Takapuna Grammar School (TGS) launched their innovation space in 2020, offering a wide range of tools and machinery for students and staff to use.
I worked at TGS as an art and technology teacher from 2021 - 2023, and together with Robin Kydd helped to rework the space to become Te Wāhi Auaha - the space of making.
We designed, developed, and deployed a centralized knowledge hub that exists both online and offline. The hub includes guides for students and staff on using specialised tools and machines, as well as steps to follow for achieving specific goals.
As part of my work, I developed custom software that students could use as part of their art or technology curriculum, or for their own personal projects. The most notable example is gARden, a web app that generates a permanent AR view of a 3D model that can be printed, distributed and shared.
Every Thursday we held an Innovation Workshop, where students could bring in projects that they were working on and get our help in using specialised machines such as laser cutters and 3D printers as part of their making. The group consisted of both junior and senior students, with some seniors having attended the workshop every week since its inception in 2020.
I am proud of the work that we achieved in setting up and running Te Wāhi, particularly as a safe space for students to come and work on creative projects (even if these didn't fall under an academic/NCEA curriculum). It remains to be the most enjoyable and rewarding part of my teaching experience.