COMPETITIONS, EVENTS, POSTS

It’s no ordinary Jam. It’s a Tech Jam!

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Written by Hezekiah & Danny

“You have 5 minutes left! Do your finishing touches on your products!”

On hearing the emcee’s countdown, some participants frantically attempted to assemble their artefact, while others laid back in their chairs, brimming with confidence in their winning pieces on the competition table.

At this year’s Caltex Fuel Your School – Tech Jam 2017, students from several primary schools came to Science Centre Singapore’s Marquee to work hands-on on 4 projects designed by experts at the Science Centre. The idea was to spark the students’ interests in coding and tinkering, incorporating music, art, and design with science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).

Below are the stations where participants got hands on with basic coding and circuits:

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This station featured basic circuits and sewing, where participants lighted up an LED on a piece of fabric. They used conductive thread to connect the LED with the battery. This was an introduction to the emerging field of electronic wearables and e-textiles.
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Mood lamps with Arduino were used to introduce programming, electronics and crafting with paper drawn from robotic modules. Participants connected the LEDs to the Arduino, then coded the Arduino to execute various blinking patterns for each of the LEDs. Doing so created mood lamps unique to their coding.
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Using unusual objects to test conductivity, participants could play music through aluminium foils. They connected aluminium foils to their Makey-Makey, and coded what each piece of aluminium should sound like when touched. By holding the earth clip of the wire, participants were able to produce sounds by being conductors – touching the aluminium foils and closing the circuit!
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Light up art with paper circuits brought the basics of electronics and circuits to participants through crafting with paper. Participants created art with paper and then incorporated LEDs, wires and a switch to their art piece to make it light up!

Through the odds of confusion under time pressure and co-ordination with parts of the artefacts falling apart even in the dying moments, participants pressed on to complete their creations.

The winners (as seen in the feature image above) – will return to the Science Centre in November for a 2-week research experience program to hone their budding interest in the field.

“Today’s programme was very challenging,” said Kieran Chia from Nanyang Primary School, one of the winners at the event. “The button kept failing but we finished our product in the last moment, in 7 minutes!”

Tech Jam 2017 did not only benefit the winners, but every participant who gave their best in creating the most innovative artefact within their means.

It’s not over yet…
Tech Jam 2017 will be open to kids of all ages, and the public sessions will offer the community a chance to attempt the projects. It is open on the 14th and 15th of October from 10am-12.30pm and 2pm-5pm.

Come and bring your kids! Get your creative juices pumping and experience an exciting day of innovation!

**Special Promotion**
Presenting a Plus! Card with a recent Caltex receipt at the Science Centre Singapore, entitles you to a 20% discount* on admission to the Science Centre Singapore from 8 Sep – 31 Dec 2017.

For more information on the Caltex Fuel Your School – Tech Jam 2017 partnership, please visit http://bit.ly/CaltexFuelYourSchool2017 

One Comment Add yours

  1. kramanathan says:
    November 2, 2017 at 7:55 am

    Reblogged this on Maker Faire Singapore.

    Reply

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