Last week in STEM, we had three challenges to complete in teams.

• Create a bridge using large pop-sticks and bulldog clips that could hold at least one book.
• Create 2D shapes out of straws and pipe-cleaners, and extend these to make 3D objects.
• Create the tallest free-standing tower out standard wooden pegs.

We discussed the Design Process: Ask, imagine, plan, create, improve, back to Ask.

Students showed creativity and ingenious testing during their construction process, and worked well together to achieve their results.

This week in STEM, we have started working on laptops to improve our IT skills and learn some applications or coding.

Our younger grades enjoyed exploring the Paint application, using virtual tools such as paint brushes, pens and erasers, as well as the ‘Shapes’ tool.

We learnt how to change the colours, and also how to start a new blank canvas. Luckily, a lot of our laptop devices are touch-screen enabled, which made it a lot easier for students to create their art work.

Our older grades started working with the ‘Scratch’ drag-and-drop programming tool, with a challenge to spell out the letters of their name, and have each letter animate and/or make a sound when clicked.

There were some very creative approaches to this challenge, and students will be able to continue working on these projects in future weeks.

Scratch is a free website provided by MIT. Students are able to create their own account to save their work if they wish, or they can use the shared school account.

Rich Talbot
STEM/ICT Teacher