Maya McFadden File Photo
Davis seventh-grader Dulce puts pen to not-paper to make a 3D guitar figure.
Out of thin air and a 3Doodler pen emerged miniature plastic avocados and guitars and lava lamps — as hands-on learning took a new shape, literally, in an Upper Westville classroom.
That was the scene earlier this week at Davis Academy for Arts & Design Innovation.
In Laura Discenza’s class at the 35 Davis St. PreK‑8 public school, seventh graders worked on their end of year projects on Monday. The students in Discenza’s class have selected technology “majors” meaning their end of year projects will be technology focused.
Six of the 10 students are working with 3D printing for those projects, with others pursuing coding and creating robots from microbit kits.
Discenza is Davis’s K‑8 technology teacher. She has taught at Davis for six out of her 11 total years in education. Her classroom lessons range from click-and-drag computer lessons to making stop-motion videos to robotics and Cricut crafts.
Last week Discenza began teaching her students how to work with the technology that will be used for the school’s upcoming musical. She is teaching them how to run the soundboard and microphones.
Many students on Monday used the 3Doodler pens — which send out warm plastic from the pens’ nozzles — to recreate past projects they had already created with the school’s 3D printer.
At one table, Gabriella created a base for a penguin figurine, Dulce finished up making a guitar, Madison practiced using the pen by working on a 3D star, and Isabella worked to make an avocado.
As Dulce drew out the neck of the guitar she shared that she loves music and specifically enjoys the sounds of an acoustic guitar.
“The sound is relaxing,” she said.
Discenza aims for her students to develop their problem-solving skills with the technology they use in her classroom.
“I hope they leave here with inspiration and knowing they do have a voice in what they want to explore,” she said.
At another table, Kalina and Charlotte also used 3Doodler pens to create figurines.
Kalina used a photo of a lava lamp from Google as they worked on bringing their favorite childhood object to life.
They recalled having a lava lamp on each night while growing up.
Charlotte created a logo from one of her favorite animes, called Death Note.
Discenza checked in with her two students working with coding projects. They each challenged Discenza in a Rock Paper Scissors battle against their robots.
Discenza lost to one robot 3 – 0.
At one point, Isabelle struggled with her 3Doodler that would not stop running when she would click the “off” button.
Beside her sat Madison, who also came across a challenge with her pen, that despite being on the charger for ample time it would not hold a charge and would continue to overheat.
“Why do things get hot while charging?” Discenza asked the duo of students.
“Because it’s trying to charge,” Madison responded.
“What’s happening with the pens’ energy?” Discenza followed up.
Isabelle and Madison both answered at once; “It’s multitasking.”
“Yes, but it’s hot because it’s releasing its energy through heat. The energy is trying to release itself one way or another,” Discenza said.
She then promised the students that later in the week they could take apart and put back together the pens to better understand the mechanics.
Creative Thinking -- & Catapults
In a fifth grade maker space classroom at Davis, Michael Rebeschi had his students create catapults using popsicle sticks, cotton balls, rubber bands, and spoons. Rebeschi is Davis’s maker space teacher.
When asked what they could use the catapults for, one student suggested to pass notes to friends — but clarified, not in class.
“You could fling something to another country,” another student suggested.
In pairs the students created catapults, practicing critical thinking and creativity skills.
Jada showed off her catapult that she fastened with several “shock absorbing” cotton balls beneath the catapult arm.
Rebeschi, who began teaching at Davis in 2018, provided the students with a short guide to give them ideas for the projects but encouraged them to come up with their own designs.
“I want them to know they can fail and it’s not the end of the world. They don’t have to be afraid to make mistakes and be creative,” Rebeschi said. “Their imaginations are relevant to who they are.”
Before the class’s dismissal, students showed off how to use their catapults.
When asked what they have learned during their maker space classes, fifth grader Adam said he learned “you can’t always do it by yourself.”
Tony said “you might not always get it on the first try.”
Others agreed that “it’s ok to be wrong” and they are constantly encouraged to never give up.
Students added that this year they enjoyed doing digital Harry Potter-themed escape rooms, learning about gardening and plants outdoors, learning about and recreating the O’Neill cylinder, and coming up with ideas to save melting ice caps in Antarctica.
“I like that I can go home and make these with my cousins and little brother,” Anya said.
Tony added that he enjoys “learning how things work.”
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