Innovation Lab
Saint Catherine of Siena Parish School
What can we do to help students become more creative? We give them a space to create!
What is an Innovation Lab? An innovation lab is a space designed to foster creativity.
The curriculum in the lab will be a combination of STEAM and Makerspace, organized within a kid-friendly version of Design Thinking. Over the course of the school year, students will work through a variety of design challenges that have them learning everything from coding to stop motion animation to building arcade games with cardboard to learning about circuits. Students will learn to use a kid-friendly version of Design Thinking as they collaborate in teams to design, build, and test their products.
Our Motto: Think Create Innovate
Mission Statement
The Innovation Lab is a space to cultivate students' creativity. Students will engage in meaningful STEAM projects that promote critical thinking, problem-solving, collaboration, communication, and innovation to prepare our students for success in 21st-century careers. Students will think, create, innovate.
Stop Motion Storytelling
First Grade Stop Motion
Stop Motion gives 1st graders a new door to creativity. Their stories are simple and mostly about family, and their artwork is just so sweet.
Simple Machines
Simple machines are an invaluable tool for helping engineers solve everyday challenges. What can you make with three paint stirrers, a wooden spool, and tape? 4th and 5th grade takes the Pop Fly Challenge: Make a simple machine that can launch a ball high enough so you can catch it.
Middle School Podcasting
Teaching Students How to Produce their own Podcasts
Happy New Year! I am excited to start a new project with our Middle School 6th grade students. We will be focusing on podcasting. Students will walk through the process of producing a podcast and the techniques that make for good storytelling, and interviewing. The goal will be to have students write and produce an original podcast. I will be teaming with our Middle School ELA teacher to get the best out of our 6th grade writers. Through storytelling students will have the opportunity to find their own voice and through interviewing students will hopefully build empathy.
Christmas Story Stop Motion by the Second Grade Class. Merry Christmas!
Stop Motion Sneak Peek
I thought I would give you a peek of some of our Stop Motion Projects
Stay turned for more!
Collaboration Across Grade Levels
The benefits are profound. Peer mentoring is powerful with some intentional pairing, the younger student can acquire a positive role model. The older students develop social and emotional skills like patience and empathy as they work with their little buddies. The roots of the school community deepen as classes across the school work and share together.
Our First Building Challenge
Marshmallow Spaghetti Design Challenge - an activity in design thinking. Students worked together in groups; giving them an opportunity to experience what it's like to build together.
Shelter an Animal Building Challenge
TK was given the task to build a shelter for their client (a stuffed animal.) They took their challenge seriously using Keva Planks, cardboard, and Legos.
The Three Little Pigs Building Challenge
Each student got to build a house for their “little pig.” The house needed to be able to withstand the “big bad wolf blow dryer,” and not fall down!
An Unexpected Build!
Sometimes in the Innovation Lab students get to do a free build. No constraints and any materials. The can choose from Legos, Keva Planks, PVC Pipes and joints, straw connectors, to name just a few. This group worked together to build something long. The PVC pipes went from the Innovation Lab all the way out the door.
STOP MOTION Animation
We are gearing up for our STOP MOTION Animation Festival. Students practice the basics of Stop Motion using a Stop Motion app on an iPad. Stop motion animation is a film making technique that makes inanimate objects appear to move on their own. Students practice first with Legos and then will design their own projects.
Coming Soon 2D Stop Motion
First Phase of the Design Process
Middle School brainstorms ideas for their upcoming Stop Motion Projects.
Innovation Learning Coach
Mrs. Loretta Cooper
M.A. Educational Technology
Email: lcooper@stcathschool.org
Location: 30516 South Coast Highway, Laguna Beach, CA 92651, USA
Phone: 949-494-7339