by Stefanie Schropp
| My colleague and friend Stefanie Schropp continues to amaze me. She is the Gifted, Talented, and Enrichment Coordinator on her pre-K through 8th-grade campus and she’s previously shared on the blog about her student Padlet porftolios. Recently, her GT students hosted an extraordinary hands-on interactive museum, and I had the pleasure of visiting and experiencing it first-hand. Stefanie and Laura Sergeant co-presented a session about this museum project at the 2024 Annual Conference of the Alabama Association for Gifted Children. You can view the presentation HERE and learn more in our Facebook group. |
Welcome to Creation Cove, where imagination knows no bounds! In a groundbreaking initiative, my third through eighth-grade students transformed their creativity into a vibrant and interactive museum experience.
The Birth of Creation Cove
Earlier this year, one of my middle school students came to me with an idea to build an immersive driving simulator for a game he programmed in Scratch in his free time at home. Armed with cardboard, a Makey Makey, and his innate desire to go above and beyond, he brought his vision to life as a life-size arcade game. His ingenuity, and dedication to a project he was passionate about ignited excitement within me to give all of my students the experience. I was also inspired by what Donna Lasher shared about her gifted students’ creation of a hands-on DoSeum. After reading her blog posts that document the entire experience, I was confident this was the year to give it a go!
The goal of creating an interactive museum and allowing my students to share with an authentic audience got me excited. When I presented the idea to them, they were excited, too! I could not have imagined that we were embarking on a journey to create a living, breathing testament to their ingenuity! I realized that I needed to allow my students to be in the spotlight, curating exhibits that reflect their passions, discoveries, and unique perspectives.
Getting Started
With 53 students across five separate classes working on different days, I knew we needed a way to communicate with each other efficiently as we moved through the creation process. My students were accustomed to communicating in whole-group and small-group conversations via Google Classroom, so it was our main platform for discussions.
In Padlet, we created this “One Stop Shop” virtual bulletin board where the students and I documented each step in the development, from its genesis to the grand opening. Our project process was inspired by Andi McNair’s 6 P’s of Genius Hour, so we organized the board using the 6 phases as the column headers. This helped us stay organized during the weeks of planning and development.
If you take a look at the “One Stop Shop,” you’ll also see how we incorporated thinking strategies and tools. These include: 1) Begin with the End in Mind, Habit 1 from Stephen Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly People; (2) Consider All Factors, a CoRT Thinking strategy, which helped us brainstorm anything and everything that we needed to keep in mind along the journey. (3) Brainstorming: project ideas and museum names; and (4) Hexagonal Thinking.
Featured Exhibit Rooms
The students’ projects were so diverse! It took some problem-solving and consideration of space, but we came up with the following categories for exhibits:
- “Tech Deck”: In this dynamic space, nestled between circuits and creativity, the boundaries blurred between the digital and the tangible, and innovation thrived. Projects featured here were created with Makey Makey Invention Kits, Sphero Mini robots, 3D design and printing, etc.
- “Immersion Excursion”: Strap on a virtual reality headset and marvel at virtual reality wonders. Students pushed boundaries, inviting visitors to explore the future through their tech-infused creations. Students designed with CoSpaces, a creation tool used to build, code, and explore their virtual worlds. Visitors interacted with these worlds on a Chromebook but became truly immersed when wearing a virtual headset.
- “Pathfinder’s Passage”: Learning wasn’t confined to textbooks. It danced across the table through laser mazes, came alive through intricate sculptures drawn in thin air, and transported visitors to pivotal moments taking care of animals in a veterinary role-play experience. This room celebrated the exploration of uncharted project ideas.
- “Brain Break Breezeway”: This engaging space was designed by students to help their peers re-focus their energy during their museum visit. This “hallway” was outside, providing a change of scenery. Visitors instantly engaged with guided movements, often marked on the floor or walls, following as they walked through. Students and parents participated in physical activities, enhancing their gross motor skills by completing movements like hops, spins, or wall pushes.
- “Souvenir Shop”: Armed with imagination, 3D design software, and a 3D printer, one of my third-grade students designed and 3D-printed nearly 400 keychains representing the student-created logo. Each visitor to the museum received a personalized keychain as a memento, capturing the essence of their experience. These tiny masterpieces served as tangible reminders of creativity and wonder within the museum’s walls.
What Set Creation Cove Apart?
Student-led projects are not new in our classroom, but I admit that I was nervous about letting them have so much “free rein” in the development of their projects. I’m so glad I did! The results amazed my students, our audiences, and me!
- Student-Curated Exhibits: Students curated their exhibits, infusing them with personal stories and meaning. Each display was a window into their creative souls, from intricate circuitry to virtual reality art installations.
- Diverse Projects: The museum’s heartbeat was its diversity. Visitors encountered everything from mesmerizing paintings to cutting-edge technology. Whether it was a canvas or a line of code, Creation Cove celebrated the myriad ways students express themselves.
- Real Audiences: No more rehearsing in front of classmates. At Creation Cove, students presented to a broader audience—parents, fellow students, and staff. The nerves were real, but so was the thrill of authentic engagement and the pride in seeing that their work matters beyond the classroom walls.
- Fostering Student Leaders: During our museum journey, students were actively involved in all aspects of the development. This provided a variety of opportunities for them to shine as leaders.
- Student-Created Logo: One of my fifth graders took charge of designing our museum’s logo. Her creativity shone through as she conceptualized and brought the essence of our museum to life.
- Souvenir Creation: One of my third-grade students exemplified leadership by 3D designing a keychain souvenir that we 3D printed close to 400 of. Each visitor received not just a trinket, but a memory — a testament to her initiative and impact.
- Volunteer Thank-You Notes: My fifth-grade students created handwritten thank-you notes to express gratitude to our dedicated volunteers. We felt it was important to recognize the selfless contributions that kept our museum thriving.
- Feedback Form: To actively seek feedback from visitors, my fourth-graders designed a feedback form that was digitally shared, valuing input on their work and continuously improving the museum experience.
I am so proud and in awe of the innovative and dynamic and interactive museum experience that my students made happen! The vibrant energy in each exhibit room was palpable as student projects came to life. Visitors could sense the students’ passions, their unique perspectives, and their problem-solving and discoveries. All who attended were enthusiastic about the creativity and exploration that was showcased, and the authentic learning that was shared!
What a thrill that our Creation Cove Interactive Museum invited visitors to celebrate discovery, be inspired, and be immersed in an experience created by my students. Truly, their imagination carried us all away for a day!
Learn more about this project in the Big Ideas Facebook group.