Innovation Classroom Promotes Project-Based Learning In Westfield

WESTFIELD, NJ - Students prep a pinhole camera, a light proof box that uses a small hole in one side as an aperture to project an inverted image on the opposite side of the box, as part of the new Engineering and Design class at Westfield High School.

“Remember that I need to check your technical drawing before you start to build,” said instructor Laura Doyle.

This new course offering, part of the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education initiative, comes with the new room in which it is taught.

This once traditional space has been transformed into an Innovation Classroom with a digital presentation podium, LED lighting, laptops with computer aided design (CAD) capabilities, motorized window shades, retractable ceiling mounted power cords, and furniture on wheels.

“I love having the flexibility to arrange the room for cooperative learning in small groups, large groups, teams of two, and whole group instruction,” Doyle said. “The engineering curriculum we are using focuses on hands-on learning in teams, so the traditional practice of having the teacher and the chalkboard at the front of the room with all desks in rows would hinder our ability to learn in such a manner.”

Doyle said her students look forward to the arrival of a 3-D printer and a laser engraver in the coming months. And she said that the furniture has been arranged in at least eight different ways since school began, enabling efficient use of time and fostering “a collegial environment.”

“I like the movable tables and the fact that everything is on wheels. It helps with sharing and collaboration,” said 11th grader Thomas Davis. “The motorized shades also help us with this project because we can easily create a darkened environment to test our cameras.”

Senior Rebecca Wolfe said she appreciated the ease at which the classroom can be rearranged.

“I like the rolling chairs and furniture so we can do many different setups, especially for groups,” she said. “We can change the whole layout quickly.”

For this particular project, Doyle and the students use the hover camera feature on the interactive workstation to magnify and inspect the pinhole on their devices.

“Even the tiniest flaw can make a difference in terms of the light coming in,” Doyle said.

For some students, the new course offering is a dream come true.

“Ever since I was a child, I wanted to be an engineer and build things and figure out the problems of the world,” said James Peretz, a senior who plans to study engineering in college.

Work on turning the space into the Innovation Classroom began over the summer after the district received a grant of more than $93,000 from the Westfield Foundation Bogaert Fund which honors longtime resident and philanthropist Betty Bogaert who died in 2016 at the age of 94.

“We are grateful to the Westfield Foundation for its generosity,” said Paul Pineiro, assistant superintendent for curriculum, instruction, and programs. “Ultimately the goal is for every square inch of the Innovation Classroom to contribute to learning and to be flexible. We are preparing our students to work in innovation fields that are in great demand right now and to get them familiar through problem-solving and project-based activities. If we’re going to encourage them and expect them to try different things, then our classroom needs to support that way of learning.”

In addition to Engineering and Design, the Innovation Classroom currently houses other classes and is a meeting place for the Robotics Club as well.

“Although WHS Robotics is still growing into the new Innovation Room, the club has utilized much of the technology available there,” said club advisor Mark Harper. “What strikes me is how much of the use has been student-driven. Students today are comfortable in a connected, technology-laden environment.”

Harper said Robotics Club members have used many of the available tools to facilitate the design process, including the movable furniture, projection system, and erasable surfaces.

“The club has also utilized both the whiteboard and the glass board to communicate their thinking graphically and orally to other club members,” Harper said.

Superintendent Dr. Margaret Dolan said the district hopes to expand the use of the
Innovation Classroom next year and beyond.

“It’s inspiring to see our high school students so engaged in the new Innovation Classroom,” says Dolan. “We look forward to building on our engineering and STEM programs in the coming years so that we can offer this unique learning experience to more of our students.”

(Photo #1 Caption: Westfield High School senior James Peretz (left) and junior Thomas Davis design and build a pinhole camera in Engineering and Design, a new course offering based on hands-on, project-based learning. Photo Credit Westfield Public Schools)

(Photo #2 Caption: (L-R) Engineering instructor Laura Doyle, sophomore Kathryn Evans, and senior Rebecca Wolfe use the hover camera feature on an interactive workstation in the new Innovation Classroom at Westfield High School. Photo Credit Westfield Public Schools)

(Photo #3 Caption: Members of the Westfield Foundation see firsthand how their generous donation of more than $93,000 transformed a traditional space into the new Innovation Classroom at Westfield High School. From left: Engineering instructor Laura Doyle, Foundation members Lawrence Darrow, Janet Sarkos, Mark Swingale, Elizabeth Chance, Robert Gorelick, Darielle Walsh, Superintendent Dr. Margaret Dolan, Foundation member Corey Wu-Jung, WHS Principal Dr. Derrick Nelson, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum, Instruction and Programs Paul Pineiro and district network manager Arvin Vidal. Photo Credit Westfield Public Schools)

(Photo #4 Caption: 11th grader Christopher Giglio works on a pinhole camera in the new Innovation Classroom during Engineering and Design class at Westfield High School. Photo Credit Westfield Public Schools)

(Photo #5 Caption: Engineering instructor Laura Doyle outlines pinhole camera project in new Innovation Classroom at Westfield High School. The new space includes a digital presentation podium, LED lighting, laptops with computer aided design (CAD) capabilities, motorized window shades, retractable ceiling mounted power cords, and furniture on wheels. Photo Credit Westfield Public Schools)

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