On the evening of April 14th, the Olympic Heights School Grade 5 learning community, together with student families, participated in a Task Design Maker Night in our gym. This celebration of learning showcased students’ knowledge and understanding of electrical circuits and design thinking mindsets. Each group was given the challenge of designing something that “benefits people, the environment, or animals.”
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As teachers, we found this activity beneficial in moving us forward in our practice. We applied the same mindsets to ourselves, as we ask of our students. We supported each other in accepting risks, failures, mistakes, and multiple attempts as an important part of the learning process. In addition to our building night, the tasks that we designed to scaffold student learning enhanced our collaboration and communication as teachers, and created a culture for future risk-taking and success.
We also learned that it is important for teachers to possess an understanding of growth mindsets as we attempted to engage students in activities that required deep intellectual engagement. As teachers, we were required to build on what we knew, and be open to new ideas, approaches, and experiences. Additionally, we realized the importance of empathy in learning tasks, as designing and constructing a prototype that addressed a real world problem provided another avenue for students to be personally invested in the maker challenge.
In the end, we were thrilled with how enthusiastic the students and their families were for this building challenge. We are also keenly aware of how this work assisted us in moving forward in our teaching practice.
Bonnie Chandler, Elise Thomas, Aimee Furey, and Judson Innes - We are Grade Five teachers at Olympic Heights School. As a Grade Five Team we are striving to push the boundaries of our teaching by infusing Maker Principles and Mindsets into our teaching practice.
We also learned that it is important for teachers to possess an understanding of growth mindsets as we attempted to engage students in activities that required deep intellectual engagement. As teachers, we were required to build on what we knew, and be open to new ideas, approaches, and experiences. Additionally, we realized the importance of empathy in learning tasks, as designing and constructing a prototype that addressed a real world problem provided another avenue for students to be personally invested in the maker challenge.
In the end, we were thrilled with how enthusiastic the students and their families were for this building challenge. We are also keenly aware of how this work assisted us in moving forward in our teaching practice.
Bonnie Chandler, Elise Thomas, Aimee Furey, and Judson Innes - We are Grade Five teachers at Olympic Heights School. As a Grade Five Team we are striving to push the boundaries of our teaching by infusing Maker Principles and Mindsets into our teaching practice.
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