6th grader Drew Selig in the “Maker Lab” at Hillel Academy.
“Hey Mr. G, has the conductive thread been delivered yet?”
“May we use the air compressor today?”
Are these the types of questions you heard when you went to school? Visit Hillel Academy in Tampa, and you’ll find students working with Sketchup, Arduinos, Picoboards, 3-D printers and Livecode.
Welcome to what’s called the ”Maker Lab,” a place where the Tampa private school students are empowered to create any S.T.E.M. (Science Technology Engineering Math) project they can dream up.
Hillel Academy has always been known for the highest academic standards and classes. In addition to those classes, Hillel students now have the opportunity to explore and experiment in fields that they might have a particular interest in.
It is similar to the Google company policy of giving its employees time to explore new ideas. This type of experimentation resulted in concepts like Gmail and Google Maps. Hillel hopes that this kind of creative autonomy will prepare students for problem solving in the modern world.
It’s not the young inventors clubs of the past. This is a movement that is encouraging learning about the process of design and understanding that mistakes can turn out to be valuable lessons.
According to MIT professor Neil Gershenfeld, in the next technological revolution people will make anything they need to solve their own problems. Hillel Academy students will be ready.
First, students are asked what they want to learn. Do they want to enhance their programming skills or are they more apt to want to understand a certain software? Do they want to build from a kit or create their own model that can later be reproduced? Is it important that their final product be functional? What materials will they need and what type of support might be necessary for their project? Once they have a sound plan, they are ready to begin.
Kristy Feinberg and Courtney Elias are creating a sound meter, trying to figure out how to make a light change based on sounds and decibel levels. They are building a program using the Scratch programming system and a Pico circuit board.
Robots seem to be popular. Using Vex and Scribbler robotics kits, pairs of students are programming these devices to accomplish a variety of tasks. Mia MacKinnon and Rachel Epstein want a robot to serve them food. They admit that creating the program is challenging but they are determined. Natan Egosi and Jaden Shemesh envision their robot being able to sense a color pattern and then shoot a marshmallow off a catapult depending on the colors that are read. They are programming a microcontroller with a program they have designed.
Natan Egosi explores and experiments at Hillel Academy
Not all students are intrigued by robotics. There is room for all interests in the Maker Lab. Sara Gofter and Rachel Pitchon are creating a 2-D animated movie using Synfig and Blender. Madison Koplar and Anika Trotman are writing and composing an original song and will transcribe it to sheet music for piano and guitar. Drew Selig is creating a helmet that will have built-in headphones so that you can study while you bike, but will be safe to hear oncoming traffic. Batia Friedman-Shaw and Marielle Smith are making clothing from recycled paper. They are prototyping a dress and they hope to follow it with costumes and a series of how-to videos.
Hillel Academy strives to enable students to have an active role in their own learning. In the Autumn 2013 issue of the Jewish Day School Networks Hayidion, Gary S. Stager, a leading innovator states “a growing library of literature inspires learners of all ages and experiences to become inventors and seize control of their world. The ethos of the Maker Movement is to “give it a go,” an attitude that many young people have about the world.” Hillel’s Maker Lab is up and running with a possible future scientist or designer in its midst. The world is a complex place and as Gary Stager says, “We owe it to our children to give them the tools and experiences that real scientists and engineers use, and the time is now to bring these opportunities into real classrooms.” At Hillel Academy, the time has arrived.
For more information about Hillel Academy, please visit www.hillelacademytampa.com.
Direct link: https://prnewschannel.com/2013/10/24/hillel-academy-students-empowered-to-create/SOURCE: Hillel Academy Tampa
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