Terraset PTA Blog: April 2015

Wednesday, April 08, 2015

Metaswitch Networks Support STEM at Terraset ES

Reston, VA - April 8, 2015. Metaswitch Networks, a leading network software provider, is reaching out to collaborate with some much younger partners. Metaswitch Networks has over 30 years’ experience in providing high performance software to the communications industry. They know firsthand the importance of developing responsive and adaptive solutions to problems and want to support a new generation of thinkers in this challenge.

“We want to make a difference in our immediate community” said Joe Weeden, Senior Director of Metaswitch Networks. “Many of us live locally and will have— if we don’t already— children at Terraset Elementary School. This seemed like the right place to start.” So, Weeden began to reach out. He spoke with teachers, parents and of course Terraset Principal, Lindsay Trout, to learn more about how he and his team could help within the school. Metaswitch did not just want to throw money at a problem, they wanted to be involved in the community by volunteering their expertise. At the same time, Terraset teachers were looking for ways to enhance their students’ experience of technology and engineering in the classroom. “This relationship [with Metaswitch Networks] will not only help fund more STEM based activities at Terraset, but will bring real world experience into our students’ classrooms!” Trout explained.

Mr. Shriman Gurung, Senior Director Solution Engineering,
Metaswitch Networks, explains the Engineering Design
Process to third grade students at Terraset ES.

STEM – science, technology, engineering and mathematics – teaches thinking that promotes creativity and collaborative problem solving. While science and math are long standing components of an elementary school curriculum, the STEM approach encourages cross-curriculum studies to include effective communication and even public speaking. This was best evidenced recently by one of the early collaborative efforts between Metaswitch and Terraset. A Project Based Learning activity, in which Mr. Shriman Gurung, Senior Director Solution Engineering, Metaswitch Networks, introduced third grade students to the process of solving problems through engineering. Working with Diane Standiford, the Advanced Academics Resource Teacher at Terraset, and third grade teachers, the activity culminated in an Invention Convention where students presented models of machines they designed to solve problems they had identified in various Fairy Tales.

Other ways in which Metaswitch Networks will support Terraset’s STEM programs include: funding the Family Science Night to be held on May 7th when the Children’s Science Museum will bring their Mobile Science Lab to the school and Metaswitch personnel will join volunteers in demonstrating various science stations; supporting Terraset’s Tiger Math Club by providing end-of-year awards this year and volunteering at monthly club meetings next year; also, Metaswitch engineers have volunteered to offer ad-hoc lessons at a teacher's request.

Importantly, Metaswitch is working with Terraset staff to introduce an ongoing STEM program at Terraset to supplement current math and science curriculum. “We are on board with these excellent and exciting ideas” Trout told us. On hearing about the Metaswitch donations, Traci Waller, a Terraset parent said “This is tremendous! We are truly grateful and know the school will put it to great use.”

Monday, April 06, 2015

The Invention Convention

A group of 8-9 year olds sit waiting for their turn. They quietly listen as the previous class finish their presentations. They have been working towards this day for months... thinking, sharing, collaborating, building. They were presented with a challenge. "Can you build a machine to solve a problem?" They did!

On Thursday, March 26th, Mrs. Asbury's and Ms Childers' 3rd graders shared the culmination of months of hard work at Terraset's first Invention Convention. They had been working with their
classroom teachers, along with Mrs. Standiford (Terraset's Advanced Academics Resource Teacher) to solve a problem... to build a machine that would help a fairy tale character at the time of their greatest need! How can we help the Billy Goats Gruff cross that bridge? What can we use to get Jack (aka the Marquis of Carabas in the Puss-in-Boots story) out of the water? Early examples they created were: a get-a-way vehicle using wheels and axles to help the Three Little Pigs; a pulley to rescue Rapunzel; and a screw (Alchimedes Screw) to protect and help Jack and the Beanstalk. Working in teams, the students selected a fairy tale, analyzed the problem and designed a complex machine that would help one of the characters in the story.

Principal Trout listens as Eva
demonstrates her team's invention

This project-based challenge led the students to learn across the curriculum drawing on their abilities to comprehend a story, identify and analyze a problem, think critically about possible solutions, apply their understanding of simple machines, work towards a shared vision, collaborate in designing and constructing their machine, write about their work using both technical writing to note design features and persuasive writing to create a brochure about their product, then finally use their public speaking skills to present their inventions to other students, staff and parents. This combination of language arts, science and engineering served to ensure a multifaceted understanding of a real world problem - albeit the world of fairy tales!

Mr. Shriman Gurung, Senior Director Solution Engineering
with Metaswitch Networks in Reston, explains the
Engineering Design Process

A guest speaker, Mr. Shriman Gurung, Senior Director Solution Engineering with Metaswitch Networks in Reston, explained the Engineering Design Process: identify and define a problem; brainstorm a solution; plan and develop a prototype; test it; improve it! The students used this cycle during their final project. They recorded and reflected upon their ideas and the creative process using their Inventor's Journals, and used predominantly recyclable materials and craft supplies to construct their inventions.

The convention saw all the students presenting their inventions, answering questions, and glowing with pride as they demonstrated their models of the machines they devised.