Voyage to the Dwight School’s Spark Lab
Taking my Teachers College Columbia graduate students off campus for a new type of learning experience
On Monday, March 1, my Teachers College Columbia class took place at the Dwight School’s Spark Lab on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Lesa Wang, Head of Design and Global Spark Programs Director, opened her doors for us with Matthew Moran ( Director of Technology at the DWIGHT school) and Karen Blumberg of the Brearley School brought the students through the hows and whys of spaces like this one. The students observed and learned about what happens in a space like this, and why it is important to get our students working in spaces like this. Lesa introduced the space to the students by talking about the concept and design of this lab, Matt took the students through all of the equipment (3D printers, laser cutter, CNC mill, the Circut machine, and more) in the lab, and Karen talked about the work she does with students in this field, and what type of projects that can happen in spaces like this.
This is the second voyage my co-professor, Reshan Richards and I have taken our students on this semester. As I mentioned in my last piece the purpose of these voyages is:
A voyage is a journey that takes a person to a place they normally wouldn’t visit. My students at Teachers College, Columbia University, where I teach a class on using design thinking to solve problems in education, regularly participate in this activity.
Karen has written about the voyage here and there are also many photographs of the Spark Lab.
