DESIGNTASTIC

NIKKI VREUGDENHIL

‘What does the word ‘Discovery ’ mean to you?’ This was the question asked to us by our design teachers Mrs. Vreugdenhil and Ms. MJ, at the beginning of our transdisciplinary unit that would span many weeks and across many disciplines, including Literacy, Science, Technology, Design, and Library Sciences.

As we sketched out words and pictures we first associated with the word ‘Discovery, ’ we were then challenged to draw a model of how one discovers something. This had many of us pondering, ‘how do we discover something about ourselves or something new to us?’ . Our Grade 5 teachers presented us with a model they had created together, and we used this as an anchor to further discuss and debate what factors contribute to discovery over the course of the unit. Over the next few days, all our teachers lead us through passions or interests they had discovered about themselves. Experiencing all these discoveries got us excited and raring to go.

In our Reader ’ s & Writer ’ s workshop, we spent time reading, researching, and writing about a topic of high interest. From this research, we then started to create a plan for our ‘Designtastic ’ project (a name we coined and self-selected as fifth graders). For the project, we had a total of 13 classes over the course of 5 weeks to work on our proposed projects in Design, Technology, and Library.

To launch into Designtastic, we first did a ‘ project tuning ’ protocol, adapted from High Tech High, to help us gain some feedback about our proposed projects before we got started. In breakout rooms on Zoom, all Grade 5 students were divided into smaller groups with facilitators. The facilitators listened and observed as we discussed our project plans and gave feedback to each other on what we felt were strong areas and what could be improved with suggestions for possible mentors, materials, and further research.

Then it was off to the trenches to start working on our project. Since some of our classes were virtual, the smaller breakout groups had regular check-ins led by our Design, Technology, and Library teachers, which helped the students stay on a schedule and get regular feedback. We also documented our work in our Discovery project journals and did bi-weekly reflections on how the process was going.

We learned pretty quickly along the way that “Designtastic ” was not just about designing clothes or cars; it was actually about finding what motivates you and discovering something about yourself. Here are some examples of our experiences in the project:

Olivia Park:

"I had set out to make a digital cookbook for vegans and pescatarians. My initial plan for the project was too broad, and I realized quickly that I needed to simplify. I also realized the importance of actually making my recipes to show the results. I had to be resourceful to make sure I had all my ingredients when I needed them. As well, the recipes didn ’t always turn out how I wanted; some were almost inedible, like my burnt brownies. Time management was also crucial because I had to plan when to cook in my schedule and ensure I had enough time for all the recipes I wanted to do. Looking back at my project, I discovered that it is important to take risks and try new things instead of always being in my comfort zone. Designtastic also allowed me to bond with my parents as they supported me through my cooking. ”

Chris Ko:

“For my Designtastic project, I designed a remote-controlled car with nothing but an idea and some wires. It was the hardest project I have ever worked on. First, I had to source the materials, then see what wires had to go where, and then test it with a remote control (I took the communication adapter and an RC car controller from an old RC Car). It miraculously worked! However, my journey was just beginning, and I faced many challenges as I tried to make my car work how I wanted it to. The challenges I faced included testing out many different wheels for stability, creating a cover that was light enough, and having a strong enough motor so the car would move on the ground. Despite the fact that I couldn ’t get my car speed up to the ones you can buy online, I do feel that I learned so many valuable lessons while working on this project. One aspect of the project that was really inspiring was how closely I got to work with my dad and uncle to help mentor me along on this project as I worked remotely. I discovered that asking questions and receiving advice is important to the design process. ”

Ella Kim:

“I designed a Lego brick wall decorated with LED lights. While this seems to be very simple, it wasn ’t. I wanted to make a button that would turn the lights on and off. I was also challenged to light up all the LED lights at the same time. Sometimes there was one that just wouldn ’t work, and if I got that one to work, another wouldn ’t. Due to these challenges, I needed a lot of resilience and lots of patience. One thing I learned from this project was that I am capable of doing anything if I am truly passionate about it. I think this project was a good chance for students to be independent and really think deeply about their passion and connect this to what they were doing outside of class. ”

Ian

“For my Designtastic project, I made a customized hand-sewed soccer ball. When I first started, I was really confused and having trouble understanding the tutorial that I found. I used my Dad as a mentor to help me understand the text. Over the course of the project, I had other

challenges, such as finding the proper tools and finding a person who could heat press on leather. After overcoming these obstacles, I could now finish the stitching and put the deflated bladder inside before stitching the last piece and completing my ball. At school, I also made a custom stand out of wood, spray painted it, and put my name on it. One thing I’ m proud of is that I filmed a tutorial while going through the whole process so others could follow my steps, and I plan on posting this on www.instructables.com. One thing I learned through this project is the value of patience, as I often had to troubleshoot or wait before I could go to the next step. ”

Yuan Goh

“I produced a Lego brickfilm/stop motion that was about 1 minute and a half about Ole Kirk Christiansen, who created Lego. The video detailed a typical day in his early life. For the project, I wanted to try using a higher FPS (Frames-Per-Second) because it would be a new challenge for me. As part of the process, I created a behind-the-scenes video to show all the steps it took to make the brickfilm because a lot of students in my class requested one. When it was time to edit, I deleted a lot of unnecessary pictures, and that was sad because I poured a lot of hard work into them, but in the end, it was so worth it, and I was very proud of my final film. One thing I learned from this project is that you often need perseverance when trying new challenges, as they won ’t always go as planned. ”

At the final expo, all the resulting projects were incredible. We saw everything from a taekwondo music box, a self-built drone, to a model home & stadium, a graphic designed K-Pop dictionary, and how-to sports tutorials. However, the biggest accomplishment was the reflections we all made along the way and what we discovered about ourselves that will help us in the future!

We would like to thank Rebekah Macden and Nicole Engstrom and the work of the Maracuja program that heavily influenced this unit and all the teachers who contributed to its success:MJ Han, Brogan Pratt, Andrea Boltz, Jeremy Jacobsen, Molly Wellner, Clayton Boren, Christine Canales, Liz Snavely, Carmen Reyes, Denise Brohm, and Justin Marslender.

Nikki Vreugdenhil

Nikki is the Elementary Design Teacher and Head of the KoLab(oration) department, Korea International School