“The only sure way to avoid making mistakes is to have no new ideas.”
– Albert Einstein
For students in Wilson Klein’s science class, engineering labs are a chance to experiment, make mistakes, and try again.
Klein has been with GPA only a year, but has a strong background in urban education, having worked in both Camden and Atlantic City. He brings creative hands-on learning to his middle school students through engineering labs in which students build bridges, kites, and other structures.
“Many of my students are reading below grade level but are quite capable of learning complex concepts, so the instruction needs to side step their literacy deficits,” he said
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Klein uses hands-on learning to help students build spatial skills, problem-solving skills and troubleshooting skills as they work with materials to design a project that will work.
“This lets my students see that they are smart – weaknesses are not the focus – strengths are,” he added. “Once they have learned the concept by doing it, they are ready to understand the science behind it. The hands- on learning is motivating and lets my students integrate the knowledge. It hooks them on science!”
