Through an NEF grant, NPS educators had the opportunity to attend a two-day professional development workshop to promote hands-on learning in their classrooms. The workshop, offered by the NuVu School in Cambridge and customized for the Needham Public Schools, aimed to inspire teachers to incorporate hands-on, design-centered activities into their existing curriculum.
Based on their learning, two of the attendees, instructional technology teachers at NHS who teach the AP Seminar course, created an end-of-year project for students to design a “third space” in Needham, build a prototype of the space in the DaVinci Workshop, and “pitch” their idea to their peers, parents, and community attendees. Students voted for their favorite idea.
“I really appreciate the work that the NEF does to support teachers and to take risks on projects and new professional development. Although it is hard to quantify the impact, I think this workshop has energized teachers and will lead to creative projects that ultimately translate into increased learning of the skills laid out in the Portrait of a Needham Graduate. Thank you, NEF!”
– Hans Batra, the DaVinci Workshop Director and grant recipient
Students in AP Seminar pitched their ideas for a “third space” in Needham with prototypes built in the DaVinci Workshop.