Vernacular Science & Technology: It's Role in Education
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For Educators of Color Conference 2017
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Vernacular Science & Technology: It's Role in Education
- 1. Dr. Nettrice R. Gaskins Technology Culture Art & Design Science
- 2. Introduction To possess and employ metaphoric and iconic representations of scientific facts is called “vernacular science knowledge.” – Wolfgang Wagner Vernacular technology is the integration of cultural or indigenous values identified in technology development through the transfer of information.
- 3. Introduction The fictional African country of Wakanda possesses science and technology often more sophisticated than anywhere else on Earth. This is where Marvel’s Black Panther comes from and it is where this talk begins.
- 4. Introduction It is through STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics) education that we can explore vernacular knowledge, especially though culturally situated art and design-based inquiry.
- 6. Science Biomimicry In biomimicry, students learn about how engineers imitate nature in the design of innovative new products. They show this knowledge by designing new products based on what they know about nature.
- 9. Technology Computational Thinking Computational thinking requires understanding the capabilities of computers, formulating problems to be addressed by a computer, and designing algorithms that a computer can execute.
- 13. Culture Culturally Situated Learning Cultural tools shape cognitive development including both technical tools, which act on the environment, and psychological tools, which are tools for thinking. Culturally situated design makes use of indigenous artifacts and practices using STEM principles.
- 14. Culture Culturally Situated Design Tools Identity self-construction: indigenous cultures creatively improvise with cultural materials to find personal meaning.
- 15. Design Fiction Art & Design
- 16. Design Fiction Design fiction is a process of merging fictional worlds with creative design, hybridizing notions of reality and fiction into objects, with a look to the future. Assembled design fictions are component parts for different kinds of near future or alternative worlds. Art & Design
- 17. Design Fiction Art & Design
- 18. Design Fiction Art & Design
- 19. Learning Capacities Biomimicry Design Fiction Culturally Situated Design & Learning Computational Thinking Personal Community History & Heritage Family Coding Creating Persevering Collaborating Researching Collaborating Critical Thinking Fabricating Empathy Ideation Defining Prototyping
- 20. Tools, Concepts & Practices 3D Modeling Vector Graphics 3D Printing Laser Cutting Biomimicry Iteration Translation Rotation Reflection CSDTs Storyboarding Sketching Writing Mapping Design Fiction Code Algorithms Patterns Abstractions CS
- 21. Fabrication
- 22. Design
- 23. Worldbuilding
- 24. Computation
- 25. Examples
- 27. STEAM Planning
- 28. BAA STEAM Lab
Editor's Notes
- Cultural exploration of art and design is one of the ways in which students gain evidence for conscious knowledge of science and technology. That’s what creates the difference between most STEM concepts, which are often based on foreign/outside knowledge, and STEM modeling in vernacular, which is by definition based on local cultural knowledge. We can imagine that even imaginary cultures have different ways of engaging science and technology.
- The Black Panther is the ceremonial title given to the chief of the Panther Tribe of the advanced African nation of Wakanda. In the distant past, a meteorite made of the fictional vibration-absorbing mineral vibranium crashed in Wakanda, and was unearthed. Reasoning that outsiders would exploit Wakanda for this valuable resource, the ruler kings concealed the country from the outside world. This is the origin story of the Black Panther who inherited his power and abilities from his ancestors: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxWvtMOGAhw
- Many of the artifacts from the comic and in the recent movie teaser trailer come from real African diasporic cultures and these cultural artifacts are enhanced by fictional Wakandan science and technology. There are many aspects of this development that connect to STEAM subjects. I will discuss a few of them here.
- Wakandan science mimics nature. In this example, Wakandan engineers studied the patterns of bird flight and the main forces affecting the flight abilities of birds such as lift, thrust, drag, gravity. We can image that in order to create this ship, the engineers had to investigate the shape, feather structure and resulting differences in the pattern of a bird’s flight.
- "Bio" means life and "mimicry" means to imitate, so, "biomimicry" means to imitate life or nature, specifically to help design products and systems for human use. Students should be encouraged to look around their environment and make journal entries of design ideas and sketches for products that an engineer might create. They can also create their own models or prototypes.
- It's best to find many different strategies from quite divergent sources (e.g. animals, etc.) This gives students more design alternatives. One way to do this is by creating, evaluating, scoping, and discovering specific aspects of nature to inform new designs.
- In Wakanda, even the most everyday items have multiple technological uses. In this example, sister Shuri tells her mother Ramonda (Black Panther’s step-mother) a story using spoken word and by activating a bead from her bracelet to trigger a video projection. This example illustrates real life augmented reality technology, minus the bead and bracelet.
- The most effective context and approach for developing computational thinking is learning computer science, starting with the fictional products of Wakanda.
