Unmaking

Today at Make Club we had an unmaking session where we got to find out how computers work. One of the Make Club volunteers, Stephen Hogg led the session. We watched this video which gave the general concept of the parts of a computer and how they worked. 

A parent had donated several laptops and desktop computers to pull apart.  

The students formed natural groups of three around some equipment and were instructed to work together to pull the devices apart and find the major components (the CPU, RAM & HD). The next task was to find out what the parts did and get the computers working again.

Everyone dove in and various techniques and approaches were used to get into the computers. Some methodically took theirs apart with a cautious approach and others smashed and hacked their way in. One group examined cause and effect as they discovered the bios and saw the CPU fan speeds change as they slowed the fan down with various objects. They could also see the temperature of the CPU when they stopped the fan completely.

Why? The aim was to reduce the mystery of the machine and reduce the fear of fixing and tinkering with technology. We also wanted to make sure there is a balance between consuming and creating with technology. Unmaking is a great way for students to really get to know how technology works – they literally know it inside out. This gives them an advantage in understanding, manipulating and creating with technology.

The joy of learning was evident for young and old. The challenge of finding all the parts and the satisfaction of fixing the computer to get it working again was second to none.