University High School

Design lab pilot

While availability of funds for classes like family and consumer sciences, industrial technologies, and other hands-on courses have dwindled at schools across the country, students’ desire for that content has not. In response, University High School launched a design lab pilot program. For four weeks, sophomores spent two hours a week with a facilitator equipped to guide them through a deep dive into their chosen topics. The result was an exhibition open to the campus community. Students displayed creations such as self-published books, a repaired and running ATV, hand-knit hats ready for donation to a children’s hospital, and much more.

Thomas Metcalf School

Design thinking

Design thinking, while often applied to STEM, is an iterative problem-solving process that can be applied to any situation. Metcalf faculty associates Krisi Sutter and Camille Strode are facilitating daily independent studies for sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students that center design thinking in a topic of the students’ choosing. Spring semester projects include nutrition bars for middle school athletes, a website on mental health awareness, and recycling shoes into a new pair of tennis shoes.

Longitudinal math research partnership

A professional development workshop hosted in 2017 led to the creation of a research project including faculty from Metcalf, the Department of Special Education, and the Department of Mathematics. These faculty believe that some traditional teaching styles can hinder learning by doing too much of the work. Even the youngest of students have what they need to be successful in learning; this project has shown that students flourish in STEM when they are given the space to try things for themselves.

Makerspace

In 2021, a Hatch campaign was launched to create a makerspace catered to Metcalf’s younger grades. Thanks to the generosity of the Redbird community, the space was equipped with Legos, robotics kits, and many other materials that children can create with. Faculty associate Brittney Tarr ’16 oversees the space. Monday through Thursday, classes are engaged in guided projects, working through units that utilize the various technologies. On Fridays, students are given time for free play, which they can use to continue work on a single project or explore the many opportunities.

Studio courses

Beginning in fall 2021, kindergarten through fourth grade studio (art, music, theater, and makerspace) courses moved from traditional grading to tracking progress via e-portfolios. Metcalf faculty and administration found that work in the arts is how students get comfortable with ambiguity and failure. When traditional grades are attributed to this work, students are less likely to take creative risks and explore new things. Focusing on processes and progress over perfection has allowed students to develop creative thinking without bounds.