PreK-12 Engineering -
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Published on: 10/24/2009
Last Visited: 10/24/2009
Missy TaftMissy Taft
PreK-12 Engineering
PreK-12 Engineering
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Ms. Missy Taft is an Elementary Science Specialist, teaching lab science/engineering to grades 2-6 at the Soule Road School in Wilbraham, MA.
She has a Ph.D. in Anthropology and became certified in elementary education after enjoying her role as a parent volunteer in her daughter's school.
Before coming to the Soule Road School, she taught for 2 years at the Holland Elementary School, where she became a PALMS Teacher-Leader in Mathematics and Science.
In 2000 she read the first draft of the revised Massachusetts Science and Technology/Engineering frameworks, and realized that even though her father was an electrical engineer, she didn't know the first thing about teaching engineering to students.
Missy found out about the DoE Content Institute in Elementary Engineering that was offered in the summer of 2000 and immediately decided to commit to it.
After participating the institute she says, “I have been actively and gleefully teaching engineering as an integral and key component of my lab science program.” She has integrated major engineering projects into all physical and earth/space science units for grades 3-6.
Each project takes about 5 weeks, (bearing in mind that each class usually only meets in the lab once a week).
“I love teaching engineering,” says Missy.
“It has become my favorite part of teaching physical science topics.” In particular she likes the critical thinking and problem solving that the students have to do, along with the diversity of solutions that kids come up with.
She is always thinking of ways to improve the engineering projects, ways to challenge students more, to increase the content, and to provide more frequent authentic assessments of their understanding.
As for her own comfort level with the engineering, Missy says, “I don't think I've mastered engineering, any more than I've mastered anything else.
I am a lifelong learner who is always looking for ways to learn more and improve my performance.
My goal is not so much mastery as it is continual improvement.”
When asked how her students respond to the engineering based lessons, Missy's describes it as “rabid enthusiasm.” Already certain engineering projects are becoming legendary in each grade, so students know to look forward to these special projects as part of the experience of being in that grade.
“For example,” she says, “in 5th grade we do a recreation of the makeshift carbon dioxide filter in the famous Apollo 13 emergency.” Other projects include a 6th grade corporate engineering project called 'Green Planet', where they do an 'internship' with the package design division of a Green Planet, a new environmentally responsible fast food corporation entering the New England market.
They are assigned to develop a party-sized insulated drink container that meets certain limitations set forth by the corporation.
That project lasts for an entire term (10 weeks).
In 3rd grade they design and built catapults out of lumber, PVC pipe and dowels that fire marshmallows.
At the Soule Road School, older kids say they want to go back to 3rd grade and do that project!
Missy believes that including engineering has definitely changed the students' educational experience.
She feels that it has empowered them in many ways.
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One of the major challenges that Missy faced was that at first, students thought engineering projects were an excuse to fool around, because it did not “feel” like a regular science class.
She says that the subsequent low grades on projects after doing the assessments seems to have cured that problem.
With her recent and exciting experiences in teaching engineering to students, the advice Missy offers to other teachers is, “Teach the process.
Show students different ways engineers use the design process in different situations.
No matter whether it is aerospace engineering or biomedical engineering, or corporate packaging design, or any other kind of engineering, the process is the same.” She also says to plan on engineering projects taking a lot of time.
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