Training Agenda
Welcome, Educators!
Session #1 of a 3-part series
With Technovation program staff Rebecca Anderson, Nick Luu, and Judith Ahumada
Please say hello in the chat!
Objectives for today
💪 Get Set 💪
You’ll gain the experience, tips, and tricks you want before leading design challenges with your kids in an online setting
✨ Get Ready ✨
You’ll become comfortable using Curiosity Machine resources to plan awesome engineering design challenges for your kids
Training Agenda
What is Technovation?
Technovation is a global education non-profit that empowers girls and families to identify community problems and create tech and engineering solutions that develop their leadership and creative problem-solving skills.
Vision:
Empower girls and families to be leaders and problem solvers in their lives and their community
Curiosity Machine is part of Technovation.
It’s an interactive online STEM learning platform that provides educators, families, students, and community leaders design challenges.
What are Design Challenges?
Developing curiosity, creativity, and persistence
through open-ended engineering design challenges
DCs don’t have “correct” answers.
Support students to explore their diverse ideas. Unique solutions encouraged!
Failure, or things not working, is part of the learning.
Training Agenda
Resources for YOU
You have access to:
Let’s explore!
Your resource page:
About the Platform
Inspiration Gallery
Children can learn from each other's projects.
Design Challenge Prompt
the goal or problem to be solved
Inspiration Video
Children learn how scientists and engineers solve and apply key concepts to
problems.
Guide
Educators have access to instructional videos and additional content to help them solve the design challenge..
Learning Support
Inside the Guide
How to Make it has instructional videos to help kids get started. These also help educators understand the challenge. Downside: Sometimes students have a hard time building something different from what they saw in the video.
Learn More has additional information about the STEM concepts relevant to the challenge.
Curiosity Machine Platform
Special considerations
Have worries?
Please, insert in chatbox
Training Agenda
Intro: Engineering Design Process (EDP)
Engineering Design Process (EDP)
INSPIRATION: Define the problem
PLAN: Create solutions, select one and draw a design
BUILD: Execute the prototype
TEST: Observe and measure the prototype’s performance
REDESIGN: Identify a problem to solve with a new design
REFLECT: Share experience and ways to use new knowledge to solve future problems
EDP Tool for Students
Balance a Dinosaur
Challenge: Build a dinosaur at least 6" tall that can balance on two legs using counterbalances.
What are the first steps you would take as an educator?
How I would plan
Action | Where/How |
Check available resources | Your resource page, DC |
Watch inspiration and guide videos | ? |
List & gather materials | Tip: Make sure your kids will have access to them or substitutes |
Decide what to focus energy on | ? |
Create or fit into schedule | ? |
Do a test build then start! | Don’t be afraid! You can always improve the next time. |
Check available resources
Watch inspiration & guide videos
Create your Schedule
Sample 2-day schedule based on one hour lessons | |||
Day 1 | Day 2 | ||
20 | Introduce design challenge and potential materials | 40 | Students build their design challenges |
25 | Students explore design challenge, plan ideas with small groups in breakout rooms | 15 | Students take turns testing in front of each other and providing feedback |
15 | Students share ideas with whole group, get feedback | 5 | Reflection and/or rebuild plans for next class |
Let’s Try a test build!
Plan
Take time to sketch or write out your ideas. Remember challenge? Build a dino at least 6” tall that can balance on two legs.
Build, Test, & Redesign
Start building! Make any changes you need to improve as you test your design. Share out!
Redesign Tips
How to make it simpler:
How to make it more challenging:
Reflect & share your dino
Sharing
Check out other dinos. What worked? What didn’t? Did anything surprise you?
Processing
Share your experiences with the EDP. What was challenging about this?
Applying
How will you lead with your students?
Training Agenda
What worries us
Compile list from chat during session
Your Assignment:
Try 1-2 design challenges like Balance a Dino - using the EDP - with your kids before next session (Thursday, Nov 19).
Exit ticket
appendix
Think ahead about strategies you’d recommend if...
Students are stuck in their plan
Students are intimidated to start building
Students ask you a question specific to a concept that you don’t have an answer to
Students get stuck and discouraged
When things get hard
Situation | Growth Mindset Example | Fixed Mindset Example |
Not getting the expected outcome | What am I missing? How can I make this work? | Mine isn’t good. I failed, so I’m giving up. |
Getting an expected outcome | I’m on the right track. | I’m incredible at this. |
Trying something new | My mistakes help me learn. | I hate messing up. |
Completing a project | What can I do to make it better? | My work won’t get better than this. |
With difficult tasks | This could take me ___ minutes. | This is very difficult. |
Seeing others’ successes | I’m going to learn how she’s doing it! | She’s so good at that. |