What happens when the nurse gets sick? Inventionland®Founder and CEO Mr. George Davison recently spoke to a group of 120 local fifth-grade elementary school students to create a solution to notifying the school if the nurse is not in her office.

The eager students first learned about Inventionland®and the start-to-finish process of creating a practical solution. The school will undergo a remodeling effort this summer, and the fifth-grade class was tasked with creating a system that would let everyone in the school know when the nurse is unavailable.

That’s a big and important project ! But the chipper young students were more than up for it. Their enthusiasm and willingness to jump right into it really shined through.

“I was shocked by how many questions they had !” said Mr. Davison.

To inspire the creativity within the students, Mr. Davison brought along the BagStor, product samples, and tech drawings. Students got a hands-on look at the inventing process – just like students in our Inventionland®Innovation Course get to do. They even had some fun suggestions to add a little flair, such as sparkles and polka dots. Great ideas !

The Inventionland®Innovation Course is a wonderful way to inspire our youngsters to become the next generation of innovators. Stay tuned for more updates on the Innovation Course and how it will be incorporated into curriculums for younger students.

Copyright Inventionland, 2017 

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The Pittsburgh Steelers are used to being champions on the field; but, the team recently shared the spotlight with 16 area educators as part of the team’s “Leaders in the Classroom” program, an initiative also sponsored by Inventionland®and the Chevron Corporation.

The 16 Leaders in the Classroom were recognized at Heinz Field at the Steelers’ January 1st matchup against the Cleveland Browns. The on-field ceremony included Inventionland®founder and CEO George Davison, who congratulated each recipient and presented them with a $1,000 credit for STEAM products offered in the Inventionland®curriculum catalog.

Noting how the teachers’ engaging instruction and curriculum significantly impacts the region’s pre-K to 12^th-grade students, Mr. Davison said that he hopes the credit will further those efforts.

“Inventionland®has gotten teachers and our children excited about how they can make things and improve the future as they learn 21st century skills,” said Davison.

Three of the recognized teachers already are utilizing Inventionland’s interactive STEAM-based curriculum. Intermediate Unit 1 (IU1) Colonial Campus teacher Kevin McKee, John Marshall High School’s Sally Gaughenbaugh and IU1 Educational Campus at East Franklin’s Eric Selva currently apply Inventionland’s hands-on, project-based learning in their classrooms.

According to McKee, the interactive curriculum helps to keep his students engaged and wanting to learn more.

“With the type of learners we have today, I understand the importance of STEM in the school setting. Using our lab, I was able to relate many of the projects we were working on back to the objectives the students were learning in the classroom. This type of learning made it much easier for the students to understand the intended outcomes by actually creating something, rather than just reading about it or completing worksheets… The students were very engaged, learning with these types of hands-on activities,” said McKee. “When I started teaching the Inventionland®curriculum, this really enhanced what I was already trying to do with the students. They had to come up with their own problem, research some possible solutions or inventions, make prototypes, work on packaging and design, and present their ideas. During this process, it was amazing to watch them learn and grow working in teams discussing their mistakes and how to make their inventions better and better… Receiving this award makes me want to continue to grow to be the best possible educator [and maximize] opportunities for my students to learn!”

Similarly, Gaughenbaugh said that the award and Inventionland®credit will help her make an even bigger impact in the classroom.

“[The] Inventionland®curriculum paralleled my thoughts on creativity in the classroom,” said Gaughenbaugh. “With the help of Inventionland®merchandise and Chevron money for my classroom, I am able to bring 21st-century learning material into my art room. STEM is an important learning stepping stone for the future leaders of our world. Thinking critically, brainstorming and problem solving are key elements of educational growth. Teaching that combines science, technology, engineering, mathematics and the arts creates an innovative way of showing students how to deal with real problems. Teaching techniques awakens the students’ minds to possibilities that can lead to discovery of themselves, plus an educational path of success.” 

Taking part in honoring the Leaders in the Classroom at the Pittsburgh Steelers game was an innovative way to kick off the New Year! Here’s to much more STEAM-based success in their classrooms in 2017!

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At the core beginning of Inventionland, CEO and founder Mr. George Davison set out to transform the ordinary work environment by creating a unique space that would inspire. As we fast forward to present day, Inventionland®has become the hub for what now serves as a source for not only forward-thinking ideas and innovation, but also education.

Concepts of creation, transformation and inspiration hold even greater value today as the Inventionland® Education strives to enrich the traditional classroom by taking STEM and STEAM initiatives to a whole new level, incorporating makerspaces and curriculum – at the same time transforming the lives of students and teachers alike by opening their eyes to a new way to learn and teach the vital skills needed to excel in today’s professional world.

Recently, a group of retired educators from Moon Township School District had an eye-opening experience during a visit to Inventionland.

“They were really enamored with the Inventionland® Education and the whole concept of hands-on, project-based learning – something that can transform the lives of kids,” said tour guide Sam, who led the group through our creative space.

“To engage the student and have them collaborate and develop their own idea into a product teaches them many skills, including critical thinking, which is critical learning,” said Sam.

Every teacher on the tour received their own copy of Chipper Cloud in Use Your Imagination, an inspirational tale written by Mr. George Davison himself that can be utilized as a tool in classrooms today to help young minds learn to keep negative thoughts and comments from interfering with their creative process.

