CLI News

The Power of Collaboration

The collaboration between first and seventh graders has brought numerous benefits to both groups. Seventh-grade students take on the role of mentors, guiding the younger students through the design process and helping them utilize the more complex and advanced tools available in the CLI. This mentorship not only enhances the seventh graders' leadership skills but also fosters a sense of responsibility and pride in their ability to support their younger peers. For the first graders, this collaboration means greater ownership of their projects. With the guidance of their seventh-grade mentors, they can bring their original ideas to life more effectively. The prototypes they create are a true reflection of their creativity and problem-solving skills.

In today’s fast-paced world, where creativity and entrepreneurship can lead to exciting new possibilities, we want our students to experience firsthand the skills and mindsets needed to build, design, and innovate. That’s why I offered a trimester long middle school elective course called Innovative Entrepreneurship—an engaging class that introduces students to both the hands-on and business sides of creating a product. This course has been designed to inspire young minds, letting them tap into the tools of a makerspace and the essentials of business planning, while gaining the confidence to pitch their creations to potential "investors." This was a course offered to 7th and 8th grade students as an elective. For 12 weeks, students have this class 3 times a week for 50 minutes.

Preschool students learned about the “Black Rosies” and then practiced their riveting skills, first on a magic square, and ultimately on a replica B-17 plane—one of the planes the Rosie the Riveters worked on--made of cardboard.  Students also designed control panels for the plane and added decorations as tributes to the “Black Rosies.”  This project was a collaboration between Preschool and the Center for Leadership and Innovation (CLI).

21st Century Learning in Action

The Mi Casa project empowered students with 21st-century skills by integrating:

• Collaboration and Communication: By working together in shared Delightex environments, students developed teamwork and problem-solving skills while creating their scavenger hunts.
• Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving: Students applied adjective agreement and spatial vocabulary creatively, using context to challenge their peers.
• Digital Literacy: Using TinkerCAD and Delightex introduced students to 3D design, virtual reality, and interactive content creation, enhancing their technical proficiency.

Preschoolers and PreK students recently built structures with biodegradable packing peanuts. Playing with materials to discover their capabilities is developmentally appropriate and helps students gain valuable information they can apply to future, more structured projects. 

PreK students, after studying forest animals and their habitats, embarked on a project to create their own forest habitats. The knowledge gained in their homeroom focused their iterations as they designed, built, collaborated, and rebuilt.

5th grade students crafted custom cookie cutters using cardboard prototypes to conserve time and cost. Students experienced the entire fabrication process, from digital design through 3D printing and final testing with real cookie dough.

A partnership with kindergarten classes taught 21st-Century Learning Design precepts with The Three Little Pigs.

In the dynamic landscape of education, fostering interdisciplinary skills has become a crucial aspect of preparing students for the future. One inspiring example of this is the 4th Grade National Park Visitor Center Project, where students seamlessly integrated humanities, science, and technology to create a comprehensive learning experience. This initiative not only engaged students in diverse subjects but also incorporated Microsoft's 21st Century Learning Design, ensuring a forward-thinking approach to education.

Good professional development always adapts to the times, but that belief is an understatement during the pandemic.  I’d like to review some of our most important developments in remote learning professional development (RLPD) in hopes that it will continue the conversation around remote and hybrid learning.

“Group project.” If a shudder went down your spine at that term, you’re not alone. Working in groups can notoriously lead to toxic behavior and leave us feeling frustrated or disappointed. However, there are ways to improve your employees’ or your personal experience with group assignments when you identify and approach these common problems intentionally.

Professional development (PD) is essential to every school and teacher’s success. However, anyone who has given a PD course for teachers knows it can easily become a disaster area if you’re not careful. If you’ve struggled with providing an experience that teachers appreciate, these methods may help you create professional development classes that your teachers will love.