Godzilla Gazette, 23
Week of February 8, 2016
Contents
- From Grace
- The Reflective Practitioner
- Weekly Team Planning Link
- Weekly Events
- For Your Information
From Grace
Aloha, everyone! This week I'm turning our attention back to the possibilities of design thinking and having our students create and Make. It feels a bit like our Maker Carts are starting to grow roots in the hallways around the school. There are a variety of reasons this is happening and I want us to dust off the cobwebs and put our innovative hats back on.
A few super exciting things happened last week that I want to share with all. I'll have a least two spots available for folks to attend the SXSWEdu conference in March. I can honestly say that I've never been to a conference that made me think and create more than this one. If you're interested in going to this conference and getting your own creative thinking on, let me know - we'll have a lottery for the tickets. :) The next thing is that our PTA has officially set aside funds to grow our own Making practices - including money for teachers to use to purchase supplies for the classroom and students! Additionally, they are going to fund a 3D printer (YEEESSSSS!) so all of our students have the opportunity to use this tool. J.E. and Ana have also agreed to come back and do a few 1 hour refresher trainings on Making and project-based learning, which many of you indicated you wanted to learn more about. Good things continue to happen!
This week's Reflective Practitioner opens up the possibilities for students when schools embrace the engineering and design process. If you do nothing else, watch the short video and be amazed at what our children area capable of doing. Talk about real-world learning in the best possible way. I love the idea of a Tinker Area on our playground and having students design improvements along the way. As we iterate on our own Making ideas and practices, this gives us some concrete ways to think about a school-wide program. Let's do this!
I've said it before and will say it again, we have a strong staff, capable of great things. I know Making has made us move out of our comfort zone a bit and I'm okay with that - it's how we grow ourselves. Have a happy 22nd week of teaching and learning! Assume the best in others, breathe, find joy in the work and students, and continue to try new things.
The Reflective Pracitioner
Elementary Engineering: From Simple Machines to Life Skills
At Charles R. Drew, educators use design thinking for teaching engineering concepts to elementary students.
http://www.edutopia.org/practice/elementary-engineering-simple-machines-life-skills
JANUARY 26, 2016
Overview
At Charles R. Drew Charter School, elementary students learn complex engineering skills and concepts, helping to build lifelong critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Here’s how they do it.
How It's Done - Navigate the Challenges of Teaching High-Level Concepts to Elementary Students
Teaching engineering concepts to elementary students can be a challenge. The staff at Charles R. Drew begins with using age-appropriate vocabulary, scaffolded learning, and kinesthetic learning.
"I think about teaching these concepts as though the students and I speak two different languages, and I must translate," says Courtney Bryant, Charles R. Drew's engineering design teacher. "I start by sharing very basic information on a topic in rather simplistic language, and then I let them experience it on their own to learn more. . . I introduce more complicated language as they navigate through the learning process."
To better teach these complicated concepts, Bryant has her students act out the movements of simple machines. "When elementary-age students understand a concept through the use of their body, they rarely forget it," notes Bryant. "I am able to introduce physics, advanced math, and visual representation skills that are typically beyond elementary level as a result of this hands-on or full-body approach."
Create an Engineering Curriculum Using Backward Design
Bryant's elementary engineering curriculum flows from a backward design approach. She starts with the results that she wants her students to achieve, and then designs the instructional methods to meet those goals.
"There isn’t a statewide curriculum for elementary school engineering design," explains Bryant, "but looking at the standards for where they need to be in middle school and in high school, I’m able to backward design for what should be happening at the elementary level."
There are three stages to backward design.
Stage 1: Identify Learning Objectives
This first stage focuses on what big ideas and skills you want your students to learn. "I think about problems our school or community face and what standards I need the students to master," says Bryant. Her specific learning objectives for K-2 students are:
- A basic understanding of the design process
- Understanding the value of brainstorming and teamwork
- Experience thinking through all aspects of a problem when considering a decision
- Experiencing the value of success after many failures
With younger students, she also introduces career and college opportunities as part of how they might apply these skills to real-world contexts.
Stage 2: Define Assessment Strategy
When designing a project, Bryant considers what will be evidence of mastery, and what assessment methods she can use. "Rubrics are a big part of the assessment strategy for engineering design," she says. She also considers how the evidence might be authentic and solve a real-life problem.
Stage 3: Identify Teaching Methods, Resources, and Materials
The final stage focuses on the skills and knowledge that students will need to achieve the goals you're setting for them, as well as the teaching methods, lessons, and resources that you'll use to help them reach those goals. "I think about what scaffolding, resources, and materials might be necessary for an elementary student to solve what could potentially be an adult-like problem," elaborates Bryant. "The last step is key when working with younger populations. Often they are able to do amazing things with the right amount of support and proper choices in materials or resources."
Use Design Thinking Process
Design thinking is a process that allows people to come up with ideas and solve problems in a creative and engaging way, honing their collaboration, critical thinking, and communication skills. Empathy -- understanding who you are designing for -- is a key element of design thinking, as well as collaboration -- working with others to build on your ideas, gaining feedback, and learning how to make iterations on your ideas from that feedback.
