3 minute read
Charlotte Jewish Day School Professional Development at MIT
August 2024
By CJDS Staff
This summer, from June 2426, the Charlotte Jewish Day School (CJDS) was able to send their STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts, and Math) teacher, Richard Isham, to Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge to learn how to incorporate different design and engineering strategies into the school's curriculum. Mr. Isham quickly found himself in the role of a student, faced with many challenges.
On the first day, Rick learned how to build cardboard automatas, engineered mechanisms constructed entirely out of cardboard and everyday materials that are controlled by a hand crank. Inside the mechanism, students use gears and wheels that they make themselves, or with help from a laser cutter, to make movement outside the box. Additionally, he learned how to turn 2-D objects into 3-D designs using the school's recently purchased laser cutter. For this experience, he cut out pieces of a cardboard dog and assembled them into a free-standing structure. Strategic cutting strategies were shared on how to utilize cardboard and make it functional for projects.
He also learned how to sew using conductive thread to make stuffed animals controlled by 3V cell batteries. Rick got creative and designed a multi-circuit stuffed menorah with seven different lights, turned on and off with a switch. To do this, he had to make a blueprint, transfer the design onto a piece of felt, hot glue the lights to secure them in place, and then connect the positive and negative prongs on the lights to the battery using the conductive thread by making multiple parallel circuits.
On the second day, Rick learned how to create 3-D models using free online software called Tinkercad. This program is very similar to the program the students used last year called Makers Empire. He used the program to make a 3-D printed flashcard for students to remind them to believe in Hashem. Next, he used a software called Vectr and etched into a mirror a slogan that celebrates equality. The laser burned the backside of the mirror in order to make images transparent through the glass. He also made ink stamps using a Cricut machine.
Finally, on the third day, he learned more about electronics. He was able to create festive flashlights, hardwire complex circuits using a variety of classroom materials, and integrate into these circuits a variety of different sensors that are controlled by angles, distance, light, and force. This was really fun and something that he had some experience with. This challenged him. The opportunity to experiment with creating circuits using alternative materials and unique sensors to control the functionality of the circuits was amazing.
This was a fantastic experience that will help our CJDS students improve their problem-solving skills, challenge themselves, investigate and use the newest tools and gadgets in STEAM education, and have a ton of fun doing so.
CJDS has two dedicated spaces for the design and innovation curriculum. The newly renovated Spark Lab is geared to students in grades 4-8 and features a hydroponic garden, 3-D printers, laser cutters, a construction zone with power tools, and a video and podcast studio. The space for TK-3 has a hydroponic garden, 3-D printer, laser cutter, and many other supplies for students to build, create, and hone their critical thinking skills.
For information about the CJDS Design and Innovation Lab, contact Gale Osborne gosborne@cjdschool.org
