Three-year STEAM revamp … and then there were 3!
After having caught wind of the considerable growth that East Hill had made in year one of its ‘three-year STEAM revamp’ initiative, other schools within our network had indicated an interest in also joining the movement. Owing to this interest, late last year, administration at both Pierre Elliot Trudeau and Honoré Mercier approached their respective staff and governing boards, seeking, and eventually procuring, approval in becoming the second and third schools to undergo the same initiative.
STEAM Education, a method which favours a collaborative, interdisciplinary, hands-on, process driven, and problem solving approach, has been around at the EMSB for nearly a decade. This new STEAM revamp, however, represents a more intimate, systemic and focused approach, one which deviates significantly from strategies employed in the past. For three consecutive years, all teachers on staff will be obliged to participate in several days of professional development with Pedagogical Consultants, in a concerted effort to create a complete roster of projects that will remain, regardless of the teacher or administrator in place. We are, in effect, attempting to build a complete STEAM based program that will become permanently embedded into the schools’ very DNA.
Here is a list of Learning and Evaluation Situations that have been created for Term 2 at all three schools. Please note that this list may not be exhaustive:
Pierre Elliot Trudeau
- Problem/Challenge (K4/K5): How to Capture a Snowman (social development, language development, cognitive development).
- Problem/Challenge (G1): Becoming more sedentary during winter (Math, ELA, FLS)
- Problem/Challenge (G2): Hansel and Gretel need to find their path back home (ELA, Math).
- Problem/Challenge (G3): Mom doesn’t have a comfortable chair (Math, FLS, ELA, Art).
- Problem/Challenge (G4): The disappearance of bees is affecting biodiversity (Science, ELA, Art).
- Problem/Challenge (G5): Create a new winter themed story to entertain the pre-cycle students (Science, Art, Music).
- Problem/Challenge (G6): How can we convince 6th grade teachers to allow students to choose what they want to learn after winter break? (ELA, Math).
Honoré Mercier
- Problem/Challenge (K4/K5): The bear has lost its den due to deforestation. (Physical and Motor Development, Language).
- Problem/Challenge (K4/K5): What material in the school can we reuse in class to create toys for our play centers? (Physical and Motor Development, Language).
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- Problem/Challenge (Grade 2): What do we do when our work is done? (ELA, Mathematics).
- Problem/Challenge (Cycle 2): There is too much noise in school. (FSL, Arts, Mathematics).
- Problem/Challenge (Cycle 3): We would like to “gamify” the classroom to stimulate and retain student concentration and strengthen basic skills. (FSL, Arts, Mathematics).
East Hill
- Problem/Challenge (K4): Tu dois construire un bonhomme de neige vêtu à partir des consignes préétablies par ton enseignant. (Physical & Motor Development, Harmonious Relationship with Others, Communicate Oral and Written, Discovering the world around them)
- Problem/Challenge (K5): Il y a trop de jouets dans la classe qui sont mal rangés. (Exercer sa motricité fine et globale, Expérimenter son autonomie, Collaborer avec les autres)
- Problem/Challenge (Grade 1): Les élèves doivent comprendre que le danger est la distance du trajet! Ils doivent eux-mêmes trouver des pistes de solutions (Petit Chaperon Rouge). (ELA, FSL, Math, CCQ)
- Problem/Challenge (Grade 2): Construire un pont avec des pailles ou des bâtons de popsicles. (Science, Art, Math)
- Problem/Challenge (Grade 3): Ormie can’t reach the cookie jar. (ELA, Math)
- Problem/Challenge (Grade 4): A cataclysmic event is about to occur - an Asteroid is about to hit Earth and cause a mass extinction of all life forms. (Science, FLS)
- Problem/Challenge (Cycle 3): Évaluer les connaissances des élèves de 4 année sur la carte du Canada (provinces et territoires) (5 année) / Aider les nouveaux immigrants à se familiariser avec les régions du Québec. (Régions administratives) (6 année). (Science, Social Studies)
- Problem/Challenge (Cycle 3): How to help someone accept themselves for who they are. (ELA, Art)
By the end of each schools’ year three, we forecast that there will be in place a complete program of STEAM-oriented LESs for teachers to choose from as they prepare for their upcoming school year. Stay tuned for further updates on this exciting initiative.
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