New Logo for a New Program

The new logo is finally in from the graphic designer (hired)! You may have noticed it at the top with the black lightning bolt going through the first "E" in Engineering forming the center in the cog/gear. (I say new logo for a new program in that at the start of the year a graphic artist/designer was hired to create a new logo for the Inspiring Elementary Engineering program and to show a change from last year's Engineering by Design. Refer to the July 2nd post.) I've been playing around with where I want it in the banner, and haven't settled on a place, yet. I got used to my original graphic having styled it to match the colors and feel of the background on the blog. (You may have noticed I snuck the old IE² and gear logo in next to the head on the left.) It might just be a matter of pride, professional one over mine. But, I'm going to try it out for size for a while.

You may see the graphic moving from place to place and change sizes with the next few posts as I get used to seeing it there. As always, feedback is more than welcomed. Let me know your thoughts on the new graphic.

Engineering Design Process projects coming together

Most of the groups are just about done with creating and building their Engineering Design Process projects, and although it is taking longer than I anticipated, I am pleased with the students' work and progress. They are learning to work together, taking turns in helping to build their final product, learning to stay with their plan (with encouragement from me, this is easier said than done with some of the groups), and enjoying seeing their designs take shape. Some groups are learning that what looks good on paper doesn't always work out when they put everything together. These groups are starting to work on their Improving step. The students are all so creative and inventive. I love seeing all of the different items they have created out of basic materials.


Some of the designs I am seeing take shape this week include a picture frame made from straws, a man made from spoons, a tent with the original straw as the center support, Christmas ornaments from floppy disks, several different hot air balloons, spoon turned to a ladybug, a snowflake from spoons (although not quite finished, but coming together nicely), a scarecrow that started with a plastic Easter egg, headphones that started with a plastic Easter egg, several different airplanes including one that started with a plastic tray used to hold a laser printer ink cartridge in shipping, a table hockey game, a golf club made from a straw, a couple of fish made from floppy disks, and several different cars made from straws, spoons, or floppy diskettes.

An airplane from what once held an ink cartridge in shipping.	How to turn an disk into a fish, just add fancy foam scales like this.
Wrapping the handle of a straw golf club.	Trying out the new wireless headphones of the future.
This tent started with a straw, and sleeps one plus a dog.

Creativity Unbound - The Engineering Design Process

The classes are all well underway on creating their design solutions. For some, they are finding it difficult to stick to their original designs from their technical drawings in their journals. I can see them trying to modify their designs as they build/create. While other groups are moving along smoothly, just as they planned. One thing is certain, though, all the students are really enjoying being creative and building with their hands. I've pulled an AV cart off to the side of the room filled with crafting materials that the students are able to "shop" from for their projects. The students must show me their materials list and use this list to go "shopping" for their supplies. Some groups are even telling me, "but you didn't tell us you had all of THIS STUFF!" which makes their materials selection process a little more difficult.

I'm so impressed and inspired by their creativity and ingenuity with some of the items they are coming up with from simple items blinding drawn from a bag. We have floppy discs turned into notepads and Christmas ornaments, plastic Easter eggs turned into furry legged spiders and shiny tin foil wrapped sharks, and plastic spoons turned into watering stations for birds, sailboats, and eye patches.

Using a scrapbooking paper cutter to easily cut stripe for the flag.

One of the classes had all of the teams that all drew straws, literally, (each group ended up with a straw) and almost all of the groups in this class has decided upon making flags. The amusing part is how they all have to salute the flags each week as they start to work on them, and by salute, I mean, say the "pledge of Allegiance" to the flags. The other group in this class decided to take a different route for their straw, and is working on creating a letter using pipe cleaners for the base shape, then stringing cut up pieces of the straw to form the letter.

Stringing straw pieces together to form the letter "P".

One group that I am curious to see how their project turns out is a group working together to create a rocket out of a floppy disk. I've seen their blueprints (technical drawings) but am unable to visualize it as a finished product. Another thing that intrigues me is that they require very few materials besides the original floppy diskette they started with. In fact, they have taken their disk apart to create their rocket. Will have to keep my eye on them - this should be interesting to see in the next few weeks as their plan comes together. However, they seem to have a clear vision of where they are going and are working together seamlessly.

From floppy diskette to rocket, we have a plan!

Engineering Design Process Loop update

First through Fifth grade classes are all about midway through their Engineering Design Process Loop challenge of taking an ordinary simple object such as a straw, popsicle stick, or plastic spoon, and creating a new object that is equally useful. Most classes have been working this week on blueprinting their solution ideas incorporating the starting object into their design and making a list of materials they will need in order to create their new designs. This is the Planning step in the Engineering Design Process, and we have been comparing this step to planning for a trip to the grocery store. The students are able to easily identify the need for creating a "shopping list" or a materials list before they begin the creation stage of the process.

The student have also taken a pretest on the Engineering Design Process to assess their own knowledge of the process. We corrected the quizzes in class, and the students have glued them into their STEM journals for reference.

We should be beginning to Create their designs this next week. I know the students are certainly looking forward to this stage of the process. This has been a learning process for them, especially in self control as most of them have wanted to just dive right into creating their items from the get-go. I think one of the biggest challenges for most of the groups has been sticking within the limits of the challenge. For safety reasons, students had to refrain from creating projectile objects with their straws and spoons.

