Photos by Samantha Bengtson
A student uses a smart board to play with Lego creations. Below, Jorge and Sophia Moreno play with Legos during the Lego launch event; and Greenfield Union School District staff teach students about Lego robotics.
GREENFIELD — Arroyo Seco Academy students and teachers recently explored a new innovation lab with help from the Lego Education Center.
According to Marcia Vidal-Nial, key account manager at Lego, the Greenfield Union School District saw a sister district that had Lego items there and called Lego to see if the program could be brought to Greenfield, starting with Arroyo Seco Academy.
“We helped design their whole entire program,” Vidal-Nial said.
The Lego Innovation Lab features several activities for students, beginning with interactive monitors to allow students to create digital Lego items, such as boats, houses, windmills and more. There is another monitor on that same wall for students to draw out ideas for structures.
Then, on the opposite side there is a Lego wall, where students can use different colors and shapes of Legos to build a wall with. The final wall area is almost pinball inspired.
Students can release an item at the top, which goes through a tunnel then hits a wall and changes directions.
“The Innovation Lab takes a lot of different aspects to involve the four pillars of STEM,” said Marc Rodriguez, district IT technician. “We built on that by partnering with Lego Education so we can have some really cool stuff.”
Teachers were taught about the Lego Lab so they can use it in their classes. The teachers were broken up by grade level.
“On Friday, we had the second-grade teachers in here working through the program, as a student to learn what it would be like to be on the other side of the kit,” Vidal-Nial said. “They also got to see the teacher guide and other items that will help them implement it this week.”
After the workshop, students, parents and staff were able to use the Lego Innovation Lab and try to create some of the lessons that the students will learn over the next week.
“The best part about this is Legos. Who doesn’t like Lego?” said Junior Rodriguez, fourth-grade student at Arroyo Seco Academy. “Legos are the best toys in the world.”
