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Creativity and Maker-Spaces | BEECREATIVE
As on July 25th 2016 I had an interview with Nadine SCHIRTZ and Yvonne ZOTZ in the „The flagship makerspace of the national Youth Service SNJ“ “BASE 1” at Forum Geesseknäppchen in Luxembourg-City. This is the second interview of a series which I intend to do; the first one was about <===> Luxembourg EDUcation-Interviews | 1) The Luxembourg EDU-System.
I hereby thank a lot Mrs. Nadine SCHIRTZ for having accepted my request for having an interview with her. My first request was made over Social Media Facebook (on PM; Private Message) as WE are friends on Facebook (Social Media) and I am ALSO member of the “Advisory Board” from BEESECURE where Nadine is ALSO involved. Nadine replied to my request with giving me her work eMail Address. I sent her an official request by eMail and it was getting accepted; as YOU see Social Media has a lot of advantages 😉
I thank ALSO a lot Yvonne ZOTZ, the responsible person for the “BASE 1 at Forum Geesseknäppchen” (left-hand on the above photo).
It was a pleasure to talk together for 1h:30 to two lovely ladies with a LOT of competency and professional behavior! I enjoyed very much that conversation as especially WE were talking about the “Pedagogy” and “Social” behind and that it ISN’T pure “Technology”, THAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT!
Nadine is officially working for http://www.snj.public.lu/fr. Makerspaces in Luxembourg are set up via the BEE CREATIVE project by SCRIPT and SNJ in both formal education (schools) and non-formal education(child daycare structures, youth houses,…) settings.
Yvonne is THE “Space-Keeper“, the responsible person for the Makerspace “BASE 1” and she is ALSO running under contract of http://www.snj.public.lu/fr. Let us mention ALSO that the “Makerspaces” in Luxembourg are embodied by the “SCRIPT” from Luxembourg EDUcation System, where M. Serge LINCKELS coordinates them; I interviewed M. Serge LINCKELS already <===> Luxembourg EDUcation-Interviews | 1) The Luxembourg EDU-System.
Let us remember HOW the STRATEGY of the Luxembourg EDUcation System is by watching the picture below, please:
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Click the above image please, to access the article.
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WHERE BEECREATIVE is making THIS part of the STRATEGY, check PIC please.
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Click the above image please, to access the website of BEECREATIVE.
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As mentioned already above, each Makerspace has its “Space-Keeper”, the responsible person of that place. These “Space-Keeper’s” connect together WITH THEIR TEAMS through “Networking“, Thus meaning: they have meetings over the internet through the “Cloud”<===> [NS] WHERE they meet regularly and in person in different makerspaces and at events to exchange views and projects. Of course, networking via IT-tools is another important aspect. They make an exchange of “GOOD PracTICEs”, NEW ideas, NEW projects…
More information about BEECREATIVE and Makerspaces:
- http://www.bee-creative.lu/makerspaces
- [GM] My curation about Makerspaces
- [GM] My blog about Makerspaces
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Check out ALSO the videos on YouTube about makerspaces in Luxembourg:
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A video WHO explains well WHAT the <===> Maker Movement is <===> from Marc TEUSCH (Luxembourg)
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Let me ALSO tell YOU dear readers THAT the girls got my questions send per eMail as a preparation before I met them and that THEY even didn’t talk about it, well THAT is WHAT I call clever and smart at the same time; THEY knew WHAT I wanted to talk about and THEY used it to talk in a context and NOT as in a SCHOOL test!! Well done GIRLS 😉 I loved it!! 😉
Learn more about Emotional Intelligence (EQ. DQ):
- My curation about Emotional Intelligence (EQ)
- My ThingLink interactive image with links about EQ and DQ
- My curation about Digital Intelligence (DQ)
Learn more about Creativity:
- Sir Ken ROBINSON
- My curation about Creativity
- My blog posts on the How-To use Creativity with ICT PracTICE
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Articles in the Press:
WHAT is the STRATEGY and Pedagogy behind AND the Social!?
Well, that is VERY interesting as I found out by discussing in the interview with the two young ladies, who by the way were VERY professional and with a LOT of COMPETENCY: looks like Luxembourg will have a bright future on ICT in the next coming years!!
I was VERY OPEN-MINDED and listening to Yvonne as she explained me very well WHAT is behind such “Makerspace” places; well I knew it already WHAT it is, BUT HOW it is done in Luxembourg I didn’t know really NOR do OTHERS (my readers…) probably!! Nadine as well gave me ALSO some GOOD points and both girls (Ladies) explained me very well WHAT is the point behind!!
