Smart Kids Lab : Learning with small steps
28 February 2017
Since the start of the Smart Kids Lab pilot at three schools in Amsterdam, the Smart Citizen Kit made the first appearance in the schools.
The citizen sensor is able to measure a variety of environmental factors such as air quality, noise pollution and temperature. We found out that it’s great to play around with, although sometimes a little bit hard to understand for kids younger than 12 years old. But in the end, the idea of using open-source technology to measure yourself is brought to the youngest Smart Kids possible!
The idea was to leave the embedding of the sensors in the lessons to the teachers. They are the ones that know best how kids react to new technologies, and the level with which they can work with. It was quite challenging for teachers to adapt. For kids under the age of 12, the interface of the sensor and platform is still a little bit hard to grasp, but the enthusiasm and interest is there. When showing the data from the sensor in the school, interesting questions from the kids popped up.
What is this peak in noise- and air quality level?
Could it be that this is around the time that the school opens?
How is the air quality in the school compared to other ones?
While the accurate, calibrated and reliable answers to these questions are sometimes hard to deliver, the sensor brings up questions and the idea of do-it-yourself measurements, therefore the presence of the Smart Citizen Kit in schools is a huge step forward.
They are kid-sized steps, but in the right direction!
Next to the Smart Citizen Kit, there is also a Lora Bora sensor hanging at the schools, which senses air quality as well, using the LoRaWan network from the Things Network.
