MANALAPAN — Sixth-graders in the Manalapan-Englishtown Regional School District are immersing themselves in a new learning environment.
Pupils at the Pine Brook School, which houses all of the district’s sixth-graders, are learning how to create, design and invent in a new technology-based classroom.
Principal John Spalthoff said the environment is called the “Makerspace Lab” and he explained that it is a classroom designed for students to explore, learn new resources, and to work on projects and build them.
He said Makerspace is a science, technology, engineering, art and math-based learning environment in which every student works in different technology-rich centers. The Pine Brook School implemented the new classroom at the start of the 2015- 16 school year.
“It is all about creating and learning,” Spalthoff said. “It teaches the students how to take ownership of their learning.”
Spalthoff said the school is fortunate to have technology specialist Stephanie Walden on staff.
Walden teaches in the Makerspace classroom every day and said the idea of the classroom is to make the students think.
“I think it is beneficial because they learn to think, invent and dream,” she said. “They are so proud of themselves when they create something from their own thinking.”
She said the Makerspace classroom is divided into five learning stations: 3-D printing, engineering, circuitry, video and coding. She detailed each station:
3-D printing: Students have to print one item for the school, one for a teacher and one to auction off as part of the Positive Behavior Support in School Program. They then have to design an item on their own using a designing program and the class votes on the one to print. Students learn how to do minor trouble-shooting and how to change the filament on the 3-D printer.
Engineering: Students have to build a specific object such as a marshmallow shooter, a helicopter, a catapult, etc. Each student in the group designs or modifies a design of the object however they want and then tests the modifications to see how they work, why they work, and why one modification may work better than another.
Circuitry: Students learn how to use littleBits and Makey Makey kits. They use the kits to create electronic or circuit activated items like art-bots, Halloween creatures that make noises, flashlights, and more.
Video: Students create a video about a topic of human interest or a public service announcement. They choose topics such as “How to Open Your Locker,” “Why You Should Avoid Smoking” and “Halloween Safety Tips” and then write a script and film and edit their movie.
Coding: Students learn the basic idea of coding (the function that makes it possible to create computer software, applications and websites). They move on to a Scratch (programming language) tutorial where they learn how to do block coding using Scratch. Finally, they create their own Scratch interactive.
Spalthoff said each student will spend one marking period in the Makerspace classroom. He said the class is all about discovery and “figuring it out.”
“This room is a success because I had the right person,” he said. “I had the vision, gave Stephanie the freedom and she was perfect for the job,” the principal said.
Richard Aiello said the Makerspace room is one of his favorite classes.
“I like electronics and stuff like that and I am happy I can learn a lot while having fun at the same time,” Richard said.
Aaron Fishman said the class is cool because students can learn new things while thinking about their careers.