A soft toy mouse travels across the room on a robot, collecting 3D-printed pieces of cheese – whilst all around, people are programming, experimenting and discovering: This was the scene on 3 October at the Saarpfalz District’s Medienzentrum+, as children explored the rooms during the ‘Türen auf mit der Maus’ open day, held under this year’s theme of ‘Little Wonders’.
As part of the nationwide campaign organised by WDR and the ‘Sendung mit der Maus’ programme, participating companies and organisations open their doors every year to give children insights they wouldn’t otherwise have. At the Medienzentrum+, they were able to try out technology that is otherwise only loaned out to schools, nurseries and charitable organisations in the Saarpfalz district.
Before long, the fleet of robots was up and running; reverse-view glasses were being tested and digital microscopes were being used to examine objects – which look completely different in everyday life – at close quarters: for example, the children took a close look at a snake’s skin and a perfectly ordinary piece of fabric. The 3D printer didn’t just attract children either – many parents became curious and gave it a go themselves.
“Our technology is usually used in schools, nurseries and other facilities across the Saarpfalz district. So it was all the more wonderful to see how quickly both children and parents here got stuck in and started trying things out. That’s exactly what we’re all about: sparking curiosity and a spirit of discovery, and encouraging people to simply try things out for themselves,” said Anne Speicher, a member of the Social Change Planning Unit, who is responsible for STEM education in the Saarpfalz district.
It soon became clear that the event’s concept had struck a chord: “The places were snapped up in no time. Unfortunately, we had a long waiting list and were unable to offer a place to all the children,” said Joline Jochum-Wern, a media education adviser at Medienzentrum+, who designs and runs the programmes herself and also came up with the idea of registering the media centre for the ‘Türen auf mit der Maus’ event. She also regularly trains peer educators to use the technology.
Although the Media Centre won’t be able to log in to ‘Bei der Maus’ again until next year, young researchers will still soon be able to take advantage of the Media Centre’s activities: “From November onwards, the Media Centre+’s ‘MINTwoch Kreativ’ programme will offer regular opportunities to pop in and have a go at some experiments,” adds Jochum-Wern. In doing so, the Media Centre is building on the Saarpfalz district’s long-standing commitment to STEM education. “The district recognised early on the importance of mathematics, computer science, natural sciences and technology for the skills of the next generation and has continuously strengthened this area of education in recent years. The Media Centre+ is a key component of the Saarpfalz District’s long-term STEM education strategy. By lending modern technology to educational institutions in the district and running its own educational programmes and training courses for teaching staff, the district has developed its Media Centre into a central point of contact for these institutions,” emphasises District Administrator Frank John.
By the end of the activity day, it was clear that the mouse hadn’t just been collecting bits of cheese, but had also sparked a great deal of curiosity in the children. There were even quite a few parents who didn’t want to let go of their place at the next station.
Further information about the Medienzentrum+ and the latest events can be found at www.saarpfalz-kreis.de/bildung/medienzentrum.