Well, Luxembourg is following NEW trends in EDUcation as well, as ICT is becoming THE MAJOR slogan for the country <===> #DigitalLëtzebuerg #DigitalLuxembourg #Digital4EDUcation <===> AND THAT Luxembourg has to do something OUT of the NORMAL to shine!! I agree with THAT by 100%!! Luxembourg doesn’t have enough qualified people in the ICT-sector and has to work for to get them soon! Through the “makerspaces” kids might get influenced as well to be interested in their future to study in ICT!
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Learn more about “Digital Luxembourg“, called ALSO “Digital Lëtzebuerg“:
Learn more about “Digital4EDUcation“ (Luxembourg/Europe):
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. [NS] With BEE CREATIVE, Luxembourg has become the first country to develop e-skills and e-creativity by implementing makerspaces in both formal and non-formal education systems. This is a milestone in the thrive towards an enlightened and motivated generation of “cyber citizens” in the political frame of “Digital Luxembourg”. [GM] I totally agree with THAT!! Please check ALSO my blog posts:
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SO WHAT did Yvonne and Nadine tell me WHICH made me listening MORE? Well, Makerspaces are THE first place to GET kids interested in something special, a place WHERE creativity could GET fostered, WHERE TEAMS get build WITH SAME interests without knowing on the beginning that such things could even happen!! Youth is invited by groups of minimum of six (6), MOSTLY from EDUcation, BUT if clever NOT necessarily to use the ONLY EDUcation!!! Contact the girls to find out 😉
Here the contact information:
www.bee-creative.lu; www.base1.lu or via Facebook pages BASE1 and BEE CREATIVE
Let us talk ALSO about Coaching, the little YOU exercised and trying to get everybody into the boat WHERE a Win-Win situation is exercised WITHOUT any sort of Hierarchy so that YOUTH can develop itself WITHOUT FEAR of WHATEVER (#SchoolCocoon in mind…); teachers become learners and learners become teachers… A GRATEFUL exchange of knowledge, ISN’T it!? WE are living in 21st Century right and here it gets practiced 😉
Check out ALSO my blog post about Coaching:
Let us talk ALSO about <===> Emotional Intelligence, called ALSO EQ (Emotional Quotient); and cite ALSO Daniel GOLEMAN:
- My curation about Emotional Intelligence
- My curation about Digital Intelligence (DQ)
- My curation about Soft Skills
- My curation about Daniel GOLEMAN
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The “Forum Geesseknäppchen” in Luxembourg-City has really ALL WHAT is needed to GET youth the possibilities to develop a creative mind as well that THEY are guided with GOOD trained coaches (teachers, educators…), supervised by “SCRIPT“; let us have a look:
- Jeunes scientifiques (Jonk Fuerscher)
- Mérite Jeunesse
- Projet SQUAT
- As I got told the “Projet SQUAT” is: there is a special room in the “Forum Geesseknäppchen” who could get hired; this room is equipped with ALL the necessary stuff for holding meetings and to use the ICT stuff in it. It’s a place WHERE young entrepreneurs could come in and GET coached to realize THEIR projects, it’s about <===> Project Based LEARNing (PBL) <===>… My personal meaning. Luxembourg has NOW its “1€ Company Law” accepted, thus meaning: to boost “Entrepreneurship” companies could get created by ONLY investing 1€ for its creation, a simplified way of an “a.s.b.l.“; I guess that this concept together with “Projet SQUAT” will have a BIG success as soon as it will GET more known by young (and old, why not…) entrepreneurs! As on 16-January-2017 this would be possible!!
Learn more about the 1€ Company:
Learn more about PBL:
First of ALL, images to show, please check below please:
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[GM] I wish I would be 50 years younger to take part of THAT NEW way of EDUcation!! 😉
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WHAT is done in Luxembourg’s Makerspaces?
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Makerspaces activities in Luxembourg: starting up from 2015 in Rosport. YouTube video. Creativity in action!!
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Update as on 23-10-2016: “Luxembourg Mini Maker Faire” presentation at “Home & Living Expo” 2016.
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Check out ALSO the videos on YouTube about makerspaces in Luxembourg:
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WHAT will happen NEXT!???
