Page 24 - School Planning & Management, March 2019

FACILITIES AUTHENTIC EXPERIENCES
The challenge was to design a prototype
to keep a small house from flooding. In approximately six weeks, we drafted teams, created evaluation rubrics, conducted a Day of Design event, uploaded final products to an outside national evaluation team from STEM Connectors, and hosted a top ten final showcase. The response from students was phenomenal, with over 287 teams in grades K-12. During the Day of Design activity, kindergarten teams were placed next to stu- dents from high school teams, while sixth grade teams discussed their projects with third graders. The very demonstration of the benefits of multiage classroom research was evident as they collaborated seamlessly on their designs. Mentors from local busi- nesses, including DLR Group, were also on hand. The winning team, comprised of four AP Physics students, are now continuing their research and design thinking skills
in an independent research study class and have partnered with university professors as mentors.
Other challenges included KleinHacks,
a student led “invention marathon” where students who were interested in technology built and shared their innovative products to solve a community problem. KleinTalks allowed students to exemplify the district’s “profile of a learner” through a TED Talks format, bringing humor and their own unique insight as they spoke about the im- portance of resilience and solutions to global problems, challenged preconceived notions, and demonstrated their artistic abilities. In the summer of 2018, students from across the district formed Culture4Caring, a student-led organization aimed at creating a more inclusive and welcoming environment within our district and our schools.
In the fall of 2018, Klein ISD partnered with the Student Spaceflight Experiments Program (SSEP), which is a model U.S. Na- tional STEM Education initiative. Over 200 student teams conducted research, formed a hypothesis, designed an experiment, and created a technical writing proposal in hopes of having their experiment chosen. After a panel of experts reviewed more
than 100 proposals, three teams were selected as finalists to go to SSEP for final judging. The winning team will watch their experiment launch to the International Space Station (ISS), and while aboard the ISS, astronauts will conduct experiments using the winning team’s instructions from the technical proposal.
How do community partners contribute to learning?
JM: Business and community partners are able to bring their expertise to the design table during a challenge. Whether visiting with students in person on Day of Design
or engaging with them via Skype or Google Hangout throughout the challenge, these experts play a critical role not only in teach- ing students technical skills but also the soft skills necessary to successfully pitch an idea and collaborate and network with others.
What advice would you give an educator or administrator
who would like to introduce authentic learning in their district? KP: To an administrator pondering innova- tion, design thinking, and personalization, I would say take the risk. Rely on your best talent, find solutions based on the need
of the learners and your community, and watch the joy of learning manifest.
We’ve discussed several authentic challenges Klein ISD has hosted or participated in. From your experience, what is the key to engaging students in learning?
JM: The key to engaging students in learning is to capitalize on their unique passions, talents, and interests and connect them with supportive, positive adults who have high expectations. When you design learning experiences that honor these two components—student interest and positive relationships—students engage in and own their learning authentically. Our in- novative exercises and the SIC are excellent ways to ignite student engagement through the design process. SPM
Creating Organic
Learning
Environments
Through
Sustainable Design
The structure and surrounding landscape can be active learning tools.
By Tom Haymes
W
ments that interact with their human in- habitants. This is essentially the argument that Steward Brand makes in his book How Buildings Learn (Viking, 1994). Architects tend to view buildings as complete at the end of their construction phase. Brand ar- gues that that is only the beginning of their stories and that their human inhabitants will inevitably alter them and adapt them to suit their individual and collective needs for the space. Buildings learn even as their
E TEND TO THINK of build- ings as static objects when, in fact, they are organic environ-
24 SCHOOL PLANNING & MANAGEMENT / MARCH 2019
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