Nowadays, more than ever before, world events show us how necessary it is to add situations that foster design thinking and encourage solving real-world problems that affect various fields into daily classroom lessons. The word engineering was not heard as frequently in the school environment as it is today. As part of the STREAM (science, technology, reading, engineering, art and mathematics) concept, it recently started to have a greater presence in our classrooms.
As a result, STREAM initiatives and projects began to spread more widely. But, do we understand engineering? Do we understand its breadth? Are we providing our students with authentic experiences that include engineering principles? The desire to answer these questions was the driving force for us, Annabel Rivera and Arlene Garcia (iEARN Orillas Coordinators), to accept the challenge to coordinate the Design Squad Latinx project in Puerto Rico.
In my experience of coordinating the Design Squad Latinx project, I was able to observe the dynamism, commitment, and responsibility of both the teacher and the school administration. Also, [I observed] the pleasure students had for the engineering process and [engineering] activities. – Arlene Garcia (Coordinator – iEARN Orillas)
To implement Design Squad Latinx in Puerto Rican classrooms, a total of 11 engineering clubs were created with the participation of 12 teachers and over 150 students in 3 towns in Puerto Rico. Each club carried out various activities to awaken curiosity and creativity using engineering challenges. For more than a year, education experts carefully designed each experience to achieve a unique and innovative curriculum.
It was exciting to see the impact of the curriculum on the students and observe the students’ being amazed at their own ability to solve engineering challenges using newly learned principles. The students’ tenacity in developing and testing their hypotheses to reach their objectives and their collaborative efforts were some of the most relevant elements of this process. Like life, the process was filled with verbal and physical expressions of doubt, confusion, inferences, deductions, frustration, surprise, joy, celebration… a roller coaster of emotions.
“I believe that Design Squad Latinx opened the possibilities for my students to see engineering as an alternative in their future and fostered in them the necessary skills for the 21st century.†– Aileen Rivera, Head Librarian/Teacher (Escuela Genaro Bou – Corozal, Puerto Rico)
The youth are very eager to learn and [Design Squad Latinx] has given them a great learning opportunity that involves creativity, play, and the discipline of effective group work. So far, the project has been very successful and we are looking forward to its continuation in the coming years.†– Nestor Quetell, Head Librarian/Teacher (Sotero Figueroa School – San Juan, Puerto Rico)
Through these opportunities, we as educators confirm that there is hope that those little hands are on their way to sustaining the world and an eager spark is in those bright little eyes to fully demonstrate all they can achieve. This is why we hope that more teachers will join us in this beautiful journey with such a wonderful project.
Check out the free Design Squad Latinx resources on the PBS LearningMedia platform in both English and Spanish!
English
https://ny.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/dsglx22-sci-latinx-training-il/design-squad-latinx-leader-training/
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Español
https://ny.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/dsglx22-sci-latinx-training-il-es/capacitacion-de-dirigentes-de-design-squad-latinx/
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Design Squad Latinx: Una experiencia de ingenierÃa puertorriqueña
Para implantar Design Squad Latinx en las aulas puertorriqueñas, se crearon un total de 11 clubes de ingenierÃa que contaron con la participación de 12 maestros y más de 150 estudiantes en 3 pueblos de Puerto Rico. Cada club llevó a cabo diversas actividades para despertar la curiosidad y la creatividad en desafÃos de ingenierÃa. Durante más de un año, expertos en educación diseñaron cuidadosamente cada experiencia, logrando asà un currÃculo único e innovador.
“Considero que Design Squad Latinx le abrió las posibilidades a mis estudiantes de ver la ingenierÃa como una alternativa en su futuro y fomentó en ellos competencias necesarias en el siglo XXI.†– Aileen Rivera, Bibliotecaria maestra (Escuela Genara Bou – Corozal, Puerto Rico)
“Los jóvenes tienen muchos deseos de aprender y [Design Squad Latinx] les ha dado una gran oportunidad de aprendizaje que involucra la creatividad, el juego y la disciplina de trabajo efectivo en grupo. Hasta ahora ha sido muy exitoso el proyecto y tenemos muchos deseos de que continúe en los próximos años.†– Nestor Quetell, Bibliotecario maestro (Escuela Sotero Figueroa – San Juan, Puerto Rico)
Durante oportunidades asà es cuando nosotros los educadores confirmamos que hay esperanza en esas pequeñas manitas que se encaminan a sostener el mundo y en esos ojitos brillantes ávidos de demostrar a plenitud todo lo que pueden lograr. Por eso deseamos que más maestros se sumen en este hermoso viaje con un proyecto tan maravilloso.
