We all failed, therefore, we all succeeded! Engineering Design Process in action!

Yesterday ended on a high, but getting to it was a surprise for the teams. 

With the deadline looming to have a complete rover, tension in the room was tight; team members were super edgy with each other. The parent coaches and mentors that have been participating had furrowed brows and concern in their voices.
             My job is to check in with teams and orchestrate the content.
Note: Watching the Engineering Design Process is as hard as being part of it.

At the end of Thursday, during the 4th week of the project, we circled up the chairs, as we do often, but this time with the rovers, notebooks, and Idaho Tech Manuals. I started by giving the kids one Starburst with a reminder to not talk because they each have two ears and one mouth.  There has been tons of talking!
It was time to listen. :)    It was time for a class TBaA (Think Back and About)

I sat in my chair in the circle and said, "Wow, we have finally all failed!" They looked at me and then I told them that we have been successful in the EDP because everyone in class had FINALLY been through the emotions and thinking of the process. Each student and team had felt the rainbow of emotions and thinking that comes when problem solving--all had been inspired, angry, happy, frustrated, lost, thoughtful, lonely, together-- you get it....

In that moment they sighed and smiled. They got it. They had accomplished what is set out in the Idaho Tech Manual. The goal of the challenge is to grow as learners through creating the Mars Rover.
Click on the link to see the EDP page that was up on the Smart Board. It has been the content tool.
Idaho Tech Mars Rover Challenge Manual

This class needed this project this year.
 As a class, they have grown in the way that I had hoped. Learning does have the word 'earn' inside it.  Success does feel best when we know that what we did took effort and energy.

THANK YOU TO ALL THE PARENT COACHES AND MENTORS

APRIL is full STEAM ahead!! Lewis and Clark Discovery Center, WSU Trashwall presentation, and Engineering Design Process for Mars Rover Challenge

Ms. Melanie and the kids from our visit to Good Samaritan to visit with residents and the class Pen Pals.

Here are loads of pictures from this week.

Thank you parents and grandparents for helping with Mars Rover. Save the date of April 29 and join us at the University of Idaho for the Competition

Ranger Greg taught lots of skills for back in the day from making twine out of dogbane to finding medicinal plants.

EDP (Engineering Design Process) is in full swing. Check out the work and ask about the what the rovers are to do.

WSU Engineering Students did a fabulous presentation on their Trashwall that has been two years in the works. They are presenting right now in D.C. at the Sustainability Fair. It was good modeling for the 4th to see what a presentation should be like--they will be doing the same type.