Hey Staff,
I'm sorry I didn't get a post to you on Friday. There was just a lot to process once my meeting with Dr. Liggins ended. I can't wait for you to meet him. He is very inspiring and is committed to seeing our school a success along with each and every other campus in GISD. To keep you updated, I am working on a presentation to take on the GISD road. It is a parent information presentation. I will be presenting this at each elementary campus in the evenings during the week of April 24th. I will be happy to share the dates/times and you are welcome to come to any or all if you so choose. Preparing the presentation is a daunting task because I want it to be perfect. Yet, I am excited with every bit of information I am sharing.
On another note, I have been informed that Lori Polk, who is currently the secretary at Lamar will be coming on board as my secretary. I am looking forward to getting to know her as well. I will keep you updated as plans continue to evolve. Please reach out to her and welcome her to STEM.
I so enjoyed reading each of your comments about chapter 1 from STEM-infusing the Elementary Classroom. Each of you inspire me and just continue to affirm the reason you have chosen STEM and STEM has chosen you!
Chapter 2 is titled Why STEM in Elementary? What is your answer to that?
As if our jobs weren't stressful enough, the author states that "we must prepare kids to be successful in an unknown future and to actively participate in the building of that future. And because we do not know what the future looks like, our only course of action is to raise problem-solvers, collaborators, innovators, and risk takers." No sweat, right? How do you relate to this statement? Are you looking at your lesson plans with this idea in mind?
You all know how passionate I am about integrating curriculum where it lends itself so I loved the statement that shared, "the most effective type of education is one in which students are pulling together and reorganizing information from all content areas in order to find a solution to an unpredictable real-world problem"
Use "YOUR NEXT STEP" on page 18. Analyze a lesson plan that you recently taught. Highlight parts in which you are preparing students for an unknown future with skills such as communication, collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking. Circle parts that require tasks based on the assumption that our future economy will look like the present or even the past. Please share your reflections. We all learn from each other with no judgment.
I hope you all have an amazing 4-day weekend. I know I am looking forward to it. Please respond by Tuesday, April 18th.
SK loves SMS
Happy Easter,
ReplyDeleteWhy STEM in elementary?
STEM is our future, STEM field growth currently doubles that of non-STEM fields and those in the STEM field earn an average of 26% more. Our future economy and our children's success depend on it. So why in elementary where students future thoughts go as far as next recess? Because research is now showing that students who start early are the ones best equipped to have a strong understanding of STEM as they get older. https://www.weareteachers.com/stem-its-elementary/
It is scary to think that we are entering a future were information is rapid fire and constantly changing. The author writes, "the amount of knowledge that exists in the whole wide world will double almost two-and-a-half times during our school year!" That is both scary and exciting. I want to see my students use this information to create, inspire, and challenge our future.
A recent lesson I taught...
Carbon Dioxide and Oxygen Cycle
Students played a matching game using plants and animals to understand the cycle. As the game went on several plants were removed leaving more animals. Students reflected on how this changes the cycle.
Students created a puppet show using a teacher chosen habitat. Students then created plants and animals to explain the cycle using the puppets, habitat and green screen. In reflecting on my lesson I highlighted their collaboration to work together on the project and their communication in presenting the puppet show. However, the circle parts were the habitat I chose for them and the skit itself. I am making assumptions that they will still need to be given a scripted task with-in my own ideas of an outline. As I reflect on this lesson, I wonder why I did not let the students have more choice or even come up with their own way to explain the cycle. I also wonder where the critical thinking and creativity are? I could have very easily changed explaining the cycle to solving what we will do if we have too much of carbon dioxide or oxygen? I could have had them research our current levels of Oxygen and Carbon Dioxide and decide what the problems and solutions were.
We have been practicing with the Green Screen app. Here is an example of the end product.
https://app.seesaw.me/pages/shared_item?item_id=item.1eb9646d-933a-4bdc-b3fc-c954065026a5&share_token=LM-Byn1RTsadKSXhFNGyKw&mode=share
I hope everyone had a relaxing and restful 4 day weekend!
The Green Screen seems very interesting to me. Thanks for sharing.
DeleteSamantha - I love your reflection. Reflection is a vulnerable place. That's what I love about this opportunity and what we have got to get our students to understand. THIS is what makes us better. What did we do great? What could we have done better? Your insight helps us all see when we are writing a lesson plan are we incorporating the 4 Cs and letting our students in the driver's seat. It's so so hard to do, I know, but we can let it go.....y'all sang Frozen here too, didn't you-- and have the most effective learning environment we have ever dreamed of. I see the green screen being a fabulous part of many activity and events!
