7th grade students in Mr. Burko’s Science class were able to use Tinkder CAD program with 3-D printers and stop motion animation software. 

Brooklyn School’s Innovation Center featuring a makerspace is one of the newest and most exciting academic programming in the district. The Innovation Center boasts an exciting variety of learning stations for students, including 3-D printers, a Cricut smart cutting machine, Mosaic 3-D art boards, Snap Circuit Stations, and an assortment of materials for hands-on building projects. Brooklyn School classrooms have begun to utilize the Makerspace to reinforce and expand upon classroom concepts. During a recent learning activity, 7th grade students in Mr. Burko’s Science class were able to choose between two exciting Makerspace projects related to an ongoing unit on ecosystems and living/non-living organisms. 

Mike Triska, Technology & Innovation Specialist for Northern Ohio Research and Training Technology Hub provided an overview of the various technologies that students would be using. Option one involved using the Tinker CAD program to create a living or nonliving organism using five basic shapes on their Chromebooks. The second option involved creating a short stop motion video featuring an ecosystem using the HUE Animation Studio software. Students then shared and discussed their creations with the class! The top Tinker CAD designs were also printed using the available 3-D printers. The Brooklyn City Schools is excited to provide new, STEM-based educational opportunities through the Innovation Center and looks forward to highlighting student learning in the future!