Ellis Launches Pow(h)er Hour Parent Education Series
On Thursday, March 16, The Ellis School was proud to present the first Pow(h)er Hour: An Introduction to Maker Education at Ellis. The inaugural one-hour talk was hosted by Director of Educational Technology, Tim Howard, and focused on maker education and STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) programming across divisions at Ellis.
Lower School Science Teacher and Technology Integration Coordinator Kim Mechling; Fourth Grade Teachers, Jessica Nolan and Patrick Fagersten; Middle and Upper School Computer Science Teacher, Michele Lombardi; Upper School Math Teacher, Liza Goldberg; Upper School Visual and Performing Arts Teacher, Sara Sturdevant; and Upper School Science Teacher, Samuel Rauhala joined Mr. Howard to discuss the many ways in which maker education methods and tools are utilized and leveraged to facilitate learning specifically designed for girls at Ellis.
Ms. Mechling kicked off the night with details on interactive makerspaces called Innovation Stations where students make, tinker, and play at will. Ms. Nolan and Mr. Fagersten then explained how grade 4 students use the 1:1 iPad program and Hummingbird Robotics Kits to facilitate comprehension, problem solving, and critical thinking skills in language arts and math. Through this STEAM lens, Lower School students are able to problem solve and present information in a meaningful, relevant way.
Moving onto the computer science curriculum, Ms. Lombardi shared how grade 6 students code and design their own video games, and Upper School students program robots to move using Java. These hands-on applications enhance students’ troubleshooting and technical skills, while encouraging students to think creatively and work collaboratively.
Ms. Sturdevant and Ms. Goldberg then discussed how the Upper School Integrated Studies program combines typically siloed disciplines so students can develop in-depth, multifaceted expertise of classroom concepts. In Ms. Goldberg’s Culture in Context course, grade 10 explores visual culture, creates prototypes, and interacts with faculty and the wider community to understand the connections between expression, power, religion, philosophy and technology.
The talk concluded with a look into the Upper School Introduction to Engineering Design course with Mr. Rauhala. This project-based elective takes a deep dive into the engineering design process, and challenges students to work with external clients, create problem statements, and design prototypes––all while fulfilling a real client’s objectives and requirements.
At Ellis, we know that girls learn best when their experiences are hands-on and interdisciplinary—and our curriculum and focus on maker education is designed to augment and support that approach. As we move into the next century of preparing, empowering, and inspiring girls, The Ellis School is committed to transforming programming and learning environments to reflect the rapidly changing world around us.
There are two additional Pow(h)er Hour talks this scheduled this spring: Reimagining the Independent School Library on Wednesday, April 19 and An Evening with Dr. Lisa Damour on Wednesday, May 17. For more information and to register for upcoming Pow(h)er Hours, click here.
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