Well, there are some challenges in the air 😉 I got told THAT there is a <===> MakerFest <===> on 19-20 December 2016 in the “Forum Geesseknäppchen” in Luxembourg-City WHERE the organisators are looking to make it a VERY BIG EVENT while using as MUCH possible place as possible inside the building to give YOUTH its way to develop!! AND of course a LOT of prizes from http://www.snj.public.lu/fr and from possible sponsors…
A fashion défilé (catwalk) will be organized and the kids will wear their clothes with wearables (which they created themselves…), kids will play THEIR OWN composed and/or sampled music for the background music and much more…
Learn more:
- My curation about wearables
- My curation about wearables (MOSTLY about the dangers when connected through the internet, BlueTooth and Wi-Fi)
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Update (07-04-2017): Up from September 2017 there will be “BEE CREATIVE for kids” introduced! Makerspaces will get held ALSO THEN in the “Maisons Relais” and in the Primary School.
Update (04-07-2017): A <===> Makerfest <===> was organized at Lycée Technique ESCH/ALZETTE on 04-07-2017. Over 1.000 persons were present on the second Makerfest at LTESCH (Luxembourg) on 04-07-2017, organized by BEECREATIVE, Service National de la Jeunesse, SCRIPT. Lots of different schools from around the country were present with their students (learners) from any age!
It was a pleasure to see with HOW MANY fun the kids and teens were “making” and LEARNing 😉
Please check the video below:
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BEECREATIVE has created its FIRST <===> Makermag <===> with lots of interesting articles showing the activities in the different MakerSpaces and ALSO with a tutorial!
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Update (04-07-2017): The MakerSpace <===> BASE ONE <===> at <===> Forum Geesseknäppchen in Luxembourg-City <===> is NOW ALSO <===> Open Space <===> on Saturdays from 10:00h to 12:00h and from 13:00h to 15:00h where parents can come in together with their kids!!
More infos:
The next <===> Makerfest <===> will be hold on 11-12-2017 and 12-12-2017 at <===> Forum Geesseknäppchen in Luxembourg-City!
Some interesting links:
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The questions for the interview
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.Concerning the questions and answers WE will use initials such as:
- [GM] for Gust MEES
- [NS] for Nadine SCHIRTZ
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Questions for interview <===> Makerspaces
- [GM] WHEN (date) were Makerspaces in Luxembourg opened ?
- [NS] „The flagship makerspace of the national Youth Service SNJ“ was “Base1” which opened in November 2015. All of the six actually open Makerspaces were launched on the same day by Minister Claude Meisch in November 2015. After the launch event, the different makerspaces adopted their own rhythm. Some needed more time to fill up their space with workshops, others were ready to start right away. As for the SNJ makerspace “Base1”, it is active and open on a daily basis since January 2016.
- [GM] How many Makerspaces do actually exist in Luxembourg ? (I know there are six & more will open soon?)
- [NS] Actually six makerspaces are up and running in Luxembourg. 5 of them are set in high schools. As BEE CREATIVE grows, the interest in Makerspaces becomes bigger and bigger. Right now, SCRIPT has a full list of secondary schools and even a couple of primary schools who want to open their own makerspace in the coming schoolyear. As for SNJ, we are focusing on the non-formal education settings. Meaning that we are going to fully support at least 3 Maisons Relais across Luxembourg to open a makerspace in their premises. The maker movement and interest in IT creativity really is a milestone in Luxembourgish education.
- [GM] Do You have actually some statistics on how many people (also by age…) have visited the Makerspaces ? Maybe ALSO graphs about it ?
- [NS] I don’t know for the school makerspaces, but at “Base1”, we counted 1200 visits in the first six months. Tendency: growing… 😉
- [GM] Is it possible for anyone to visit the “Makerspaces” OR are they ONLY available from persons of EDU (Educators, teachers, students, learners)?
- [NS] Logistics sometimes make it difficult for school makerspaces to open their doors to non-students. They do their best however to welcome a large audience during events etc. It is free for every makerspace to choose how the access to their space should be handled. At Base1, young people are welcome to work on their projects. We don’t really care whether they come on their own during “Open space” times or with a group from school, a youth house, a Maison Relais. If you’re not sure whether you can come to Base1, just call and ask…
- [GM] Are the Makerspaces ALSO OPEN during the school holidays ?
- [NS] Right now, the only Makerspace open during school holidays is the Base1. (The one where we are for the interview). However this might change in the future. As I already said, each makerspace can choose when to open or close their doors and the need to keep them open during holidays might increase in the future.
