~ Vanity Sotelo
Kang Chiao Future Skills Teacher, International Department
~ Vanity Sotelo
Kang Chiao Future Skills Teacher, International Department
Embedded Files
Kang Chiao Future Skills Teacher, International Department
The Goal of Kang Chiao Future Skills is to provide students with opportunities to identify and solve problems as a 21st century thinker. To do this, students are introduced to the engineering design process. This process encourages students to search for several solutions to problems. It also emphasizes the importance of learning from our mistakes. As students collaborate and work together to solve real-world problems, they begin to view problems less as obstacles that hold them back and more as opportunities that allow them to innovate.
Inspiration Leads to Innovation
Kang Chiao’s new first graders got a taste of the world of engineering as they dove head-first into the topic of biomimicry. Biomimicry means to use nature as an inspiration for new inventions. The traditional method of doing research involves reading books or websites, but to help our youngest engineers get inspired, they looked to nature to get their answers.
What exactly were they looking for? Their task was to improve an invention that did not work very well. It was a tool designed to grab things for people. What better way to fix this issue than to borrow nature’s purposeful designs? Students learned about different examples of grabbing tools in both the animal and plant kingdom to get inspiration for their own designs. Then they improved the original tool by adding functional parts to it.
As students learned how helpful biomimicry is to engineers, they applied this concept to yet another challenge far different from the first. Following the same steps of identifying the problem and looking for examples of solutions in nature, students moved on to borrowing ideas from insects to fix a problem with organization in our classrooms. Observing how well thousands of insects work together to build and organize their communities, students took note of the shape and function of different nests to help them design a school supply organizer that would keep our things tidy. This goes to show that inspiration can be found just about anywhere.
Emphasizing the Process Over the Product
Kang Chiao Future Skills places a great deal of importance on the process of learning and innovating. That is why we teach students to work in groups in which they design solutions to problems using different methods and materials. If their designs fail, we teach students to try again, and to keep thinking about how to make their design work. It isn’t just about making a successful design; it’s about the process of making it. Students are proud to show off their final products, but the most important things they learn are teamwork skills and persistence.
The Future Looks Bright
It is our hope that students will remember these lessons when they encounter challenges in their lives. Kang Chiao Future Skills equips students with the right skills and mindset to handle any problems they may face in the future. The engineering design process teaches them not only the best way to solve problems, but also teamwork, communication, persistence, and a positive attitude.
★ Now let’s take a look at some of the other incredible projects from last spring semester. Our young students learned about so many scientific subjects. All of their projects can help solve real-world problems. We are so proud of their accomplishments! ★
Weather
★ DeNica Wang 王笛瑄 206
Grade one students learned about the presence of clouds and the sun’s effect on Earth. Then, they designed a shade structure to keep cool.
Sound Energy
★ Max Liao 廖振宇 204
Our first graders were tasked to create their own message without words using only an instrument made with the materials available.
Seed Dispersal
★ Charlotte Huang 黃羽禎 306
Students carefully selected materials that would allow them to build a model that would demonstrate one mode of seed dispersal.
Powered by Gravity
★ Melody Lin 林洛安 307
Students created a gravity powered zip line that would help a farmer deliver fruit down a mountain.
Page updated
Report abuse