was created to facilitate making through a STEAM based after school program. The club uses creative technologies and art to build skills in art, math, science, and technology. The after school club provides the opportunity to excite students about learning through creating collaboratively. Students worked on hands-on projects at Teacher’s College Community School and field trips to the Thingspace at Teacher's College, Columbia University to work on high tech equipment like laser engravers and CNC machines. The instructors hope to give students the tools to bring their ideas to life.

During the Fall semester, students focused on hands on physical projects using breadboards, motors, switches, LEDs, and simple circuits. They created projects such as making homopolar motors, scribble bots, boats, and a final mini project where they solved a small problem. Some projects focused more on design and entrepreneurial aspects while others where more detailed in mechanics and function. Throughout the Fall and Spring students who attended Friday sessions worked with animation (2D and 3D).

During the Spring we have been focusing on 3D design and 3D printing. The club created their own colony on another planet. When the club finished they presented their colony at Teachers College in the Thingspace to students and faculty of Teachers College.