Oslo Science Centre
TeknoLab creative workshop
On September 11th, TeknoLab creative workshop opened at The Norwegian Museum of Science and Technology – a fantastic offer for children and young people, and for teachers who can come and learn more. It's all about today's young people and their understanding of technology. The understanding of creating, not just consuming this technology.
- I believe that what we see here will put the students in a better position to help solve many of the riddles of the future, many of the riddles we have not been able to solve so far, said Minister of Knowledge and Integration Jan Tore Sanner during the opening of TeknoLab. Photographer Gorm K. Gaare.
In the TeknoLab creative workshop, we offer teaching for school classes in programming, electronics and digital fabrication, including the use of micro:bit, soldering irons and 3D printers. Science, programming, interdisciplinarity and creative joy are combined in a unique way. The offer concretizes the content of The Technological Schoolbag, which was launched in spring 2018. The room is also equipped with the world's first programmable micro:bit orchestra produced by the museum's first Maker in residence, Daniel Lacey-McDermott.
TeknoLab is used by school classes, for teacher courses and continuing education and is an arena for young people at Oslo Science Centre 's Talent Centre. In the autumn of 2018, two fixing parties for electronics were organized in collaboration with the organization Restarters Oslo, and a large teacher's conference, Programming and creative workshop in schools, in collaboration with the Norwegian Directorate of Education and the Norwegian Center for Natural Sciences.
The technological school bag
On behalf of the Norwegian Directorate of Education, the Vitensenterforeningen, through Den teknologiske skolesekken, has received funds to engage ten digital pedagogues over the next five years. The aim is to reach 100,000 5.-7. classes and give teaching courses in programming. The science center will employ its own pedagogue who will lead the project.
The creative school
The Natural Sciences Center and the Science Centers have been awarded NOK 15 million from Sparebankstiftelsen DNB to establish a website with creative and exploratory activities for children and young people over the next three years. The project includes in-service training for teachers, development of educational content for the school through the online portal skaperskolen.no, and funds to carry out regional creation festivals. The science center is represented in the group that leads the development of the project.
The Talent Centre
Oslo Science Centre is one of four regional science centers responsible for testing talent centers in the sciences, commissioned by the Ministry of Education and Science.
The establishment of talent centers in science is a follow-up to the science strategy Tett på science, and will be an educational offer for children and young people who have great learning potential, and who need a greater academic challenge than what their ordinary school life is able to provide.
The Talent Centre during its two years of operation, have become key suppliers in the field of "pupils with great learning potential". The Science Centre's strong position as a provider of playful learning and a practical approach to heavy theory gave us the mandate to safeguard tomorrow's wise minds, where students work in the cross-section of theoretical science, practical engineering and technology development.
The Talent Centre at Oslo Science Centre has given The Norwegian Museum of Science and Technology increased collaboration with the higher education sector regarding pedagogy and closer collaboration with the region's municipalities and county authorities.
The children's room
In April, the museum opened the Children's Room, based on an idea from a study trip to Milan in 2017. The Children's Room is part of the kindergarten initiative, where maths and science, among other things, have been given a greater place in the framework plan. The knowledge centers in Norway have a responsibility within this national kindergarten initiative, and for the museum this means placing greater emphasis on teaching provision in maths and science for kindergarten children, as well as a major investment in courses for kindergarten staff.
All of the interior in the Children's Room is specially adapted to the smallest children according to a basic pedagogical idea and designed especially for teaching in maths, science and programming for kindergarten children and pupils in 1st and 2nd year.