Meanwhile, Kindergarteners have been busily enjoying sorting buttons. Each week there have been different sets of buttons for them to sort. Their only directions were to work in pairs to sort the buttons. They were responsible for coming up with their own criteria for sorting and grouping the buttons. Its been interesting and exciting to see some of their reactions to these directions; however, all of the students have been able to rise to the challenge. The students also needed to be able to explain their criteria for sorting. We are discovering that the buttons can be sorted by colors, shapes, sizes (big and small, as some of them have put it), and patterns. In our journals, we have been working on a mind map to explain the different ways we can sort the buttons, and have been doing some journal writing about our sorting. The sorting is a great math, science, and life skill for the students. The buttons also help the students with their fine motor development, especially when they have to pick them up from the slick table tops. They can continue to practice their sorting skills at home by sorting dried beans, small candy pieces (like M&Ms or Skittles), Legos, their toys, or even socks. You can also have them count the number in each group and compare which group or color has the most, and which has the least. Look for graphs of their sorting in the coming week.

Scientific Method vs. Engineering Design Process: The Difference Explained

Robert Lindberg, President and Executive Director of the National Institute of Aerospace explains to educators the difference between the scientific method and the Engineering Design Process in the following video using black boxes. Pretty good explanation. My question is, with Race to the Top, and the greater push for STEM education since 2003, why haven't we developed standards and benchmarks for teaching engineering or the Engineering Design Process in K12?

At any rate, enjoy the video. It's about 21 minutes, but moves along pleasantly.

Engineering Design Process Loop

All classes, except for Kindergarten, have now gone through lessons explaining the Engineering Design Process of Ask, Imagine, Plan, Create, and Improve. Beginning this past week, all classes first through fifth grade will start a basic hands-on challenge helping them to deeper understand the Engineering Design Process concept. They have all had it explained to them, and have all been able to name the steps involved, but they need to be able to physically go through the process before such a concept begins to make sense to them. They will begin working in groups of four (or five, at the most) taking a simple item such as a straw, craft stick, or a spoon and designing a new item that is useful out of it. This week they were guided through the process of identifying the problem, and brainstorming (as a group) ideas of other uses for their selected item. Next week they will begin narrowing their list of ideas and choosing the best idea, then blueprinting their design and listing the materials needed to create their new item design. Some students are also learning other concepts along with the Engineering Design Process, such as working as part of a team, and that all students have value (or all ideas have value). This loop will carry them through the next couple of weeks. After this, we will begin our Simple Machines unit.

 Kindergarten is still exploring the Fall season, learning about how scientists make careful observations, using magnifying glasses, identifying and writing about different textures, and learning about realistic colors found in nature (coloring things as we really see them, as they really are, and not how we would like them colored with shades of blues, pinks, and purples). The students have also been learning about how life carries on as they have been finding pine cones and prickly seed pods of maple trees. They have seen how the seed pod exterior dries and opens to release hundreds of tiny maple tree seeds (usually all over our tables), and while using the magnifying glasses, been able to see their rougher shapes. They have been enjoying spending a few minutes of each lesson outside in the cooler fall air and finding colorful fall leaves and seed pods. As a teacher, I always enjoying watching their wonder and excitement as they explore the beauty in the fall colors.

BRE celebrates TSA Week

Today officially kicks off National TSA Week (Oct. 3rd - Oct. 7th). For those new to TSA, Technology Student Association, TSA is a national Career and Technical Student Organization that focuses on advancing and improving student achievement in the areas of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). It is dedicated to serving middle and high school students in 47 states, with a few fifth grade clubs around the country. TSA fosters personal growth, leadership, and opportunities in technology, innovation, design, and engineering through spirited competitions at District, State, and National levels. Students learn through hands-on projects that teach them about engineering design, team work, computer & technology skills, parliamentary procedures, problem-solving, robotics, and many more STEM skills that they can take with them into college and careers in their future. Manatee County schools have a commanding presence at both State and National levels. (Let the results speak for themselves, check out the results from the 2011 National TSA Conference.) There are currently six elementary schools in Manatee County with fifth grade TSA clubs. Braden River Elementary is proud to be counted among the six.

As part of the kick-off to National TSA Week, our chapter of TSA welcomed Mr. Jon Edwards, an electrical engineer working with Smith Seckman Reid, Inc., and one of our BRE parents, to share part of what he does as an electrical engineer with us. He showed us some of the blueprints of one of the projects he is currently involved with, and talked to us about the importance of teamwork. For most of the students, it was the first time they had seen a set of blueprints so close up. He pointed out some of the areas where the engineers and architects had to make changes to the design to fit the electrical needs of the room, indicating the inserts in cloud-like bubbles, and talked to the students about how the engineers were able to use computers to make and print out the blueprints.

The students now have a better understanding of the design and technology that goes into the making of blueprints, thanks to Mr. Edwards.

After that, the students worked on designing posters to celebrate National TSA Week, as well as to advertise and draw in more attention to their club. Look for their posters posted around the school this week.

National TSA Week concludes with a CTSO (Career and Technology Student Organization) Rally on Saturday morning for middle and high school students at Braden River High School. Elementary school advisors will be on hand at the rally to discuss the possibilities of our elementary students attending this rally for next year. Among the festivities at the annual rally are the spirited club specific canned food drive, and spirit stick contests at each level.

For more information about TSA, check out the national TSA site: http://www.tsaweb.org/ and Florida's TSA site: http://www.floridatsa.com/, or check out BRE's own TSA page.