Igniting Experimentation & Innovation in the Spark Studio

BY KRISTA INCHAUSTI EDUCATIONAL INNOVATION COORDINATOR

“The children will come to us untaught, and leave us half-taught. So we must remember that it is better to begin a great work than to finish a small one. ... Our education is not meant to turn the children out small and finished, but seriously begun on a wide basis.”

— JANET ERSKINE STUART, RSCJ

In 2012, as we were transforming the Unkefer Computer Lab into the Unkefer Spark Studio, we took these words of Mother Janet Erskine Stuart to heart. The idea of rough beginnings and students being “half-taught” inspired us to think of the new space and the program as a “spark” to ignite experimentation and innovation. We started with the trappings of a traditional school makerspace: 3D printers, laser cutters, robotic components and lots of cardboard and masking tape. We ran classes for students and provided professional development opportunities for faculty. The Spark Studio was established as a place where students and adults were invited to explore their curiosities and take creative risks.

Ten years in, the Spark Studio is a singular space at Convent & Stuart Hall — a truly coed space used by all students in Grades K–12. There are many opportunities for planned and unplanned coed and cross-age collaborations. This is where second grade boys and girls work together to build games for their annual cardboard arcade and where you can find Middle Form students advising a high school student on the best approach to a 3D design.

High school Digital Design classes take place here every week, while elementary students drop in to work on curricular projects. During lunches and recesses, students can come in for Open Studio, a time when students work on their own projects, such as 3D-printed shoes, musical instruments from bamboo and other found objects, robots, original video games, hand-sewn fashions and even a hovercraft. Significantly, these projects are usually self-motivated — true innovations from the minds and hearts of our students.

In the Spark Studio, we challenge ourselves to make things that are out of this world. I am a sneakerhead and also love 3D printing using Tinkercad for designing. I have to use math and measurements to design, and I also get to be super creative.”

As the space and the program have evolved, the Tech and Innovation Team is increasingly focused on the “students as producers” tenet from the school’s Strategic Plan. More recently, we added a Digital Media Library where students and adults can check out tools for digital creation: cameras, light kits, microphones and green screens. We also transformed one of our existing tech support positions into the Digital Media Coordinator with greater emphasis on supporting student and faculty production. With the help of everyone on the Tech and Innovation Team, our students and faculty learn to use these and other new tools to increase the level of their digital production.

In the Spark Studio, elementary students learn about the tools and opportunities here and experience grappling with resilience and real-time problem-solving. They face situations where collaboration is required, and they are pushed to try novel approaches to accomplish their goals. Eventually, students bring these more innovative practices to their classes. Can we include a 3D-printed element in an assignment? Let’s record a podcast as a response to a reading instead. We still want to be the “spark” to spread innovation throughout our academic program.

We encourage students to experiment with equipment and become “experts” in what excites them. Then we expect them to share what they learn with others in the community. From the Spark Studio perspective, we are all teachers and learners. The more students can be empowered to share their expertise, the more confident and connected they will become.

As a Sacred Heart school, the notions of innovation and “students as producers” expand far beyond 3D printing and podcast creation. Our ultimate goal is to give our students the tools and the mindset to create authentic, impactful work inside and outside the classroom. Our students are always encouraged to be of service: to share their knowledge, help troubleshoot and offer their unique perspectives when issues arise. The goal is that they will become intrinsically motivated and empowered to follow their curiosities toward a productive end.

Teaching and learning at Convent & Stuart Hall are not confined within the physical walls of our school buildings or the traditional classroom environment. Students are educated throughout San Francisco, across the nation and internationally. We invite authors, scientists, artists and civic and business leaders to deliver aspects of the curriculum, complementing in-class learning with authentic, real-world experiences. Through travel and service, as well as artistic and entrepreneurial engagement, students are challenged to step outside their comfort zone and develop into culturally competent, “globally tested” citizens. Four students wrote postcards home, capturing highlights of their recent experiential education experiences.

WearehavingthegreatesttimeatColoma!Wehavegoneon spectacularhikes,exploredthetownandevenpannedforgold.Ihave learnedsomuchaboutthegoldrush,suchaswhofirstdiscoveredgold andwhobenefitedfromit.AlthoughImissyou,Ikindofwanttostay. Theygiveusdessertwitheverything!Afteradayoffunactivities,we gottoplayafull-gradetaggame.Itwasamazing!Thisissuchacooltrip, andIhopetogoonmoreovernightadventures.Seeyousoon!

Love, Lucan Stuart Hall Grade 5

The global education program prepares students to be responsible and educated global citizens by providing students with opportunities to develop the mindset and skills they need to engage actively and ethically in a global community. Through curricular and co-curricular experiences, students are challenged to investigate the world and communicate with open dialogue.

Check out postcards from two high school students who engaged in global education programs in Europe. Nicole participated in a Sacred Heart international exchange program in Nantes, France, at Lycée la Perverie Sacré-Couer. Vlad was one of 24 seniors who traveled to Berlin and Copenhagen

Today we traveled south to Bordeaux with my exchange student’s friends for a weekend road trip. It was so much fun! We visited the Dune du Pilat and shopped around the small coastal towns. One day, we rented a paddle boat and went around a lake since it was warm enough. I’ve challenged myself to converse solely in French, which has been the most difficult when talking to her friends in a more colloquial tone. Mais je peux dire que mes compétences en français ne font que s’améliorer!

Yesterday we visited Mount Vernon, the home of President George Washington. My favorite part was a room where we chose what we would do in different scenarios as the president. After lunch, we played Topgolf and visited the Vietnam Memorial. Many of my classmates located the names of family members lost in the war. We ended our day with a ghost tour of Alexandria.

Sending you a big hug, ConventAinsley

Grade 8

Walking through Berlin, I saw many beautiful sites with its city layout, nature and architecture, and I had many opportunities to take remarkable photos. This particular one made me think of you and your side of the family that’s in Ukraine right now and made me appreciate Berlin’s evident support for the Ukrainian refugees. The Berliner Fernsehturm tower felt daunting as it made me think back to the era of the Soviet Union when it was built. It also made me understand the city’s ability to adapt and grow multiple times, from being under one of the most totalitarian regimes in history to one of the most democratic and liberal cities in the world, full of art and culture.

Vlad Stuart Hall Grade 12