DIY Life Hack: Machine Design and Making Competition
Introduction
DIY Life Hack is a group contest of Machine Design and Making open to all Grade 11 and Grade 12 students of JBLFMU(Arevalo) Inc.
The objective is to create a “do it yourself life hack” that showcases both creativity and knowledge in machine design and making. The activity intended to enhance participants critical thinking and problem solving skills to solve environmental, social, and scientific gaps to better and aid human daily life activities. As future maritime officers, students must be equipped with these skills to ensure safety, excellent working performance, and decision making of the officers and master of the vessel.
This should provide the context and justification for the practice and should address the following issues:
Implementation of the Practice
The participating groups submitted entries subjected for judging in two levels: pre-finals and finals. In the pre-finals, the output was an idea primer, consisting of an infographic presenting the design, as well as a 3d file or sketch of the design itself. Qualifiers in the pre-final round, had proceeded in the final round which is the machine-making proper. Materials used in making the machine are limited to unique common household items, recyclable and indigenous materials. There were five machines that were presented and judged during the program. This competition is part of the events in the Math-Scilympics a one day event of Mathematics and Science last September 30, 2022, organized and spearheaded by the SHS teachers handling the subjects under these courses and facilitated by selected students. The competition implicated collaboration, resourcefulness, creativity, and enrichment of students’ higher order thinking skills. The competition implicated collaboration, resourcefulness, creativity, and enrichment of students’ higher order thinking skills.
Results of the Practice – Outputs and Outcomes
The first ever winner of DIY life Hack was the Portable Air Cooler of Team Galileo. The entry was a cooling machine run by a battery or with solar panels that generates cool air and can be hand-carried. The invention aimed to address the unbearable hot weather in the country and its negative effect on human health and productivity. This signified that through this activity, students can produce actual solutions to pressing problems in the society, environment, and human health by using Math and Science concepts. Furthermore, this indicated that students are learning the practical function of the information they are taught inside the classroom.
Lessons Learnt
Almost all entries worked during the presentation. This is because participants were able conceptualize and prepared well for their machines. However, there were entries that did not worked during the final round. This is because, some materials used are not enough to support the ideas that affected the feasibility and function of the output. This implies that students can formulate big ideas that are, however, impossible to work on at the present time. For both teachers and students, the activity reminded them always apply the SMART ways in the thing they do. SMART stands for: be specific, measurable, achievable, resourceful and time bounded.
Conclusions
The result of the DIY Life Hack competition is beneficial not only to the students but to the community. This can be considered as a best practice because it helps students understand their responsibilities in the society. That, as citizens of the world they have an obligation to contribute solutions to pressing problems. Also, this can enable students to encourage people in their own community to make use of the available materials at home to create useful machines without wasting these resources and spending a lot of money to buy expensive commercialized product. This simple activity may create a ripple effect in the community in general.
It is recommended that in the adoption of this practice, teachers should focus on addressing actual issues. Students must realize what are necessary and relevant at the present time. Also, it is important to give feedback to all participants regarding their output. This for them to understand and realize the points they must improve. Lastly, make a venue where winners of the competition can share with their schoolmates the practice of machine design and making.
Further Reading:
Romero-Piedrahita, C. A., Vanegas-Useche, L. V., & Díaz-Rodríguez, M. (2019). Pedagogical strategies for enhancing machine design teaching in a mechanical technology programme. Revista UIS Ingenierías, 18(3), 15–25.
From https://www.redalyc.org/journal/5537/553762534002/html/.
Forman, F., & College, C. (2019). Article Journal of Education and Educational Developement Activity- Based Teaching, Student Motivation and Academic Achievement. 6(1). From https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1216784.pdf.
By: Ms. Jean Rose E. Genova
(SHS Faculty)