FabLab may be coming to AHS
By Daria Wiberg
Published March 7, 2019
FabLab is short for Fabrication Laboratory. Did you know that Aitkin High School has many machines that will bring students and teachers into the next century? Hiding in the closets of some classrooms are 3D printers, shirt printers, metal cutting, sign making, and many other machines. Other schools besides Aitkin are doing this as well. They want more advantages for kids’ education.
What would you think if Aitkin had a FabLab that took all these machines and put them in one room? Mr. Roos said it would be a great advantage for the students here at Aitkin High School. Some of the goals for the FabLab are the activities which would engage AHS students as quickly as possible in real projects, creating an authentic and real-world context for learning.
By using these machines and getting good at them, students could possibly get a job outside of school without going to college. That is how these machines can affect a person's education. What’s in it for students and the staff? Opportunities to teach and learn outside of your everyday classroom environment. It will create a vision in students.
Mr. Jason Roos is a tech guy here at AHS and he has a vision for the FabLab. “The students will have an amazing opportunity to get their hands on this equipment and give them time to learn, explore, create, make (and learn from mistakes), allowing them to evolve and perfect many valuable skill sets,” Mr. Roos said.
Principal Mr. Paul Karelis also sees the advantages of a FabLab. “This is a golden opportunity to give our students an edge on technical skills and hands-on learning," Mr. Karelis said. "The FabLab will be designed to introduce several technical skills that students will be able to utilize in future occupations. It will include everything from vinyl signs to lasers to giant wood routers to Tormach (CNC) Mill. They will create things from a block of steel. Students will learn the sketch up, support, use and design of projects of all sizes. (The FabLab will) expand Ag, Art, Business, Family and Consumer Science and open the door for Physics and Mathematics to engage in hands-on learning, all giving students the right to explore, create, and build something that has not been constructed or developed to this point.
"The FabLab will take about 3-5 years to build.”
Published March 7, 2019
FabLab is short for Fabrication Laboratory. Did you know that Aitkin High School has many machines that will bring students and teachers into the next century? Hiding in the closets of some classrooms are 3D printers, shirt printers, metal cutting, sign making, and many other machines. Other schools besides Aitkin are doing this as well. They want more advantages for kids’ education.
What would you think if Aitkin had a FabLab that took all these machines and put them in one room? Mr. Roos said it would be a great advantage for the students here at Aitkin High School. Some of the goals for the FabLab are the activities which would engage AHS students as quickly as possible in real projects, creating an authentic and real-world context for learning.
By using these machines and getting good at them, students could possibly get a job outside of school without going to college. That is how these machines can affect a person's education. What’s in it for students and the staff? Opportunities to teach and learn outside of your everyday classroom environment. It will create a vision in students.
Mr. Jason Roos is a tech guy here at AHS and he has a vision for the FabLab. “The students will have an amazing opportunity to get their hands on this equipment and give them time to learn, explore, create, make (and learn from mistakes), allowing them to evolve and perfect many valuable skill sets,” Mr. Roos said.
Principal Mr. Paul Karelis also sees the advantages of a FabLab. “This is a golden opportunity to give our students an edge on technical skills and hands-on learning," Mr. Karelis said. "The FabLab will be designed to introduce several technical skills that students will be able to utilize in future occupations. It will include everything from vinyl signs to lasers to giant wood routers to Tormach (CNC) Mill. They will create things from a block of steel. Students will learn the sketch up, support, use and design of projects of all sizes. (The FabLab will) expand Ag, Art, Business, Family and Consumer Science and open the door for Physics and Mathematics to engage in hands-on learning, all giving students the right to explore, create, and build something that has not been constructed or developed to this point.
"The FabLab will take about 3-5 years to build.”