- Wakandan babies are given “kimoyo” bracelets that tap into the vibranium of Wakanda. A bead on the bracelet can act as a cell phone or video projector, another may hold personal data such as medical records. A separate bead might be a GPS. By using this example, students can think of ways to solve problems using mobile applications, mini or micro-computers and by making interfaces that when touched trigger video projections, and more.
- Computational thinking merges computer science, engineering, and math. One challenge is converting ideas about vernacular science and technology into a pedagogical form suitable for pre-college classrooms; in particular for under-represented ethnic groups. There is the possibility that cultural connections to science and technology may improve the low performance and interest in these areas among African American, Native American, Latino and Pacific Islander children in the U.S.
- Wakandans must negotiate representations of cultural knowledge during the design process, resulting in the creation of things that have personal or cultural meaning. Wakandan science and technology is embedded in its cultural artifacts.
- In 2014, I worked with graduate students at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute or RPI on suite of culturally situated design tools or CSDTs based on afrofuturism and methods employed by Zimbabwe artist Nontsikelelo Mutiti. This was my introduction to culturally situated design and learning.
- Using CSDTs, students can re-create or simulate cultural artifacts using principles in math and computing. These tools can help students gain skills in computational thinking, as well as explore their indigenous cultures and identities. CSDTs show how different cultural perspectives and methods work together to create designs.
- Wakandans use designerly practices to more richly inform the creation of their fictional world. This use of a fictional frame provides us with a lens for exploring the cultural implications of design practice in science and technology.
- Wakandan technology is a design fiction. It’s creators merged fiction with real and futuristic ideas of science and technology. One area where this development could go is into gaming or game design, which requires storytelling, graphics and design, and computer programming.
- This project is a great example of hybridizing reality and fiction. This is a 3D printable model of the Black Panther’s hand and claws, which in the comic are made of vibranium. In real life this model would be made of plastic but could be painted to look like metal or other materials.
- Whether it’s a vehicle simulating a bird or a bracelet that works like a technological Swiss knife, if students create worlds or objects with tactile sensations, visual descriptions, and details, then perhaps they will believe in the idea that they can create their own worlds.
- One way I’ve been able to do this is by creating taxonomy that aligns scientific and techno-vernacular with STEM learning. Increasing learning capacity in this way means both increasing knowledge flows and getting better at the process of learning itself. In order to create new scientific and technological artifacts, we must practice and gain new skills, and be more aware of how these concepts and methods work together.
- Here are a few examples of the tools that can be used to create different projects. The 3D model for the Black Panther paw can be 3D printed. The pattern on Nakia’s dress in the film can be created using geometry and a computer-based culturally situated design tool or CSDT. Using Augmented Reality technology, students can map their designs on physical surfaces or they can be viewed using mobile devices. Students can use App Inventor to create mobile apps.
- 3D design is the creation of an object which has three dimensions (height, width, depth). The output of 3D designs can range from skyscrapers to electric cars, even an animated character you might see in a Black Panther film. There are plenty of resources for educators to learn and teach 3D design and 3D printing.
- Black Panther (T’Challa) and the Wakanda story provide culturally relevant themes that may be of interest to students from groups most underrepresented in STEM and STEAM. And even once you have established what the indigenous science and tech concepts are, you still have to figure out how its going to be negotiated in software, pedagogy, etc. – often you have to make some compromise. I’m always looking for culturally relevant DIY projects that students can explore for example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0v7mTvJ8M4
- Fabrication using 3D printers and laser cutters requires knowledge of software, design processes, file formats, and it requires a lot of time and resources. Onyx Ashanti tinkered with a variety of materials and technologies in order to create his beatjazz controller. He also created several prototypes, improving on his system each time. Onyx Ashanti provided access to his project via SparkFun and Make magazine.
- I’m very modular in my approach to planning STEAM projects. Ideally, the activity begins with the introduction of relevant concepts, some fundamentals or basics, and exploration through tinkering and fabricating prototypes. Once they have a model or prototype they can program devices such as micro-controllers to light LEDs or run motors. Then, the projects can be showcased in exhibitions or even used in staged performances. The entire project can happen over the course of a term, a semester or a year.
- I’ve been able to introduce some of these ideas in the STEAM Lab at Boston Arts Academy. There, students learn how to use DIY practices, electronics and found objects to create their own projects. The use 3D printers, vinyl and laser cutters. In these photos, students are experimenting with electric paint and Touch Boards, learning how to create quilt designs using algorithms, building MIDI controllers to compose music, and presenting their class projects to Hank Shocklee. Hank was in the Lab when this happened: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkEGpZ8hStg
- https://sustainabilityworkshop.autodesk.com/products/doing-biomimicry-finding-mentors-nature