TinkerCad Comes to (and Energizes) Discovery Charter School Students

In the fall of 2020, eight students at Discovery Charter School participated in an innovative design contest hosted by a local non-profit organization, Schools That Can.The contest was also sponsored by the Panasonic Foundation Inc, which supports STEAM education. The challenge was to use TinkerCad, an online software, to create designs for a sustainable school that uses energy efficient and interactive technology. The CAD in TinkerCad stands for Computer Aided Design. It allows the students to design objects and buildings in the computer that appear 3 dimensional and can be printed on a 3-D printer. It is an excellent tool for unlocking the imagination of students who don’t have the drawing skills to realize their creative ideas.

 

The facilitating teachers saw it as an opportunity to employ the Discovery Charter approach of education through exploration and experimentation. Over the course of three months the students learned by doing, using the requirements of the contest as a guiding goal for their creativity. The Discovery approach paid off. Competing against other middle schools in Newark, New York and Pittsburgh, Discovery Charter took the prize for “Best Design!”  It was an exciting and proud moment for the students and teachers.

 

Designs For A Sustainable Discovery Charter

Credit: Danayisha G.

 

Credit: Ancell A.

 

Museum Designs

 

Having been introduced to the creative possibilities of the TinkerCad program, the art teacher at Discovery decided to use it school-wide in an Arts Integration project with the English Language Arts on the subjects of museums. Students were introduced to how museums are curated and given an assignment to create a museum on the subject of their choosing. In ELA they researched their subject, curated their collection and wrote an essay. They then created a presentation. In art class they were introduced to the wide range of museum architecture and then used TinkerCad to design their own. The enthusiasm and focus the students brought to the project was amazing. As we plan for next year we are excited to have this powerful tool that both unlocks creativity and builds skills for a changing future.

 

Credit: Ayomide A.

 

Credit: Allin O.

 

Credit: Ava A.

 

Credit: Taniyah H.