WOW!  Term 3  has flown by and a LOT has been done @PVCPlacetobe!   INDE students and teachers got a chance to get their feet wet with new ideas and ways of thinking.

Grade 5 students have only had 3 sessions but have completed 1 full walkthrough of the Design Thinking Process (process....process).  Students learned about EMPATHY in terms of design by making name tags that took the needs of others into account.  We took some time to refine and DEFINE by brainstorming a unique and silly new food for a random living thing (fireman, alien, whatever!).  Students are also getting the idea that IDEATE doesn't mean to dream up their best idea, but rather, to come up with AS MANY IDEAS AS POSSIBLE without judgement -- THEN-- look at their ideas to see how they can combine them to form something new!

Before the month is over grade 5 will practice Prototyping and Testing their ideas using Fantastic Contraption, which can be found on my "Anytime Innovations" page.

GRADE 7 created innovative towers design to withstand the high forces of a hurricane! Using the Design Thinking Process, G7 students brainstormed many combinations of shapes that a building could take.  They identified unique features, built prototypes, and tested them in our own PVC wind tunnel.  Students multiplied the height of their tennis ball off the table by the category of wind force to get a strength score.  WE HAVE A NEW 2 YEAR WINNER with 130 POITS!!!