Overheard. . .

To set the scene for you. . .

This was in a 3rd grade class, primarily 8 year olds at this time of year, in the second week of school.  They had an hour a week of library/tech time last year, but that did not include makerspace time every week.  We are starting a design project based on the Dyson Idea Box curriculum (teachers, if you don't know about it, you need to look into it!!) which asks them to think about an everyday project and how they're going to improve it or expand on its current design.

Third grade boy to his partner, about a woodworking project they want to undertake for this project -

Student: "Ok, before we do anything, we need to measure really carefully, because it has to be exactly the same on both sides in order for it to work well"
Me: Do you know what that's called?  We call that symmetry, when something is exactly the same on both sides"
Student:  "Really?  Ohh, that's awesome!"

Third grade girl brainstorming for project ideas - 

"I just can't think of anything, it's way too hard, I don't know any products that I could work on"
-15 minutes of group brainstorming later - 
"Mrs. Harrop, I can't decide.  I love all five of my ideas so much, I want to make them all.  Can I just do more than one?  I have too many to pick from."

Third grade boy explaining to me how he plans to design his project - 

"I was thinking about this thing my mom has at home, and if I study that and figure out how it works, I can use that to help me figure out to make mine work."

Every day we're seeing that IT'S WORKING!! All the time, money, effort, stress, that went into designing and creating the makerspace is paying off in so many ways!  Can't wait to see what the year brings!