This week, I had the opportunity to attend and help out with the Hour of Innovation at a local elementary school. This event brought together classrooms of students to explore hands-on technology and creativity through rotating activity stations. I helped run two stations, and each one was fun, exciting and challenging in its own ways.

MicroBit Station

The first station I lead was the MicroBit station. This station featured an AI-powered watch that detects the wearer’s movements and flashes a picture on its display. The idea was students would put on the MicroBit watch, perform a movement such as jumping jacks, high fives, fist bumps, and more, then try to match the picture that appeared on the screen to the movement they performed.

Students worked in partners, as they experimented with different movements. It was fun for me to work on it alongside them, demonstrating movements and helping them figure out which picture went with which action.

There were a few challenges. The MicroBits required pretty precise movements, so sometimes different actions triggered the same picture. But the kids didn’t seem to mind that it wasn’t perfect. We had explained to each group that AI isn’t always exact and it can make mistakes. Even when most guesses weren’t correct, it didn’t really matter because everyone was having fun and working together. It was a station that got everyone moving and thinking at the same time.

Chomp Saw Airplane Station

The second station I helped with was the Chomp Saw station. This station featured a kid-safe cardboard saw used to cut out airplane pieces that students would assemble into 3D models. This station was all about creativity, hands-on building, and learning how to use different tools to build a little plane.

The biggest challenge with this station was time.
With the first group, it took us a little while to explain how everything worked, and by the time instructions were clear, materials were organized, and students got started, many students didn’t have the chance to finish their airplanes. Because of this, they were a bit disappointed.

The second group was more successful because we had our system down. We explained the process upfront, guided students quickly to the chomp saws or the hole punch stations, and helped them move quickly through the steps. More students were able to complete their airplanes, and I was excited to help them get their planes finished.

What stood out to me most at this station was how collaborative the students were. Even though not everyone ended up with their own plane, they were happy to share their planes and share in the work. Many didn’t want to leave until their planes were complete, which made the station feel really rewarding.

This ended up being my favorite station of the day. It was hands-on, creative, and students walked away with something physical that they were proud of.

Final Thoughts

I started the day nervous about speaking in front of the groups, but once I got into it, I realized it wasn’t as intimidating as I expected. Even though the Chomp Saw station was fast-paced and a bit chaotic, our plan made it my favourite, and I loved helping the kids build and learn how to use the tools. This experience showed me that I’m more capable with a large group of students than I thought, and it gave me the confidence to see myself managing a classroom successfully.