Ever wonder what to do with that very old keyboard, harddrive, telephone... Deconstructing can be a great way to help young people understand how things really work. At the Computer Clubhouse at the Girl Scouts, girls actively deconstructed telephones, fax machines and keyboards and then re-constructed these parts into their own individualized robots. At the Computer Clubhouse at United South End Settlements members created a clock using keys from a deconstructed keyboard for numbers and used several broken clocks to re-construct a functional "Aristic Computer Clock."
What you need:
Things to take apart
Screw drivers and other tools
Safety goggles and gloves
Other useful materials: Sandpaper, metal cutters, drill
Art Supplies
Getting Started:
It's a good idea to establish some safety guidelines before you start the deconstruction process.
Consider what your goals are before you start: Are you interested in just taking apart the equipment to investigate the insides and then use the parts for artwork? OR are you interested in trying to reconstruct the computer or make a new one? Your goals may dictate how organized you want to be about the process!
Deconstruct!
Once you have taken the equipment apart think about what you want to do next: Make artwork, re-construct.....
One Step Further:
Create a video of the process.
Make deconstructed artwork.
Try putting something back together.
Try to identify different parts and the functions of these parts.
Tips:
Have mentors or staff supervise this project!
Don't take computer monitors apart! This can be very dangerous.
It's very exciting taking things apart. Try to move slowly so that members can understand how what they are taking apart works.
