Classroom

Cesar Chavez Ravenswood Middle School (CCRMS) in East Palo Alto is named after the famed Mexican-American labor leader and civil rights activist. This ...

We don't want teachers to always lead the exploration; we want kids to do most of the exploration and make connections. So, they felt very empowered because they identified with this kind of activity, and they were able to take on more of a leading role and build and move ahead independently. You have to understand the wheel and the engineering aspect that's causing the paint to move in a circular pattern. There were definitely some kids—even some who were only Spanish speakers—who, at that moment, came out of their shells and really excelled in this assignment. Instead of me giving directions through voice every single time, kids used the video as well as the color-coded instructions with pictures and with words. This was also a good activity for those kids who aren't signed up for art classes but really enjoy being creative. You just need a little support to make those connections, to be more successful the next time. They took the assignment to heart—building and following directions and creating using electronics. The class had a good time building the spin art device and going through that engineering process of creating something. In the first couple weeks of the school year, there were some kids who were a little shy, more reserved, but this was their jam. We spoke with Sainz recently to learn about the benefits of this playful approach to bringing STEAM learning into the classroom. So, when he had the opportunity to introduce STEAM kits from