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Pilot Program Builds Interest in Design and Discovery
As soon as students arrive for their first day of an after-school program at Sacaton Elementary School, they start to imagine themselves in a brand-new role: inventor.
Bill Carey, a longtime science and math teacher at this school in the Gila River Indian Community south of Phoenix, Arizona, is facilitating the enrichment course based on Design and Discovery. The free curriculum, developed by Intel® Innovation in Education and available online, aims to interest students in design and engineering.
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Teacher Bill Carey gets students thinking about how things work. |
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Carey begins by picking up a pair of wire cutters from one of the tables and reminding students, "Somebody invented this tool. You're going to become inventors, too. You're going to explore different materials, find out how things work, and dream up your own plans. Once you get an idea for your own product, you'll draw it, make it, and see if it works. By the end, you'll all make something neat—something that's your very own idea."
In a nutshell, that's how Design and Discovery works. Through an extended series of hands-on activities, students gain an understanding of design and engineering principles. They use the same processes that professional engineers follow to design, build, test, and improve working prototypes of new products.
Pilot Program
In Arizona, students in a variety of settings have recently started taking part in after-school and community-based enrichment classes that use the Design and Discovery curriculum. Eugenia Echols, Intel education manager in Arizona, organized the pilot program, including a two-day training session for prospective facilitators. She has recruited schools and community-based programs serving diverse student populations, located in both urban and rural parts of the state.
Echols says Design and Discovery "fits perfectly" with the learning needs of students who are often at risk of low academic performance in math and science, and who tend to be under-represented in engineering and technical fields as adults. "This curriculum is hands-on, inquiry-based. We know from a cultural perspective that children who are not encouraged to be vocal tend to express themselves with their hands," Echols says, noting a long tradition of visual arts among the Native American tribes of the Southwest.
Echols, who has a doctorate in public policy and is well versed in educational research, says Design and Discovery meets multiple goals. "It supports math and science education. It reaches high-risk, diverse populations. And the portability of the curriculum means we can take it into communities that have not had extensive science programs. It doesn't require a lot of equipment," she points out.
Even more important, Echols adds, is the potential for getting students excited about learning. "It's just a cool curriculum. I know in my heart that it will work," she says. "It's perfect for engaging the children we are eager to reach."
Interest from teachers and community-based program leaders across Arizona has been immediate and enthusiastic, Echols says. "I sent out a brochure about Design and Discovery and announced a training session. Within a week, my phone and email were burning up. The response: We want it." The two-day training session drew potential facilitators from local Boys and Girls Clubs, the Phoenix Parks and Recreation program, and schools that sponsor after-school and summer enrichment programs.
Appeal for Teachers
What do teachers like about Design and Discovery?
Carey is attracted by both the pre-engineering topic and what he sees as "a well-crafted, solid curriculum," designed to build student understanding through a sequence of hands-on activities. Carey and his teaching partner, Tracy Brooks, are always looking for new ways to use the after-school hours to enrich students' informal learning experiences in math and science. Currently, they attract about 100 students each week for a variety of science enrichment programs.
Funding for their after-school program comes in part from GEAR UP, a federal effort to increase the number of low-income students who are prepared for college. Joyce Baldwin, local GEAR UP director, was instrumental in bringing Design and Discovery to the tribal community. She first learned about the curriculum last year at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (Intel ISEF). Baldwin saw a presentation about Design and Discovery and thought, "This is it. I want it." Baldwin sees the pre-engineering curriculum "as something to grab kids' interest (in science and engineering) when they're younger."
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Students at Sacaton Elementary are pursuing after-school activities that spark innovation. |
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In the Gila River Indian Community, after-school programs serve a big need. Recreational opportunities for children are limited in this rural area. What's more, Baldwin points out, state mandates mean an intense focus on math and reading during the regular school day, but little time for science education in the elementary grades. She commends Carey and Brooks for being strong teachers who have been able to build interest in "an academic after-school program. They have to compete with sports. To draw 100 kids a week, as they do, says a lot about their program. They keep the kids coming." Design and Discovery offers these teachers a ready-made curriculum that meets their students' needs, Baldwin says. In the fall, she hopes to add a new Design and Discovery after-school class at the middle school.
Pipeline for Science Fairs
By encouraging students to showcase their invention prototypes, Design and Discovery also helps to build student interest in science fairs and competitions. In 2005, Intel ISEF will take place in Arizona. "With Intel ISEF coming here next year, we want to start getting teachers comfortable, and kids successful, with science projects," says Echols. Design and Discovery teaches students good practices for developing a successful research project, such as keeping a design notebook and conducting user tests.
For more information about Design and Discovery, go to www.intel.com/education/design.
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