Twelve-year-old Linda envisions a smartphone that you never have to touch – just talk and it follows your orders.
Karmina, 11, proposes a “teleporter” that can whisk you from one place to another, instantly, without a car, train or jet.
William, 13, imagines a smartphone-like device that creates holographic images so it seems like you’re talking face-to-face with friends.
All three are students in Natomas Middle School’s Design Class – part of the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme – which challenges students to use imagination, critical thinking, analysis, and problem-solving skills to propose ways to make the world a better place, either by solving an existing problem or inventing a new device.
“It’s good to see them tackle real-world problems, right now, at this age, and come up with creative solutions,” teacher Fernando Cruz said.
Every student in 6th, 7th and 8th grades at Natomas Middle School takes the class at all three grade levels, advancing from learning basic research skills to tackling school, then community, then societal issues. For example, to discourage bullying or to help teens make friends, students might suggest a campaign of social media messages, Instagram photos and You Tube videos. They’re not required to build the technology they propose, only to explain what it might look like, or cost, and why it makes sense.
“Suddenly students become more aware of what’s going on outside the walls of the classroom, they’re learning more about what’s in the world,” teacher Paul Baker said. “As opposed to maybe just hearing a snippet of something, now they’re like, ‘Let me look into that. Let me see what that’s about.’”
During their three years in Design class, Natomas Middle School students also learn nuts-and-bolt skills ranging from how to avoid plagiarism in Internet research to how to incorporate their findings into a presentation suitable for a particular audience.
Linda said she’s confident that skills learned in middle school Design class will help her in college classes, too.
“I like how we get to do a lot of projects,” Karmina said.
William added that the class is helping teens “think on our own — so it will be natural to us.”
