Implications to Student Learning through the Installation of a Digital Fabrication Lab Teton County School District #1 Scott Crisp, PhD, Principal of Jackson Hole High School Samantha Smith, STEM Coordinator and Digital Fabrication Teacher For presentation see Under Articles

Our goal is to develop a way to integrate CTE skills, STEM content knowledge and 21 st Century Skills together…in service of student learning increasing in math, science, and related content areas. CTE 21 st Century Skills STEM Instructional Framework

What is a Digital Fabrication Lab? (FabLab) MIT With origins at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), digital fabrication labs are places where people can use the latest in software and hardware to develop and refine inventions or ideas. Stanford University expanded this application by putting them into schools. This fit the model we were looking for of crossing over our target areas. Mahtomedi High School Mahtomedi, MN

CTE 21 st Century Skills STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) Digital Fabrication Lab (Using Pedagogy based in inquiry method)

Typical equipment found in a FabLab? Laser Engravers Vinyl Cutters Large or small CNC routers (milling machines) 3D Printers Electronics Woodworking tools Art and other crafting items Can also include: Metalworking Jewelry making Sewing and other textile capabilities

Our Spaces… Collaboration Space: This space is our collaborative thinking space. Students, teachers and community members will find this to be a place of creativity and inspiration. Ideas and creativity should flow freely allowing you to think differently in a very flexible, adjustable space. Digital Design Space: This space is our digital design lab where the main focus is learning how to digitally create models, objects or prototypes. The world of digital design is full of unforeseen challenges, struggles, and major accomplishments but important to include in any technology space. Maker Space: This space is the traditional "maker space"…full of advanced technology as well as a plethora of supplies which allow a person to create almost anything he or she can think of. Culminating in an array of products that showcase the learning and making that is associated with a true "MakerSpace".

The curriculum of the FabLab consists of 12 weeks of small group projects to… …understanding how to use all software and hardware in the lab, work on design thinking and other collaborative methods of working together including perseverance, creativity and innovation.

Student Implications continued… The remainder of the school year students work on projects that have been developed by high school staff in preparation for their capstone project at the end of the year. Posted here you’ll find samples of student work, articles and ongoing information regarding our FabLab.

What are our teachers doing? 27 teachers (middle and high school) participated in a weeklong professional development opportunity. They focused on incorporating Design-Thinking into their own curriculum They planned units of curriculum across content and will continue to develop, refine and reflect on these units throughout the year.

Implications for Teacher Pedagogy…  The use of an instructional framework (teaching standards) guides the teaching processes used in the digital fabrication lab. Focuses include:  Student questioning  Discussion Techniques  Student participation  Formative assessment practices that focus on assessing FOR student learning vs OF student learning (during teaching-during practice vs. at the end of the lesson)  Behavior RTI Tier One. Student behavioral expectations aligned to student learning goals.  All in service of using an INQUIRY model in service of students owning their own learning.

Implications to Adult Learning… Overcoming Obstacles of authentic adult collaboration Existing course-based systems Adult beliefs about their instruction

The essence of leading is not commanding, but teaching. A teaching organization is one in which everyone is a teacher, everyone is a learner, and as a result, everyone gets smarter every day. In such organizations, everyone in the organization is expected to be constantly in a teaching and learning mode. -Noel Tichy (2005) The mindset needed for the work….

Adult learning has challenges…. We are in a deep need of some new ways of thinking about what our intentions are and how we are actually able to bring about a result. This is a basis of adult learning.

The Challenge The challenge to continue to be a learner – a learner of things that sometimes challenges our beliefs – beliefs that we have built our foundations on.

Adaptive -our teaching practices -what happens “during” teaching -lifestyle changes -upgrading or changing the files of the operating system VS. Technical -master schedule -specific courses -student types (ELL, AP, special education) -adding files to a existing computer operation system -health / food diets

Student Implications for Learning… For students interested in STEM related fields, (including Project Lead the Way and Digital Fabrication Lab courses) this space offers an additional mode of exposure for students to “see” and “get” math and science content outside of the traditional math and science classes.

Long term expectations are to look at the “narrative” of a student’s schedule. Some essential questions that will be the drivers of our school… 1. What groupings of courses produce the most significant impact in math and science for a student. Versus what “course” causes an impact? Taking into consideration the whole student and the entire high school experience of a student. 2. What types of practices within those courses produce the highest impact of student learning?

A class in isolation… Digital Fabrication Lab Only Classes/teachers across disciplines supporting student learning… Earth Science Digital Fabrication Lab Geometry

Personal Reflections: A year of traveling and research about space. Figuring out funding sources and grants to support the financial commitment Best approach to curriculum development Finding qualified people to teach FabLab courses. Having support from school board, administration, facilities and technology personnel is key.