The purpose of this event was for students to have practical experiences using their knowledge in mathematics and science to build their creations, incorporating key competencies and POWER in the process. Materials used consisted of: lengths of aluminium, wheels, pulleys, axles, gears, joiners, rope, bolts and wing nuts, and reels.
Students were placed into teams of three or four, working alongside each other to follow instructions and build a crane, a bridge, and a ‘caveman car’. Students did well to follow written instructions, only looking at the video guidelines when absolutely necessary. Many students were keen to develop their own creations. As such, our school has purchased our very own kit, allowing students to follow their passion for STEAM subjects - combining science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics.
I know how to use the red joiners to connect the corners and the blue joiners to put support in the middle.
The crane was challenging. We used the pulley and rope to be able to drag the tyre up and it did support the weight.
We had to make the crane up to 1.8 metres, which is pretty tall.
I wanted to build the caveman car to go across the bridge. If I wind these, it actually makes the wheels go around and it moves. Best school day ever!
There were strong links to the key competencies of thinking (mathematical and logical thinking, knowing how to find flaws in thinking, cause and effect thinking) and participating and contributing.
In the classroom, “this key competency helps build a deeper level of engagement in learning by tapping into things that have personal meaning and value for students. Authentic learning is important because children can often do much more than they can say, particularly in areas that really interest them. It is affirming for students to be able to show their strength and capability in an area they are keen on.”(Capable Kids: Working with the Key Competencies, TKI.)
It was exciting to see how many students were motivated by these engineering-related challenges and we look forward to organising more in-class experiences in the future.
A teacher’s core job, according to educational consultant Neill O’Reilly, is to ‘cause learning’. This is a simply-worded, yet aspirational goal for one teacher in a dynamic classroom environment. It clarifies why teachers do what they do each day, and the ‘why’ is very important.
Having been a teacher here since 2014, I am passionate about Wairakei Primary School. The school’s values provide a superb foundation for learning to happen, and staff and students live these values every day. The school has a busy and unique setting, a variety of active students, friendly whānau and many hardworking professionals.
Literacy, numeracy and languages are my passions in education. I believe in the importance of the basics and preparing each child for continued success in their later school and working years. Getting something just right is important to me and I admire students who put in the effort needed to achieve at their own pace. Providing support and extension is important and something Wairakei Primary School does well. Teaching in the senior school is my area of focus.
One of the rewarding roles I have is being staff representative for the Board of Trustees. My spare time is spent gardening and biking.
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