DeleteWhy Stem in Elementary?- Just as Samantha said, students who start experiencing STEM earlier on are better equipped to understand the concepts later in life as well. We are preparing students for that unknown with the hope that they will develop a future interest. As our book said, it is necessary for the 21st century workforce to have the skills of communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity. Our 4 C’s! We aren’t trying to prepare kids for the current society, but to “cultivate creativity instead of conformity.” It is daunting to think that we are the ones responsible for cultivating this change in the education of our students, but I am excited to be a part of instilling these skills in our future students!
ReplyDeleteA recent lesson I taught was over 3-D shapes. As a review we did a same and different PowerPoint of real-world 3-D objects. When I put up a slide of two objects, students would spend a minute writing down what was the same and different about the two shapes. Once the minute was up they would take turns sharing with their partner. Each partner had to share for 30 seconds and could not repeat anything the other partner said. If they did not repeat anything and talked the whole time they could put an X or an O on their tic tac toe board. We continued the same process for more slides. I saw students exhibiting critical thinking as they started questioning each other about what they noticed in the shapes, if their facts were correct, and coming to a conclusion together. The students were actively engaged and discovered more about their 3-D objects than they had noticed before.
We then read a few pages of The Important Book. We talked about the patterns students found in the writing while we were reading. The students were then tasked with making their own important book based on a shape. They each received an outline and worked with a partner to decide what 3-D shape they wanted to use, a real world example of the shape, and 3 things the object does. Students were collaborating with one another to create their project and communicate their thoughts and ideas. Once they gathered all of their information they began writing their pages. Once the students were finished they took turns presenting their writing to the class. The students communicated with each other about each part they were to present to the class and worked together to practice those pieces before it was time. We then bound the pages together as a book that they can borrow and read. As Samantha stated, I too always assume my students need strong supports to get started, such as using an outline for our book. I could have allowed the students to explore the book longer and begin their project without the outline. Or given another day, I could have expanded the project with more choices on how the students wanted to present information over a given shape and allowed them to choose whichever way they wanted to incorporate their knowledge.
The Green Screen app sounds so fun Samantha! I will have to try that with my students in the future!
Chan - it's so hard not to assume that every students needs the same support. As a teacher, I'll be honest - sometimes it was just easier, but in the end did I let the students truly allow THEIR creativity to come to life or use my creativity to give me what I wanted? I know there are some students that need the outline, but many would not. As we get better at differentiating, this will fix itself. Thank you for sharing. I can't wait to see how much you will grow as we are all trail blazing this path together.
DeleteWhy STEM in Elementary?
ReplyDeleteAll students need STEM especially elementary students. The foundations of learning take root in elementary aged child as their window for learning is wide open. The future of our rich technological global society depends on educators to prepare students to enter the workforce ready to take flight. A STEM education will propel students to meet the discoveries that will morph into new and unknown discoveries that will be necessary for tomorrow’s real-world. STEM learning gives students opportunities to apply the skills and knowledge that they have learned to real world situations through collaboration, communication, critical thinking and creativity. They are the future; they will lead us to unknown territories and chart new courses for all mankind. I want students to be empowered, enriched, inspired, and eager to face the challenges that await them with confidence and determination.
In a recently lesson cycle on metamorphosis, I challenged my students to work collaboratively as design groups to create a board game that would help teach complete and incomplete metamorphosis of an insect. Students had a list of criteria that had to be present in the game. For example, the game had to have a least two players, the game had to have 20 question cards, the group had to decide on how move were made, and the layout of a game board needed to be creative and contain insects. We called the time we worked on this activity, “Time to go to work.” Each design group had a team leader, the boss, a biologist, a design engineer, and marketing manager. The team had specific job tasks and each person in the group needed to collaborate with 2 or more people in order to accomplish their specific job. The students needed much direction on getting started with the tasks. They had to learn how to effectively communicate with one another. In the beginning of the learning cycle, the job seemed daunting but as I stepped back and facilitated the learning the students took on more responsibilities and creativity into the process. Students were delegating tasks, creating, researching, and designing while I observed the learning unfolding. I should have given more time to allow the students to present their final products. I would definitely tweak this “Time to Work” theme to allow more time to research, create and present. These skills of communication, creativity, critical thinking and collaboration will be necessary in the future as new products and technologies evolve.
Diana - when we plan a lesson, it looks beautiful in our minds and on paper. It's when the bodies get in there that we see where our best laid plans may need 9-1-1! That is what being a great teacher is all about - instinctively knowing where the "fixes" need to happen and swooping in to salvage that lesson in the time you have with them and prepare differently for the next rotation. I loved how you went back to that first rotation and worked through solving those problems the following day. Kids need to see that our ideas/plans aren't perfect either, but that never gives us a pass to quit! You're students gain such fabulous insights from you. Keep going strong!
DeleteWhy STEM in Elementary?