Charles R. Drew Charter School follows the stages outlined in the James Dyson design thinking process -- brief, research, idea generation/development, 3D prototyping, testing, and evaluation and modification. The staff relies on the Nueva School's design thinking model to make the process more robust. "The idea of empathy is a big part of their structure," says Bryant about that model.
The TinkerYard and Dream Car Projects
The students at Charles R. Drew use design thinking to create their projects. For each grade, Bryant comes up with projects that the students work on throughout the quarter. Second-grade students are currently designing and building a TinkerYard, four outdoor stations that make up a playground. Fourth-grade students are designing a Dream Car for a particular customer and a fictional auto company. The final product will be a 3D model of their concept car.
Phase 1: Brief
The goal of a brief is to outline a project and communicate expectations and goals. The students' brief describes the purpose of creating the project and what its use will be, as well as outlining questions for them to consider. In the fourth-grade Dream Car project, for example, students receive a brief (PDF) which identifies what their teacher is looking for and what they will be expected to accomplish by the end of the project.
The brief outlines that students will:
- Identify a client and imagine their needs.
- Consider what design enhancements might make the trip easier.
- Select/create vehicle features that will make the trip nicer for everyone.
- Create multiple idea sketches and share ideas with the group.
- Select one idea and create a final series of at least two sketches showing the front, side, and three-quarter view of the concept car.
- Create a clay prototype of the vehicle.
- Present their idea sketches and prototype.
Phase 2: Research
The goal of the research phase is for students to be better informed when designing. They learn research, analysis, and sometimes interviewing skills during this process.
In the second-grade TinkerYard project, Bryant's students research possible simple machines for the energy station using books, Google images, and online videos. They look at architectural magazines (donated by a local architecture firm) for ideas about shapes, patterns, and colors. They also do hands-on research, "manipulating a collection of physical items -- like rope, pulleys, wheels, pieces of wood, and other material -- to create their own simple machines on the fly," adds Bryant.
Fourth-grade students go to the High Museum of Art, which features the Dream Cars exhibit, to take notes about size, shape, form, and materials. They learn about composition, materials, and use (like how many passengers were intended for this car), and how they can apply that knowledge to their target customer's wants. In their research, students also delve deeper into understanding their customers' experiences to design for an unmet need by interviewing a user and analyzing user data. Where does their target customer go when driving? Who comes with them? What do they take with them?
Phase 3: Idea Generation/Development
For the idea generation/development phase, says Bryant, "students should be able to synthesize information and begin to make design decisions that will alter the way their product works, looks, and feels for the user. Teachers also want students to be able to successfully communicate their ideas -- visually, orally, or in written form -- and be able to share them with the world."
Second-grade students draw sketches of their ideas showing what each TinkerYard station could look like. "Students learn how to draw their idea in perspective," explains Bryant. "The students then see that 3D drawings best communicate their idea."
Fourth-grade students also draw 2D and 3D sketches to communicate their ideas, but they may begin by rendering a concept car stemming from someone else's idea so that they'll feel confident when it comes time for drawing and sharing their own ideas. "Students may also add descriptive language to their drawings to capture ideas and thoughts that relate to the concept," suggests Bryant.
Phase 4: 3D Prototyping
According to Bryant, the goal of the 3D prototyping stage is for students "to see how their ideas look and might function in real life."
The TinkerYard is a working prototype. "As a class, we may try an idea out on paper and begin to build it in the TinkerYard, only to realize that objects need to shift, or don't work quite the way we envisioned," says Bryant. "The TinkerYard is an iterative process. It will never be completely finished."
Meanwhile, the fourth-grade class is building 3D clay models. "They follow a process very similar to industry," explains Bryant. "The auto industry still makes clay models despite having many 3D printers and other rapid prototyping materials on hand."
Phase 5: Testing
The goal of the testing phase is to gain feedback on the prototype in order to make improvements.
After putting together the TinkerYard's energy station, the second-grade class has a "soft opening" -- they invite students and teachers to play at the station, which can reveal changes that need to be made once the designers see how users interact with what they created. When issues arise from testing, students go back to the classroom, generate new ideas, and prototype solutions.
Bryant describes how her fourth-grade students "seek the client's approval for the concept car they have created. Similar to the process in the automotive industry, where designers present the concept car to a test market and get consumer feedback, students show their vehicle and promotional materials to the students in the class and other visitors to get their impressions. I like to involve actual users or professionals from the design field as much as possible in student feedback."
Phase 6: Evaluation and Modification
The goal of the evaluation and modification stage is to have students collaborate, see how ideas combine, and understand the importance of feedback and making iterations. "The evaluation/modification phase is not set in stone behind prototyping," explains Bryant. "Evaluation is necessary at many points in the process to ensure you are on the right track. Once evaluation is underway, it may become clear that modification of ideas, drawings, or prototypes is necessary before progressing to the next step."