Sam said that it wasn’t hard to notice the immediate impact that Inventionland®and our educational capabilities had on this group of teaching veterans.

“I just think it’s kind of neat to see that point of view from seasoned teachers. Here, they got to see innovation; we showed them our very own makerspace, laser cutters and 3D printers. To see all of this capability and innovation, it really reached them. These teachers can look at that and say ‘Wow! Maybe if I had a couple extra years, I could teach this kind of curriculum,’” said Sam. “It all brought a sparkle to their eyes.”

Visit Inventionland®or subscribe to our course materials, teacher resources and professional learning opportunities. Contact us today!

Copyright Inventionland® Education, 2016

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As part of our interactive, 9-step inventing course developed out of our Education Division, the groups began their journey into real-world inventing at our creative space. After a lot of hard work in the classroom, they returned to Inventionland®last Thursday to present their class-culminating projects to our expert panel of judges.

Founder and CEO George Davison led the panel, which also included community innovators Bill Mitas, Les Lockerman, Jim Yedinak, Mark Sorka, and Carla Ryba.

The four DuBois Business College students, Rachael Westover, Vivianna Forrest, Janna Whitling and Kyle Concannon, divided into two teams that utilized STEM education and the nine-step inventing method that anchors our project-based course to bring two new product ideas to life: the Pak Bag and Pong Ready.

The Pak Bag took home top prize last Thursday, but the immediate feedback we’ve received from DuBois Business College representatives proves that everyone left Inventionland®as a winner!

Here’s a snippet of the feedback we’ve received so far:

“Thank you so much for making the day so special for our students… We always feel like part of the Inventionland®family every time we arrive. THANK YOU for the gracious hospitality shown to all of us. I really enjoyed watching the interaction and teamwork among the Inventionland®employees.

“I also appreciate [George] taking the time to interact with the students and give them feedback, as well as meeting with [our instructors]. We had our in-service on Friday and everyone was ‘buzzing’ about the great job with our students and the Inventionland®project.

“May we continue to see this enthusiasm GROW!”

– Jackie Syktich, DuBois Business College President/CEO

“I would [like to] thank you for everything on Thursday. I think it went quite well. Everyone here was so excited to hear what happened and was amazed on how well the two products turned out. They all loved the trophy… They are still pumped up from this experience.

“[We] are putting together plans for the next classes and how to make them as enjoyable as this one. You… have given us a lot of great ideas for the future and we can’t wait to do it again.

“Thanks again!”

– Darren Kite, DuBois Business College Instructor/Technology Assistant

It’s one thing to read about the overflowing innovation that the Inventionland® Education Division course can encourage; but, it is another thing to see that collaboration in action. We’ll share an exclusive video look inside the DuBois Business College’s Inventionland®presentations next week!

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According to feedback we received from students who used the space to complete our Inventionland® Education curriculum, Kiski’s Innovation Lab is doing just that… and more!

Here’s a look at what Kiski’s students have said about their custom creative haven:

“The maker space is perfect!”

“It is very cool and fun!”

“[It is] very fun to use and a very nice privilege to have.”

“It’s very cool and helpful!”

In fact, the students, faculty and administrators at The Kiski School have found their Innovation Lab to be so inspiring that they’ve enlisted our help in adding some innovation to another area on campus! Here’s a sneak peek at where we’re getting started:

You can track The Kiski School’s latest creative transformation on Twitter and find even more details on this room renovation here – coming soon!

The post One Innovative Kiski School Space Inspires Another! appeared first on Inventionland Education.

A Pittsburgh-based publication is helping to spread the word about the region’s latest project-based inventing curriculum that also promotes STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) education.

Trib Total Media contributing writer Joyce Hanz recently published “Inventionland®helps build new products, entrepreneurs,” where she explored our CEO and founder’s inventing history, our creative design warehouse and what has become a natural extension of the creativity that flows from our design headquarters each day, our Inventionland® Education curriculum.

“The latest endeavor for Inventionland®has an academic-outreach mission,” writes Hanz. “The course, offered via online classes at inventionlandinstitute.com and visits to Inventionland, is dedicated to helping students learn how to follow through with their big ideas.”

Imagination, innovation and invention are just three words that Hanz uses to describe the project-based curriculum that has been adopted by The Kiski School and accredited by the DuBois Business College.

In the article, Hanz talks with Inventionland® Education President and Inventionland®Executive Director of Design Nathan Field, who explains just how naturally the academic-outreach mission flowed from our creative space.

“Teachers would always inquire about curriculum offerings when the students would tour Inventionland®on field trips. This is a natural extension of what we do at Inventionland. The students really love this concept — especially those interested in entrepreneurship,” says Field in the Trib LIVE article.

Inventionland®CEO and founder George Davison also discusses with Hanz just what an important part the problem-solving process plays in the Inventionland® Education curriculum.

“Most curriculums just present students with a problem that has a predetermined solution… This new project-based curriculum teaches kids how to identify a problem and then walks them through how to create their own custom solution to that problem…” says Mr. Davison in Hanz’s article.

You can read more about the excitement that the Inventionland® Education curriculum is creating in the community in the entire Trib LIVE article.

Photo credits: Trib Total Media

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