Right before the winter break, to cap off the term with a bang, our entire PLP cohort showcased our extravaganza of learning in one big winter exhibition. The project was guided by our driving question. “How might I design an build answer to my own inquiry.” The main project that we showcased in the exhibition was our Star-Wars mini blue-sky. A blue-sky is a project that gives the learner freedom to gain knowledge of whatever interested and fascinated them. The project that we worked on for the winter exhibition was a mini blue-sky. A mini blue-sky is the same general idea it’s just a bit more restricted as in you have one main topic to go off of. Our mini blue-sky was based on Star-Wars. Star-Wars is a topic that I really enjoy so creating a project off that topic was not hard. In this project we had set milestones in the LAUNCH cycle. Look, Ask Tons Of Questions, Understand, Navigate Ideas, Create A Prototype and finally Highlight and Fix. In this blog post I will be covering the main milestones in this project, the curricular competencies to follow and guide us through the project and what I actually created for this mini blue-sky. If you’re thinking “this sounds familiar, a winter exhibition?” You’re not wrong, I already made a blog post about the winter exhibition covering another project we did. You can see that post HERE.

First, our project initiated with the “how might we” question. Our “how might we” not only guided us through our project and helped us stay on track. It also served as the building blocks of the entire exhibition. We first formed our “how might we” in the L phase. The L phase was the base for the entire project. The how might we that I formed was “how might we recreate a weapon from Star-Wars to benefit our armed forces”. The L  phase was about looking, listening and learning. The curricular competency we were assessed on was “engage in a period of research and empathetic observation in order to understand design opportunities”, otherwise known as look, listen and learn. I displayed this by brainstorming multiple “how might we’s” to kickstart my project. I looked throughout the internet to research as much as possible about our topic, Star-Wars. I listened to the teacher and my peers for valuable feedback. I learnt through a cycle of feedback through my peers and teachers.

Next, it was all about asking tons of questions. The A phase depended on curiosity and Asking hard questions. Which was our curricular competency. For The A phase we created a project pitch form. The project pitch form was designed to spark an interest in our project and create the connections necessary to move forward. As already stated, we had to ask tons of questions. Before asking questions I had to consider the four stages of questioning. This included robot, detective, judge, inventor. What differentiated between the stages of questions was the level of intellect required to answer them. The two competencies we were assessed on were “Identify potential users and their requirement for a chosen a design opportunity” and “Identify criteria for success and any constraints”. Also known as “asking the hard questions”. I demonstrated my success in this competency by preserving an uninterrupted curiosity in learning more into the topic.

The third stage in the LAUNCH cycle was U. The U phase was about understanding the problem or process. This phase included the most research. For this phase we learnt how to use google to our best advantage when researching. We learnt how to properly site sources so we can credit the source we used for our information. We learned how to search with the best accuracy ex. narrowing search terms and using keywords. Using the above-mentioned tactics I was able to research the answers I needed. The curricular competencies being assessed for this phase were “understand the problem of process” and “innovative designer”. I showed my proficiency in the first competency by analyzing my sources of information and using them to my advantage. I also continued my idea on benefiting our armed forces. I showed my aptitude in “innovative designer” by using multiple sources of information and using a variety of technology to identify and asses possible solutions.

For the N phase we had to create a mini-video representing our learning up to this point. The N  phase was about “navigating ideas”. My video represented how I had showed my learning and what I had created up until this stage in the project. The competencies being assessed in this phase were “navigate ideas” and “innovative designer”. I showed a developed understanding of navigating ideas by building on my peers ideas and giving helpful feedback, establishing ideas to add to criteria, creating a plan on how to carry out my project and using technology and different materials for production. I was a competent innovative designer. I showed this by using multiple sources and technology such as 3D modelling to create a prototype.

The second to last stage was C. The C stage was the most invigorating stage. This was the stage where we actually got to get our hand dirty and create the first prototype. For this stage I 3D modelled my prototype first so I had a good idea of what it would like. Once I was confident that my 3D model would work, looked good and would fulfill the needs I needed it to achieve I sent it off to a connection who had a 3D printer. I was last in line. I had a few friends who had the same idea as me. A link to their blog Nate and Logan. First, Logans 3D print completed. It did not come out as planned. The 3D printer spassed out and did not complete his creation. Then I started to realize that my creation might not work as well so I started to come up with a plan B if plan A did not work. That plan was to create my blaster out of cardboard. Next, it was Nates turn to 3D print. It didn’t come out as planned either. At this point I started to get worried as my 3D print had a high chance of not working. Luckily, my 3D print came out exactly as it should. Then I added the laser and it all worked out. If you’re wondering what I actually created there will be a video explaining it HERE. Basically I recreated a blaster from Star-Wars but added a bunch of modifications such as a laser sight so it could benefit our MODERN armed forces. The competencies being assessed for this stage were “create, make, design and build” and “computational thinker”. I showed proficiency in the first competency by creating and modifying a lifelike blaster. I became a computational thinker by employing a strategy to leverage the power of technological methods. I showed this by creating a 3D model in a CAD modelling service.

The final stage in the LAUNCH cycle was H. H was the final stage where you could tweak and perfect your creation. It was called highlight and fix. For the H phase, I asked my fellow acquaintances for feedback to improve my blaster. Luckily one of my peers had great feedback that I ended up using. His name was Logan, his blog is HERE. His idea was for me to add a universal mounting point to the blaster so that anyone could add an attachment for their specific use. I ended up adding this item to the blaster and it made the end product better overall. The competencies being assessed for the H phase were “highlight and improve” and “computational thinker”. I feel I highlighted and improved by identifying and using my sources of feedback to my advantage, conducted multiple tests and editing and implementing the feedback into my final product. I became a computational thinker by employing a strategy to leverage technology to test solutions. In my case, that was using the power of iMessage to come up with valuable feedback.

Now you’re probably wondering “well what actually happened at the exhibition?!?”. Well I will now give a play by play on what happened at the exhibition. Now, for the exhibition, we had to transform a room into a planet from Star-Wars to further the experience of the exhibition and to better showcase our Star-Wars related projects. Our planet was Tattooine. To create an environment  that simulates Tattooine, we put beige tarps around to feel like sand. We put yellow sheets of paper over the lights to look like a hot sun and we had rough crates boxes and sand strewn around to feel imprisonsed. Finally, we put heaters around the room to feel like a desert. We also had to dress up as a character from our planet. I dressed up as a tuscan-raider. I wore a beige shirt, baggy brown pants, an ammo belt around my shoulder, a tool belt around my waist and a bathrobe over everything. Then I wore cowboy boots to finish off the look. Once the time of the exhibition rolled around, people walked around asking questions and generally enjoying themselves. We told them about our project and how we came to a conclusion. After the exhibition we went home content and happy knowing we had finished a big assignment.

In conclusion, the whole launch cycle helped me complete this project in a timely manner. All the milestones and competencies, especially C stage helped me grow as a learner. The C stage helped me grow as I started to realize how not everything goes exactly to plan and if you have one faulty screw in your plan, the whole idea comes toppling down. The whole competencies came together and helped me become a more confident being when learning as I now know how to quickly and efficiently Look, listen and learn. Ask tons of questions. Understand the problem or process. Navigate ideas. Create a prototype and finally, highlight and fix.