On the day our End Of Year (EOY) examinations ended, I was among a group of 4 students selected by teacher, Mr Irfan to plan to conduct a design studies workshop for secondary 2s to introduce to them what is design studies with the aim of getting them to consider it for their extra curriculum.
The team were frantically still planning for it the night before the event. After some discussion, we finally completed our slides. My main role was contributing to the script. If I had more time, I would have liked to use some engagement tools like Kahoot to better engage the Sec 2s.
On the day of the workshop, when I saw how big the class was (30 people!), I got nervous and did not project my voice well. However, for the subsequent 2 workshops that followed, I was able to compose myself and present more confidently. It helped that I practiced some of the slides with my father the night before.
After the presentations were done, it was time for the hands-on activity. Students were told to work in pairs. It was a simple activity to combine any two objects of their choice together, but both needed to have similar applications. The given example we used to explain was to combine a spoon and a fork.
img source: https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/31d5UNDwvHL._AC_SY580_.jpg
Many students in the first few minutes did not know what to do. This was where the facilitators (including myself) would go in to help by giving them some pointers. We used that opportunity to teach them design principles, e.g. how to see from the end-users point of view, to consider safety measures, etc. It was interesting to see every pair eventually coming up with their own unique designs. This activity helped convince them that everyone has hidden talent and creativity, as long as they tap into their hidden potential.
One of my favorite things about SST is that there are always opportunities to participate in activities to share and learn together. I enjoy helping out our younger counterparts, similar to what we did for SC Connect earlier this year. At the same time, these opportunities give me a chance to work with my peers and also practice presenting to large audiences, boosting my confidence.
Howie Chia
19 Oct 2021
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