“…my children began with doubt, with fear of not being able to do something. However, as the workshops went on, they had more confidence and they came up with new ideas…my children grew up.†– Mildred Torres, Middle-school Teacher (Puerto Rico)
Are you looking for engaging, fun, hands-on engineering challenges for your classroom? Do you work with Latinx kids? Do you have little or no experience with engineering? Have you been looking for after-school activities for kids? Then, let us introduce you to Design Squad Latinx!!
Design Squad Latinx is a program collaboratively designed by iEARN-USA, GBH and iEARN Orillas and sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF). This program includes a variety of engineering challenges, or activities, in both English and Spanish to get kids (primarily ages 10-13) excited about engineering and to motivate Latinx students to consider engineering fields as professional studies in their future. Through Design Squad Latinx, kids are introduced to the four steps of the engineering design process and are challenged to solve real-world problems. By engaging in engineering projects, kids can contribute their unique knowledge and experiences while learning essential collaboration skills that empower them to see themselves as problem solvers, which is a crucial skill for any career path they choose.
By using the design process and a community and strengths-based approach to engineering, Design Squad Latinx provides opportunities for Latinx kids to solve community problems and encourages them to recognize their own existing strengths, or funds of knowledge, as a means to solve problems that matter to them and their community. Kids explore engineering through fun and energetic hands-on activities. Using recyclable materials, kids confront challenges such as learning the design process, building pulleys, creating engineering design solutions, and showcasing their project designs. In doing so, Design Squad Latinx aims to act as a bridge for Latinx kids to the more formal world of engineering.
Design Squad Latinx includes an extensive collection of free resources including educator guides, videos, engineering activities, and an interactive training for educators to learn how to use the materials in their classrooms or after-school clubs. The activities and resources were designed to be easily used by educators without any engineering background and are extremely flexible, allowing educators to pick and choose activities which can be used to supplement an existing program, to complement classroom instruction, or used in its entirety to create a new engineering club. These resources have been rigorously tested and found to be highly engaging by both educators and students.
iEARN-USA invites all educators, teachers, and anyone working with kids to utilize these free resources to engage Latinx youth to explore their problem solving abilities and recognize their potential as engineers.
Check out the free resources on the PBS LearningMedia platform in both English and Spanish!
English
https://ny.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/dsglx22-sci-latinx-training-il/design-squad-latinx-leader-training/
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Spanish
https://ny.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/dsglx22-sci-latinx-training-il-es/capacitacion-de-dirigentes-de-design-squad-latinx/
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If you want to learn how you can use the materials, know more about the funds of knowledge, and meet teachers who have already participated in this program…join us at the Design Squad Latinx: Engineering the Future Webinar on January 21, 2023!
Register for the Design Squad Latinx Webinar!
https://bit.ly/DesignSquadLatinxWebinar
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“…mis niños comenzaron con dudas, con miedo a no poder realizar algo. Sin embargo, a medida que avanzaban los talleres, tenÃan más confianza y se les ocurrÃan nuevas ideas… mis niños crecieron.” – Mildred Torres, Profesora de enseñanza media (Puerto Rico)
¿Está buscando desafÃos de ingenierÃa atractivos, divertidos y prácticos para tu clase? ¿Trabaja con jóvenes latinos? ¿No tiene o tiene poca experiencia con la ingenierÃa? ¿Está buscando actividades extraescolares para jóvenes? Entonces, ¡permÃteme presentarle a Design Squad Latinx!
Design Squad Latinx incluye una extensa colección de recursos gratuitos, como guÃas para educadores, vÃdeos, actividades de ingenierÃa y una capacitación interactiva para educadores para aprender a utilizar los materiales en sus aulas o clubes extraescolares. Las actividades y los recursos se han diseñado para que puedan ser utilizados fácilmente por educadores sin ningún tipo de formación en ingenierÃa y son extremadamente flexibles, lo que permite a los educadores elegir actividades que pueden utilizarse para complementar un programa existente, para complementar la enseñanza en el aula o utilizarse en su totalidad para crear un nuevo club de ingenierÃa. Estos recursos han sido sometidos a pruebas rigurosas y han resultado ser muy atractivos tanto para los educadores como para los alumnos.
iEARN-USA invita a todos los educadores, maestros y cualquier persona que trabaje con jóvenes a utilizar estos recursos gratuitos para involucrar a los jóvenes Latinx a explorar sus habilidades para resolver problemas y reconocer su potencial como ingenieros.