For both the lower and upper elementary projects, students share out their drawings and gain feedback on their designs for iteration. "It is important for students to learn that in the design process, it is not one and done," says Bryant. "Students want designing something to be fast and are hopeful that their first attempt will be good enough. The students help each other see that iterations are necessary. They provide feedback, and it is helpful when it does not come from the teacher. Often, students are more willing to consider feedback from a critical friend."
Assessment
"Rubrics (PDF) are a big part of the assessment strategy for engineering design," observes Bryant. On the Dream Cars rubric, students rate themselves and their cars on a one-to-three scale reflecting how they met their clients' needs, effective modeling, and visual appeal. Next to each rating, they explain why they gave themselves that score.
The end of the Dream Car project also features a student evaluation form (PDF), on which they write three things they like about their Dream Car model, two things they would change, and one thing they've learned.
Bryant also evaluates her students' work using the rubric, which she uses, along with their self-evaluation, to discuss their work with them, whether or not they're on the same page, and why.
Weekly Team Planning Template Link
Weekly Events
Monday, February 8, 2016 - A Day
- Happy Lunar New Year!
- School Tour - 9:00 am - Office - Ruthann, Grace
- Interview - 10:00 am - Office - Vicky, Grace
- ARD - 11:30 am - Office - Meghan, Corinda, Kellie, Grace
- STAAR ALT CTC Training - 12:00 pm - Clifton Center - Grace
Tuesday, February 9, 2016 - B Day
- Happy Birthday, Brett Egge! :)
- PDAS - 8:00 am - Classroom - Grace
- PDAS - 9:50 am - Classroom - Grace
Wednesday, February 10, 2016 - C Day
- Happy Birthday, Maria Ramirez! :)
- PDAS - 8:00 am - Classroom - Grace
- PDAS - 9:15 am - Classroom - Grace
- 100th Birthday Celebration Planning Meeting - 3:15 pm - Library - Amy, Corinda, Chad, Ruthann, Grace
- Scavenger Hunt Planning Meeting - 4:30 pm - Library - Grace
Thursday, February 11, 1016 - A Day
- PDAS - 8:00 am - Classroom - Grace
- CST Meeting - 10:10 am - Office - Monica, Elise, Kara, Grace
- 504 Meeting - 1:10 pm - Office - Stefanie, Robin, Grace
- CST Meeting - 2:00 pm - Office - Katherine, Elise, Kara, Grace
- Staff Meeting - 3:15 pm - Library - STEAM Day Prep! - All
Friday, February 12, 2016 - B Day
- MOY TPRI/DRA/CPMS/ORF Window Closes
- Principal's Coffee - 8:15 am - Library - Grace
- African American History Assemby - 8:45 am - Gym - preK-3rd Grade
- African American History Assembly - 9:45 am - Gym - 4th-6th grade
- 3rd Grade Field Trip - 9:45 am - UT - Claudia, Lauren, Stefanie
Saturday, February 13, 2016
- Happy Birthday, Laura Briceno! :)
For Your Information
Reminders:
- If you need something, ask.
- If you haven't already, make sure to take the Educator's Ethics Course through AISD's HCP.
- Make sure to utilize reading/writing workshop and small group instruction during core.
- Remember to take attendance daily on TEAMS.
- Arrive and pick up your class from special areas on time - respect each other's time.
- Ensure 504, IEP, ELL, and Gifted Accommodations are being followed
- Actively supervise your students - Spread out at recess to monitor each area.
- Check our calendar for important events
- Try something new and have fun!
Kudos: Do you know of something good? Share it with Grace to be included here or write it in the comments below!
- To Becky, Nicole, Paula, Alma, Sharon, Suzie, Angela, Monica, and Sicily for participating in math training with open minds and generating so many critical conversations and ideas around the teaching of mathematics!
- To Julie for thinking of the "Apples for All" and making it work at Friday's assembly!
- To Thelma for helping to calm down an upset 2nd grader and get him back on track!
- To Kellie and Corinda for organizing 6th grade Job Shadowing!
- To Jud for arranging for Jory John to visit our school!
- To Michelle for helping set up the goodies for staff meeting!
- To Paula, Nicole, and Becky for an amazing 100th Day Parade!
- To Michelle for taking on new morning duties and learning with a smile on her face!
- To Stefanie and Diana for hosting a science fair work session for the city-wide fair!
- To everyone who wore red and/or liked and retweeted our Heart Healthy school - way to represent!
Upcoming Events:
- Parent/Teacher Conference Day - February 15th
- Safety Audit - February 16th
- MOY II - Writing - February 17th
- Reverse Evacuation Drill - February 18th
- STEAM Day! - February 19th
- MOY II Math - 6th Grade - February 23rd
- MOY II Reading - 6th Grade - February 24th
- Fire Drill - February 25th
- CAC - February 25th
- EOY Circle PM Window Opens - PreK - February 26th
- African American Student Celebration - February 28th!
- MOY II Math - 3rd-5th grades - March 1
- TELPAS Calibration Session - March 3
- Music Under the Starts - March 4
Website to Explore:
http://www.nctm.org/Classroom-Resources/Interactives/ - The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics website has a plethora of helpful information and resources. This particular link explores interactive apps for math instruction - fun! Happy exploring!