It’s hard to imagine a world where Nickie Doran’s class isn’t a student’s favorite.
Doran is the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) specialist at Hallinan Elementary and runs the school’s Innovation Lab, or iLab. Each elementary and middle school in Lake Oswego has an iLab or MakerSpace and a STEM specialist who works with every grade.
“We follow EPDRS: Explore, Plan, Do, Reflect and Share. So, particularly for third through fifth (grades) … they have to work in a group, which for some is the most painful part of STEM. Of course, they love to build; of course, they love to create, but if you have to come up with an agreed-upon plan before you build, sometimes that’s the biggest growth opportunity,” said Doran.
Every 50 minutes her classroom fills with a new group of students excited to get back to their STEM projects. For the fifth graders, this means working on Tinkercad, a program that acts as a light version of 3D modeling and design software AutoCAD. On Tinkercad, each student is given a 3D model of Oregon and places different designs on the most meaningful parts of the state to them. In a few day’s, the 3D models on their screens will be fully printed by the classroom’s 3D printer.
“I think part of those growing pains for STEM is just compromising and building skills to work with other people. It’s hard for adults to compromise,” said Doran. “Seeing what fifth graders could with 3D printing, I was like, ‘Holy smokes, if I could do STEM across all grades that would be incredible for me.’”
Hallinan’s iLab lets her do just that.
The push for STEM learning across all grades came in 2017, when voters approved a new $187 million capital construction bond.
“As part of the 2017 (capital construction) bond, one of the initiatives was to look at how we're getting our students to learn in different ways,” said Larry Zurcher, sustainability teacher on special assignment for the district. “STEM was happening at the time but it wasn’t quite equitable among all the kids. What we found was some amazing makerspaces and labs at schools, but they were empty and weren’t built into the culture of ‘this is how we learn.’”
Using that bond, the district incorporated STEM learning through the Innovation Labs at all elementary and middle schools. These specialist classes allowed students to add process to their learning arsenal.
For example, when the first graders in Doran’s class are learning about animal adaptations in their normal science class, they can apply that knowledge to creating their own combination animal out of clay and explain scientifically how those adaptations work in harmony.
“A lot of times if we rush through like it’s just an activity, the result is underwhelming as well. So if we’re really process-focused, and for older grades, Friday is presentation day … the pressure element to have their project look great is pretty high,” added Doran. “I wholeheartedly believe you need five full days to really make it meaningful and get what you’re aiming for with the group you’re working with. It’s so process-oriented; it’s easy to do a STEM activity but you’re missing the component of planning. In STEM, if you have this model, they start to learn process instead of product.”
At Hallinan, each class has 12 week-long sessions in the Innovation Lab throughout the school year. For the weeks when the other classes in their grade are working on a STEM project, students cover their curriculum in social studies and science. This doesn’t mean students aren’t exploring core concepts in iLab. For some projects they present or collaborate, incorporating language arts standards and skills. Much of the time, the students are using “mystery science” standards and skills — the elementary school foundations for theory-building and the scientific process. For all of the iLab projects, students work together, make a plan and build.
“At elementary it’s those foundational years. We can establish the way they approach problems and look at materials and resources. It can be framed in a way where kids will see things and be able to say, ‘I know I can use this. I can repurpose this for another thing.’ The materials that they’re using in the iLabs are often recycled or reused and they’re seeing things as not just single-use,” said Zurcher.
As the sustainability teacher on special assignment, Zurcher said he sees STEM learning and iLab classes as vital in building sustainable thinking at a young age.
“A lot of those skills they learned through doing problems in the iLab,” said Zurcher. “It gives them those avenues to actually use those skills that they’ve got and it’s not even a question — they’re like, ‘Oh yeah, I can do that.’
The fifth graders at Hallinan worked in groups to create a plan for the zero-waste food truck challenge. Using the design program Canva, the fifth graders will present their businesses to the rest of the class and show a mock-up of their food trucks made from cardboard.
“It’s a great process for them to see — I’ve got the tools now that can work towards solutions rather than (saying) ‘It’s just too big. I can’t do anything,’” Zurcher added.
Doran said many students discover passions and strengths in the iLab, or make new friends. For some, working with other students on a math assignment is difficult but collaborating on an iLab project comes easier. STEM class and time in the iLab can be a safe space for some students, a place where they can shine.
“For some this is their bread and butter; this is their favorite,” said Doran.
Back with the first grader group, their clay animal adaptations take shape. Soon they’ll move to the kiln room where they’ll bake into a lasting memento from the Innovation Lab. One student proudly shows off her ceramic animal; it’s an owl and a fox or a “fowl.” It has whiskers and wings. Next to the “fowl” sits an elephant/giraffe and a deer/rabbit.
“My first and second favorite animals,” she said proudly.
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