Si quiere aprender cómo utilizar los materiales, saber más sobre los fondos de conocimiento y conocer a maestros que ya han participado en este programa… únase al webinar del Design Squad Latinx: Ingeniar el futuro, ¡el 21 de enero de 2023!
We are excited to present the 2022-2023 iEARN Project Book with a new easy-to-explore design! Learn about the iEARN network and discover global projects to connect your students with classrooms across the world.
Thanks to all project facilitators for your contributions to the project descriptions, and your ongoing hard work and enthusiasm, and to all the students and teachers who make these projects a success. We are excited to continue another year of global collaboration through iEARN projects!
DSL Engineering Club Closing – Abelardo DÃaz Morales School, Caguas, Puerto Rico (April 2022) / Cierre del Club de ingenierÃa DSL , Esc. Abelardo DÃaz Morales, Caguas, Puerto Rico (abril 2022)
During the weeks of March 7 to April 19, the pilot of the Design Squad Latinx (DSL) project was carried out by two schools in Puerto Rico, called DSL Engineering Clubs. Design Squad Latinx is a collaboration with GBH, iEARN-USA and iEARN Orillas, with funding from the National Science Foundation.
The purpose of this initiative is to create a curriculum in English and Spanish to organize engineering clubs with 10 to 13 years old, which hopes to motivate Latinx students to consider engineering fields as professional studies in their future.
The pilot project tested materials and activities in the Abelardo DÃaz Morales School in Caguas, Puerto Rico and SU Pedro Fernández in Naranjito, Puerto Rico. During the pilot period, students explored the field of engineering from their prior knowledge and family experiences, known as Funds of Knowledge. In the activity design, cases of situations to be solved are presented to a client. The solution possibilities are explored and the necessary devices are created to solve the problem, such as a pulley. Both the students’ open-module creations and the ingenious problem-solving creations are fascinating.
The enthusiasm and energy that was unleashed in the classroom with these engineering activities is captured by Rosalyn Colón Rivera, a teacher from SU Pedro Fernández School in Naranjito. She comments that the DSL Engineering Club,
“…was a very growing experience for the students and for her. The students loved the process. When they arrived they took their materials and continued working in a very natural way. If they had not finished the task, they continued working when they arrived at the room with hardly any instructions until they finished their project. They were blown away, they traveled, and they believed that they could be the engineers from the video. They loved the Cell Phone Module, the Pulley Module, and the Create their Own Engineering Challenge Module. The reality is that they did an excellent job and they liked it.†– Rosalyn Colón Rivera
Likewise, Aileen RodrÃguez and Mildred Torres, a librarian and a teacher from Abelardo DÃaz Morales School in Caguas, tell us about the impact of the engineering clubs both on them and on the students.
“Seeing our students grow, enjoying the process, recognizing themselves as great inventors, and beings capable of finding solutions to everyday problems was wonderful. After this experience, I know that the children are not the same. Neither is this instructor.†– Aileen Rodriguez
“…my children began with doubt, with fear of not being able to do something. However, as the workshops went on, they had more confidence and they came up with new ideas…my children grew up.†– Mildred Torres
With these insights from our experience and learning, we will head into the implementation phase of the Design Squad Latinx engineering clubs this fall.
DSL Engineering Club Club – SU Pedro Fernández, Naranjito School, Puerto Rico (April, 2022) / Club de ingenierÃa DSL, Esc. SU Pedro Fernández, Naranjito, Puerto Rico (abril, 2022)
Durante las semanas del 7 de marzo al 19 de abril se llevó a cabo el piloto del proyecto Design Squad Latinx (DSL) en dos escuelas en Puerto Rico, llamado Clubes de IngenierÃa. DSL, es una colaboración con GBH, iEARN USA y iEARN Orillas, con fondos de la National Science Foundation.
El proyecto piloto puso a prueba materiales y actividades en las escuelas Abelardo DÃaz Morales en Caguas y SU Pedro Fernández en Naranjito. Durante el periodo del piloto, los estudiantes exploraron el campo de la ingenierÃa desde sus conocimientos previos y experiencias familiares, conocidas como Funds of Knowledge (Fondos de Conocimiento). En el diseño de la actividad, se presentan casos de situaciones a resolver a un cliente, se exploran las posibilidades de solución y se crean los aditamentos necesarios para resolver el problema, como puede ser una polea. Fascinante, la creación de los estudiantes en el módulo abierto con creaciones ingeniosas para solucionar un problema.
