Soddy Elementary
K-5
The VW eLab at Soddy Elementary School is a space for students to learn to communicate, collaborate, while developing resiliency at the deepest level. Students use the design iteration process to think critically while experimenting with 3D printers, laser cutters, vinyl cutters, and other engineering tools.
Lab description
Grade Levels:
VW eLab Specialist
Katie Pitre
Katie Pitre is new to the VW eLab Specialist world! Katie has an intense passion for teaching students how to view themselves as creative problem solvers and engineers, while developing essential skills to be ready for wherever their future leads. She believes true growth comes when we push ourselves out of our comfort zone, and what better way to foster that belief than inside the VW eLab.
Impact
Soddy Elementary’s VW eLab was established in 2022. Our foundation was built from a STEM lab that operated with the desire to equip Soddy Elementary’s students with the necessary skills they need to thrive not just in elementary school, but in their lives after they leave our building. Our VW eLab continues that philosophy: we want the students of Soddy Elementary to leave us better educated, not just in academics, but in their ability to overcome challenges while learning to listen to understand peers and communicate clearly in order to reach a goal. Our projects are connected to the learning students are doing in their classrooms, enriching and deepening their understanding of science concepts while using the skills they develop in math and literacy to plan, design, and reflect on their work. Students work through the design iteration process, learning failure is not the end, but another opportunity to learn a way around a challenge. We foster collaboration through our design challenges and push our students outside of their comfort zones to learn how to use software to make their ideas on paper come to life through the use of 3D printers, laser cutters, and vinyl cutters, and students are immersed in hands-on building and creating.
Project Highlights
Each quarter, students are presented with a problem to solve or a project to design. Our goal isn’t always the finished product, but rather the process of the work! Students research animals and learn what their animal needs to survive in order to design a biome. They incorporate a design element using a 3D printer or laser cutter to enhance their project. After studying natural hazards and disasters, students gather research about emergency alert systems for natural disasters, then they work in teams to design and build their own. Our fifth graders learn about unbalanced forces and the impact on movement in their science block, applying that knowledge to build and launch a rocket. Students study constellations, research the folklore about each constellation, write an essay, and use the laser cutter to map the constellation into wood. Through all of these projects, students understand the importance of gathering relevant information through research to create a detailed plan. They use the plan to clearly communicate and collaborate with their peers to reach a shared goal.