Culturally Situated Design Tools

In July 2010, I traveled to Dine College in Tsaile AZ to conduct workshops using the CSDTs and specifically the Navajo Rug Weaver simulation software (see the full CSDTs website here). The gallery seen here is a representation of some of the work that came from the students using the software. In the workshops, students are taught the basics of Cartesian mathematics, followed by a demonstration from a Navajo rug weaver operating their loom. The students are then asked to create their own personal weaving designs in the CSDT using Cartesian mathematics. In doing so, the students identify parallels in how coordinate-based mathematical formulas are similar to how traditional rug weavers execute their designs. For each of the CSDT-based designs, students were then asked to provide a description of what inspired their weaving patterns. Some examples can be seen below.