El entusiasmo y la energÃa que se desató en la sala de clases con estas actividades de ingenierÃa, lo plasma la maestra Rosalyn Colón Rivera, de la SU Pedro Fernández en Naranjito. Ella comenta que el Club de IngenierÃa:
… fue una experiencia de mucho crecimiento para los estudiantes y para ella. A los estudiantes, les encantó el proceso. Cuando llegaban ellos cogÃan sus materiales y continuaban trabajando de manera muy natural. Si no habÃan finalizado la tarea, cuando llegaban al salón, continuaban trabajando sin apenas instrucciones hasta culminar su proyecto…a ellos se les vuela mente, viajan, se creen sà la pelÃcula de los ingenieros que pueden ser. El módulo del celular les encantó, el módulo de la polea, de crear su propio desafÃo de ingenierÃa, la realidad es que ellos trabajaron excelente y les gustó. (Rosalyn Colón Rivera)
Asà mismo la bibliotecaria Aileen RodrÃguez y la maestra Mildred Torres, de la Escuela Abelardo DÃaz Morales, en Caguas nos comentan sobre el impacto de los clubes de ingenierÃa, tanto ellas como en los estudiantes:
…mis niños comenzaron con dudas, con miedo a no poder realizar algo. Sin embargo, según fueron pasando los talleres, tenÃan más confianza, llegaban con nuevas ideas…mis niños crecieron. (Mildred Torres)
Con estas reflexiones de la experiencia y del aprendizaje, nos dirigimos hacia la fase de implantación de los clubes de ingenierÃa Design Squad Latinx en otoño.
The 2022 iEARN Virtual Project Exhibition, hosted by iEARN-USA, was a great showcase of student Collaboration!
We were so honored to connect with the iEARN global community at our 2022 Virtual Project Exhibition. During two sessions on May 19, we showcased outstanding project work, collaboration, and outcomes of iEARN K-12 classrooms around the world. Below are some stats that illustrate the impact of this event, which as become an annual tradition. If you weren’t able to join us, but would like to view the inspiring presentations for yourselves, links to the video recordings on our YouTube channel and images from the event are also below.
We wish to thank the following presenters, along with their students. We also wish to thank our guest hosts, iEARN member Jessie Gorant and her students, from the state of New Jersey in the United States. It was so inspiring to hear from students about the exciting project work they engaged in this past year, and how that work made a difference in their lives and communities!
Video recording of Session #1 (7:00am)
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Video recording of Session #2 (9:00am)
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If you missed out on presenting at the 2022 VPE but are interested in participating in a future one, please be on the lookout for our call for submissions next year. Keep in mind the following criteria as you prepare your proposal:
iEARN Project – The project must be an official iEARN project housed within the Collaboration Centre.
Quality of Media – If using video, try to keep the video to under five minutes, checking the audio quality. For powerpoints and photos, make sure that you have permission to use the photos and images are not copy-written.
Project Story – Does your project submission include a clear description of the activities completed and the connection with the SDGs? We encourage participants to share their whole project process including how they did the project, why the project is important, and final outcomes.
Exchange Story – Does your submission reflect your cultural exchange experience in connecting with global partners? Presentations that include project partners, examples of collaboration, and represent work completed by multiple classes are encouraged.
Student Voice – We love to give students the opportunity to present during the exhibition! If it’s not possible for students to join, submissions that include student voice, such as students recording messages or student quotes, will be prioritized.
Applications are now open for the 2022-23 NSLI-Y summer and academic year programs!
The State Department’s National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y) is a merit-based scholarship for high school students to study a critical language abroad for a summer or an academic year. NSLI-Y offers programs for Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), Hindi, Korean, Persian (Tajiki), Russian, Turkish, and Indonesian. Program participants are immersed in the language and culture of their host country, giving them formal and informal language practice and sparking a lifetime interest in foreign languages and cultures. Participants receive intensive language instruction, may live with a host family for all or part of the program, and participate in a variety of cultural activities.
As a program partner, iEARN implements NSLI-Y programs in India, Morocco, South Korea, and Taiwan. Please join us and encourage current U.S. high school students (ages 15 to 18) to submit an application for the opportunity to immerse themselves in a world language and culture through the NSLI-Y program.
Find more information and the application on the NSLI-Y program website. The deadline to apply for 2022-2023 summer and academic year programs is November 9 at 4 PM ET.
To learn more about the program from a participant perspective, you may view alumni-produced stories, photos, and videos on the NSLI-Y Interactive Website.
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