STEAM Camp Preparation
Note: this is a rough outline, to be firmed up.
Each instructor is required to prepare curriculum to contribute to the overall program (if curriculum is still in development), and to coordinate with other instructors and to learn their curriculum. Prototyping of parts will be required, as the curriculum centers around practical skills and builds. We are aiming for 12 instructors per event. Event happens with each instructor in a different urban location, and we all run the events on the same day. Part of the events involves remote collaboration - so each of the instructors will broadcast to the entire 12 groups for their part of the project. This takes the load off the instructors, and shows the collaborative spirit. However, each instructor is expected to be sufficiently knowledgeable about the subject matter that they can take over teaching in case of internet failure. Each instructor will guide their local team on the actual hands-on part. There will be 12-24 participants per each location. The typical preparation schedule may be like this once 12 instructors are identified:
- Week 0: Team Formation. We identify and recruit all potential instructors. We divide development tasks accordingly - based on the strengths of instructors - to break up and develop the curriculum to the needed state. Note that this becomes possible only when (1) the instructors bring sufficient expertise to the table, (2) there is sufficient open source prior art available, and (3), instructors have rapid learning capacity to pick up on others' curriculum in order to teach it well.
- Week 1-4: Curriculum Prep. Preparing curriculum on one of the topics - see STEAM Camp Curriculum. All the Instructors work on their aspect of the curriculum, once a role breakdown for the 12 instrucors has been identified. Prototypes are part of curriculum preparation. Note that for the first event, preparation is most difficult - but with every STEAM Camp - the process gets easier as all products get more refined with time. (about 20 hours)
- Kickoff Meeting - With the Team formed and curriculum prepared - we all participate in a Kickoff Meeting. Each person has 5 minutes to present their contribution and prototype.
- Week 4-8: Curriculum Refinement - Following the individual development of modules, we collaborate on refining the curriculum. Since this curriculum will be taught by all instructors, the material needs to be adapted to the needs of all instructors. We join one or more coordinating conference calls as needed. Using open documents, all of us assimilate the curriculum to out own needs. We end up with one Master Copy for each module, which is open source and available to the public as part of our edumarketing effort. (About 10 hours)
- End of Week 8: Curriculum Submission - By this time, each instructor must have finalized and refined their contribution to a point that it is presentable within the time budget of the 9 day STEAM Camp. Each Instructor needs to ship their working prototype AND full BOM incuding STL files for printing to OSE at this time for quality control. OSE will evaluate the submitted build, and replicate the build from the BOM. Once approved for effectiveness and efficiency of build - with any modifications - OSE will ship samples of all kits to all instructors. Curriculum is frozen, with only minor revisions allowed. Week 6 is critical: if the submissions are incomplete or inadequate, the event must be postponed accordingly. We do not want to run an event that does not meet quality standards for a program as described in the Event Curriculum. We must agree as a group that content is adequate. If there are objections, they must be resolved
- Week 9-12 - Instructors practice kit builds and their presentations. OSE prepares kit shipments, to be shipped 10 days ahead of time. Last minute registration opens 5 days before event, with express ship of any additional kits.
