Left: Mirabelle Mann and Shay Cohen pose with their paper table
Right: Mr. Beadon demonstrates possibilities to Grade 8 Design Tech Class
ADST (Applied Design Skills Technology) is a required course in Grades 8 and 9 in B.C. It encompasses many subjects including, business, home economics, information communication technology, technology education (drafting, electronics, woodworking, metalworking, motor repair).
Mr. Beadon, our newly appointed Director of Technology, is teaching two new ADST electives this year: Design Thinking 8 and Design Technology 8. In Design Technology 8, students will be introduced to computational thinking through VR programming as well as digital image manipulation. The Design Thinking course gives a name to problem-solving skills that students often already use. This course takes students through defining problems, identifying constraints, brainstorming, selecting, prototyping, testing & evaluation, iterating, and finally communicating their ideas.
The first design challenge, pictured above, that the Grade 8 students faced was a weight-bearing newspaper table using minimal supplies and with a time limit. Students will be working on communication and problem solving using a series of other design challenges, currently, an unsinkable boat.