- [GM] I have recently read that « Girls in Tech » were ALSO in one Makerspace, are there more such events planned ? Next Girls in Tech Event to Explore Creative Programming and a Maker Space (31-05-2016) as I find this very important to boost it, especially in programming (coding). Girls are very GOOD in this 😉 Check history of programming (ADA, #WWII, encrypting, Apollo code for moon landing…)
[GM] Concerning <===> Girls in Tech <===> did YOU know that there were already a LOT of celebrities (today) in programming (coding) in history?
Learn more:
My Personal View AND PracTICE
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Check ALSO: . WHAT’S my message and WHY did I create this blog post!? Well, I will encourage all youth and also adults, seniors, oldies to become <===>Life-Long LEARNers <===> and staying Up-To-Date with their knowledge, especially concerning their skills in ICT, called NOW <===> #eSkills <===>! In the modern world YOU will change YOUR job probably +/- 12 times in YOUR working career, it is very rare to stay life-long in the same job and/or same company!!! SO… The workforce is looking for people with ICT skills which YOU mostly didn’t learn at school, right!? Bring in YOUR kids to such creative makerplaces WHERE THEY can develop (and perhaps parents as well…) THEIR creativity and GET interested in something WHICH could boost THEIR interest into ICT in their future 😉 YOU won’t have (mostly) the time to learn by visiting courses, right!? START to become Life-Long LEARNers by LEARNing on YOUR OWN pace, by becoming <===> Autodidacts <===> Self-Directed LEARNers. YOU are able to, I did it, so can YOU!? 😉 I found a job because of my ICT eSkills and I am STILL LEARNing on a daily base routine for being Up-To Date with my <===> Professional Development <===>, even being retired NOW! THE pleasure of LEARNing! I did THE <===> ICT PracTICE <===> and THAT’S WHAT the workforce needs!!!
Due to my eSkills I could share my knowledge AND expertise ALSO with the below mentioned as well as to a broad range of visitors from around the globe! Check out my blog posts:
AND check my profile below as well, at the bottom of this blog post please! 😉
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My Memories and Nostalgia
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The <===> Makerspace Movement <===> ISN’T something NEW actually as it happend already +/- 45-50 years ago with an other name! At that time it was called <===> Do It Yourself (#DIY) <===> and was seen as pure HOBBY and NOT endorsed by EDUcation! SO, it took minimum 45 years before EDUcation realized its importance! WHY do I say this? Well, I was one of those pioneers at that time in my youth; I used already electronics (transistors, integrated circuits, LED displays and also analog displays…) in my learning in PracTICE projects as it wasn’t foreseen yet… I won ALSO an electronics contest in 1979 from Germanic countries, which later helped me to find a BETTER job! For evidence, here some pictures below: .
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The author Gust MEES is ICT Course Instructor, ”Member of the Advisory Board” from “Luxembourg Safer Internet” (LuSI), BEESECURE, Official Partner (Consultant) from the Ministry of Education in Luxembourg, project “MySecureIT“, Official Partner from the Ministry of Commerce in Luxembourg, project “CASES” (Cyberworld Awareness and Security Enhancement Structure). |
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With BEE CREATIVE, Luxembourg has become the first country to develop e-skills and e-creativity by implementing makerspaces in both formal and non-formal education systems. This is a milestone in the thrive towards an enlightened and motivated generation of “cyber citizens” in the political frame of “Digital Luxembourg“. |
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Focus on Migration, interculturality and diversity. Yvonne ZOTZ is working as coordinator of “Base1 Makerspace” for the National Youth Service (SNJ ) to bring new technologies and media closer to young people. ” Base1 ” offers young people a varied program of workshops and further education in the fields of technology, electronics and computer sciences. |
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Stay tuned for next blog post(s) 😉
Keywords necessary for me to create this blog post: Creativity, Pedagogy, Strategy, social, curiosity of youth, maisons relais, vacances scolaires, wearables, space keeper, Networking for professional exchange between makerspaces, Makerfest December, CHALLENGE, jeunes scientifiques, Mérite Jeunesse, Project SQUAT, project based learning, PBL, open spaces for a.s.b.l.’s, SIR KEN ROBINSON about creativity,
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EDU: Digital CitiZENship, CyberSecurity, eSkills, Modern EDU by Gust MEES 