Health & Fitness
Solar Cars, 3D Printers, LEGO Robotics; The Gillispie School Fosters STEM Education
Offering specialty programs like Science & Sustainability and Technology, The Gillispie School is aiming to set high standards for STEM education at the primary level.
This year was The Gillispie School’s third year of involvement in the REMS competitions, and what began as one team being sent from the school has grown into nine separate participating Gillispie teams. Rendezvous for Engineering, Mathematics, and Science competitions are designed for Grades 3-5 students as a way to engage youth in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The REMS academic competitions are just one of many initiatives being implemented by The Gillispie School to engage students in STEM education, which is considered an essential ingredient of a 21st century education.
“We are interested in innovative ways to increase our student’s interest and involvement in the STEM fields, such as incorporating sustainability into our science curriculum through organic gardening and vermicomposting, or asking students to create unique inventions for real-world application during our annual science fair. We want to increase our student’s confidence and readiness to excel in these forward-thinking fields,” states Head of School Alison Fleming.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, of the 20 fastest growing occupations projected for 2014, 15 require significant mathematics or science preparation. While the U.S. is projected to have more than 1 million job openings in STEM-related fields by 2018, according to the U.S. Bureau of Statistics, only 16 percent of U.S. students receiving bachelor’s degrees will specialize in STEM.
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A recent addition to the school’s STEM education initiatives was the development of its first official Gillispie LEGO robotics teams. The First Lego League (FLL) is an internationally recognized robotics program for students from 9 to 16 years of age. The league’s robotics competitions are centered on Lego Mindstorm robotics, challenging teams to think about how technology can solve real world problems.
According to John Otterson, the Gillispie Parent who helped to facilitate the school’s first Robotics teams, “[The program] aims to engage students in STEM by harnessing the fun of a game-based robotics tournament.” Otterson added, “As a result of their research and first-hand interviews, a [Gillispie robotic team] has conceived of a smartphone app, ForgetMeNot!, to help senior citizens track important items such as glasses, keys, wallets, and the like.”
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Many of the new STEM-related initiatives require the use of the latest technological tools, and can be difficult and costly to acquire at the primary level. Through tremendous effort, Chip Edwards, The Gillispie School’s Science Director, has led the way in ensuring that the students have access to some of the latest innovations – including a 3D printer purchased with the help of a grant from The Scripps Family Foundation.
Upon writing a proposal and meeting with a Scripps representative to discuss the school’s plans, the grant was awarded to the Gillispie science department leading to the purchase of a MakerBot Replicator 2 3D printer. The machine works by extruding melted plastic layer by layer to create 3D objects from computer-imaged designs.
On the uses of the new technology and classroom applications, Edwards states, “Printing out precise parts lets kids see themselves as real engineers, able to invent objects that actually work. They will become inventors, making multiple iterations of a design until getting it right. This encourages tenacity and focus, while also giving them a headstart on a technology that they’ll be encountering later in life. I’m seeing, on a deeper level, that 3D printing can shape thinking as well as shaping plastic.”
To note other recent examples of Gillispie STEM initiatives, this February the School’s Chain Reaction science team participated in the REMS Tower Building Competition and won first place for the Tallest Tower in the 3rd grade division and fourth place in the Written Test on building techniques, engineering principles, and terminology. And in last year’s solar car challenge, a solar car designed and engineered by Gillispie 3rd grade student Lucie Edwards scored the fastest time in the entire competition. Finally, the school recently participated in a REMS Kite Competition for a scientific research project.
As for the future of STEM education at Gillispie, more programs and innovations are in the works. Members of the school’s staff and faculty recently applied to become one of the first, exclusive recipients of the new GoogleGlass, an augmented reality head-mounted display still in the production phase.
The School is also offering a number of STEM-related summer school programs that are open to students from all schools, including PreEngineering for Grades K-1 and Engineering Fundamentals for Grades 2-5.
For more information on The Gillipsie School summer programs, or to learn more about STEM education at Gillispie, contact (858) 459-3773 or visit gillispie.org.