ReplyDeleteWell, I know we're not supposed to answer a question with a question but "Why not?" is my response. :)
As was discussed earlier in the book, children are born a natural engineer. They're born with a natural curiosity, a need to understand, a desire to try something and see how it'll turn out. They learn by exploring, creating, testing and improving their designs, whatever that may be. And as long as we'll let them, they'll continue to learn through trial and error. Therefore, you automatically have STEM in Elementary (and even before then) if we don't get in the way. :)
Recently in our class, we read a book "The Do-Nothing Machine" and then we created our own "do-nothing machine". I brought in all kinds of junk and divided the class into two groups (boys and girls)...and then the fun started! Creativity was abundant! Critical thinking was evident as they tried different pieces in different places! But in PreK our biggest challenge is in communication and collaboration...it's a very difficult concept to work together in a group...they each want to do their own thing and the brainstorming just doesn't come easy yet. But they LOVED this activity and didn't want to stop...it lasted all day! So I guess this is the beginning stages of a STEM-infused classroom. After they were finished they were allowed to tell about their creations.
Vickie - I got a little amused as I read this picturing the conversations that did ensue during the process as they communicated that they wanted to work alone! Pre-K is a little like herding cats in my mind. It definitely takes a special person to mentor the youngest learners, but WOW do you have the best opportunity as you help form their little minds and work ethic in the academic setting. Keep working at communication. I can't wait to pick your brain along with the other early school age teachers to find the best approach to have them become great communicators at a young age!
DeleteWhy STEM in elementary?
ReplyDeleteI think like most things, the earlier the exposure to any concept or course of thinking the more prepared one would be for when they are able to use the concept or argue/depending their thinking about something. As a mom of 4 kiddos ranging from age 1 to age 11, I am already seeing the result of earlier exposure to things and the result is that it becomes a true interest...at least in my kiddos. As a teacher (and mom) I want to provide my students with the skills they need to be successful in our forward thinking and fast paced world. But I also want them to have time to sit back and take it all in. Use their hands and minds to explore and create and even slow down from time to time.
I recently decided to pull out my new class set of iPads with my reading classes. Teaching 2nd grade ELAR to 3 rotations a day has become a love/hate relationship for me this year, so I've honestly avoided these activities 😳 Anyway, I assigned each pair an 'adjective'. They had to go on a hunt, use one app to take pictures of things that thought represented the adj. and then use another app to explain their reasoning. Honestly, it was a big kick in the gut! I have avoided these things due to my fear and sheer chaos...and the result....complete and udder success! They seriously blew me away with how well they followed directions and the final products were amazing. I should have trusted them much sooner than now but l now know they we are more than capable:)
Paige - I totally get the fear and avoidance anticipating the sheer chaos. However, we need to all learn to allow our faith in our students to be bigger than our fears. I think so many times, we - as educators, put limits on students. Many come in fearless and risk takers and leave differently because we stifle their creativity. It takes moments like this for us to see how much they can really do. This is exactly the reason I want every teacher in our building to be GT certified. I want us to raise the expectation and see how much our students (and as a result) and teachers soar! Thank you for sharing this moment! I feel quite sure your students talked about this activity for days! You GO GIRL!!
DeleteSTEM is a great way to teach children to be real world problem solvers and self suffice to citizens as they get older. So many children expect to have everything come easy and be given to them and they not have to think for themselves. It's very sad to see. I believe STEM does that for our children and the sooner they are exposed to that sort of thing long the better. I use STEM Boxes in my class every afternoon. My students are allowed to go and grab an empty box with a ring of different things to build or puzzles to solve or coding to do. They can either work alone or in pairs or groups. It's really neat and exciting to watch and listen to them collaborate and decide the best course of action. Occasionally I have to be the "referee" but by now they have it down. They love the freedom to be creative and solve the problems on their own with very little guidance from me.
ReplyDeleteVanessa - seeing STEM from the eyes of a teacher of our youngest learners is key to the success of our program. It's hard to give students the information and step back and let them explore their own learning. As educators we feel if it's not paper and pencil we can't see growth. STEM shifts that whole idea and brings back the art of teaching for those of us who live outside of the box - or don't even know where the box is! This is such an amazing opportunity for all of us! I can hardly stand it.
DeleteVanessa I love your STEM boxes.
ReplyDeletePaige I love your honesty.
I love your machine Ms. Thomason.
Diana, cool idea with making a board game.
Stacey, your presentation is going to be GREAT!
Samantha, I want to try green screen.
Chandler, way to go with the trans-disciplinary lesson.
I am loving reading everyone's struggles, successes, and experiences. It makes my heart so happy!
DeleteMy students are currently writing novels. The nature of novel writing involves thinking creatively and critical thinking. They are seeking advice from friends when needed as well as collaborating for the peer revise and edit. The students are using problem solving as they decide on conflicts and where unexpected events occur.
ReplyDeleteI just pinned something on Pinterest where students created a story deciding on what paths the characters should take and answering various questions using Google forms. It's a very interesting process but your activity reminded me of it. I'll have to look more into it. This activity just shows what an important piece ELAR plays into the STEM process.
ReplyDelete