Skip to main content
Science › Molecular Biology and Biochemistry
SFU Co-op Student

3 children standing against a white background with seagulls edited onto their heads, hands and shoulders
Credit
Lea
In an age marked by the use of technology and the Internet everywhere, by everyone, for everything, it is important to have an in-depth understanding of how this technology actually works, and how it is to be used safely.
Friday, July 18 2014

During the second week of camps, I was fortunate enough to help out at Tech Camp for a few hours. That is one of the advantages of having developed our own curriculum and taking turns with teaching the different camps, we all gain insight into the various fields we touch upon in our camps. Tech Camp is designed for students of Grades 4 to 7 with a special interest in Technology, with activities in cinematic science, data collection and analysis, and mechatronics.  One of the advantages of having developed our own curriculum is that we get to take turns with teaching the different camps, and we all gain insight into the various fields we touch upon in our camps.  For the time that I spent with our most tech-savvy campers, our Tech Camp Coordinator Morgan had planned a GIMP project. For those of you who don’t know, GIMP is a raster graphics editor, a computer program with features similar to Paint or Photoshop to edit, compose and retouch images with. The difference between GIMP and Paint or Photoshop, you ask? GIMP is free! GIMP is a product of the free, open source software ideology, much like the operating system kernel Linux – it was developed by a group of volunteers and made available on the Internet, both the program and the coding for it, for whoever wants to use it and improve it.

A child in a heavily edited photo
Credit
Lea

That morning, we used GIMP to edit and add a creative flair to pictures that the campers had taken all over campus earlier in the week. That way, they did not only learn to use a graphic editor that is free and available to use at home and get acquainted with the open source ideology, but got to do it in a fun way, exercising their creativity within the field of informatics and graphic design. How fun? Well, just look at the pictures that illustrate this blog entry! They are all artwork from that day.

An edited image of a boy riding a seagull that is shooting neon green lasers out of its eyes with the caption #RIDINGASEAGULL
Credit
Lea

What truly surprised me, was how knowledgeable our students were, and how quickly they caught on to a new program. Some of the kids that I talked to in the computer room had experience programming computers such as the Raspberry Pi, which I had not even heard of! It was very easy to connect with the students, partly because we had a similar background in the field even with a ten years age gap! In an age marked by the use of technology and the Internet everywhere, by everyone, for everything, it is important to have an in-depth understanding of how this technology actually works, and how it is to be used safely. This is why programs like the Science AL!VE Tech Camp and many others are popular and valuable. I am glad I got to learn so much from my fellow Tech campers. I am definitely a lot better at “GIMPing” now, and thoroughly enjoyed the creative process.

If anyone is interested in learning more about GIMP or Raspberry Pi, here I leave you the links to their respective websites. They are wonderful learning tools for all ages!

Read part three of Lea's adventures.   

               

Beyond the Blog

  • Visit the Science AL!VE website to learn more about their programs! 

SFU Co-op Student
visibility  81
Nov 22, 2014

You Might Like These... Co-op Reflections, Professional Development, Career Exploration, Seeking, Work Term Extension

author, courtney, smiling
A Second Term in Government: More of the Same?

Having completed my first work term for Health Canada as a Communications Officer Intern, I was eager to try something new, and the government was not where I believed that was going to happen. That is until I was offered a position at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada...

picture of glichelle pondering a though
Surviving Workplace Politics

Ever been peeved with workplace politics? Have you ever been a victim of office politics? One student shares her experiences from the workplace with tips on how to survive.

 

person with their head in a book
Responsibility and Success

One of the most memorable parts of my time in co-op was the collection of accidents, errors, mistakes, and mix-ups that happened in the course of working in the laboratory.

 

You Might Like These... Co-op Reflections

Photo of Morgan
Taking Initiative: How FHS Co-op Student Morgan Karugaba Strived in his Student Developed Co-op

Morgan Karugaba shares his journey of how he overcame the challenges of uncertainty, by stepping out of his comfort zone.

Portrait of Dorcas Yeung
Why Working for SFU Was My Best Decision

My impression of co-op was that it was supposed to be a way in which to explore the challenging world outside of school; consequently, working at my school felt comfortable, and limited. At this point, after a rewarding four months, it is impossible for me to think of my experience as limited.

girl smiling in front of a white background
A Q&A with a Co-op Alumnus

Today we’re talking to Rifayat Raisa, who graduated in April 2021 from the MA Economics program. During her time at SFU she was able to complete a co-op with Policy Reporter as a Research and Reporting Assistant. With this role she was able to break into the health economics industry and is still with the company today. Continue reading to have a look into her experience with co-op and what she’s learned along the way.