"Answers are a luxury enjoyed only every now and then. So early on, learn to love the questions themselves." ~Neil deGrasse Tyson
Imagine the questions and problem-solving that will be explored when I place batteries, wire, LEDs, and their created origami designs in front of my students. That's STEM! Love it!
We are a relatively new STEM academy and a Title I school, so our population is a mix of students who desire to participate in STEM programs and those who live in the boundaries and wanted to remain at our site.
All of them have truly begun to embrace the STEM approach to learning. Through inquiry, teamwork, and less guided practice, our students are truly making great strides in their abilities to problem-solve, communicate their ideas, and to use shared discovery and grit to persevere through all types of activities.
We are seeing students who are consistently questioning the world around them and transferring their scientific method/engineering design approach to all aspects of their lives. Not only does this new type of inquiry learning apply to the students but to the teachers and staff as well. We lead by example. We model critical thinking, questioning, and trouble-shooting failures. We enjoy learning and teaching with the students, and they have found joy in learning themselves.
My Project
This year I'd like our third and fourth graders to create a video with stop motion and green screen that will illustrate their STEM experience for new prospective students. They are going to be thrilled to use a program like Foldify to design and create an origami creature, object, or tool that they need to print and fold. It's always a great activity for creativity, following procedures, and practicing grit and patience. However, that just isn't enough of a challenge for our kids.
Imagine the problem-solving and teamwork skills that can be applied when they have to include an electronic component with a switch design using these batteries, wire, and LED bulbs to turn their object's lights on/off. Will they make a creature with glowing eyes or a warning device? Will they create real-world applicable tools that I can't even imagine? They'll plan as a team so that they can then use them in their video. They'll learn how to computer generate designs, complete circuits with switches, and create entertaining and persuasive video projects.
Asking students to design and create a project for a real-world situation is always a growth experience for them.
They are working with a purpose and in this instance that purpose is demonstrating and showcasing their newly acquired skills in STEM. They'll have the opportunity to practice and improve their collaborative, leadership, and communication skills all while exploring science, technology, engineering, and math concepts.
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Mrs. Shafter and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
