At Stewart Elementary, in Burrell, a suburb of Pittsburgh, PA, implementing an innovative STEM program was the result of a district-wide restructuring effort that began in 2010. We aimed to create an upper elementary school that was relevant to student needs in the 21st century, and STEM learning was a natural fit! By embracing the "T" and "E" in STEM, we set the foundation for inquiry and design to became the cornerstone of our program providing students opportunities to learn through collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity.

The challenge to accomplish these goals was met with

• intensive professional development,
• curriculum changes, and
• scheduling overhauls.

Year 1. In our first year, our elementary science curriculum shifted from a traditional textbook program to an inquiry-based program delivered primarily through the National Geographic Science series. A science coach worked with staff to implement this program and address the instructional changes required for using inquiry and the scientific method. Two science labs provided plenty of space for these experiences and hands on labs.

Additionally, the Engineering is Elementary program (EiE) was adopted to provide an engineering experience separate from science. This is delivered during "TEC" time (Teaching Engineering to Children), a block of time designated solely for students to experience engineering, design, and "EiE". A designated engineering lab provides a wealth of materials for various design challenges that occur throughout the curriculum.

Interdisciplinary approach. During the first year, we added computer classes for all students with a curriculum that shifted from a typing and application program, to one that embraced research, investigation, and even coding! Our art program provided unique opportunities for students to engage in design and inquiry, and our music program offered a variety of musical experiences and performances for all our students.

Year 2. In year two, Stewart Elementary's efforts focused on overhauling our math curriculum to address the adoption of the PA Core Standards.

• The McGraw-Hill My Math series was adopted to facilitate this effort.
• A math coach worked with staff,  particularly assisting with the instructional shifts that occurred due to the new standards of practice.
• Our PTA, administration, and staff worked together to create the Science Olympiad inquiry and design team competition.
•  Additionally, we developed a 5th grade robotics course using Lego Mindstorms materials.

Year 3. Now in our third year, our STEM program continues to evolve. Central to this effort, we offer  various parent training/ information nights that have been scheduled through this spring. These sessions are not designed as open house nights, but rather as opportunities for parents to experience the same inquiry, design, and mathematical thinking processes that their children are applying in their science activities at our school.

Unique student needs. Our special education and gifted programs have aligned their instruction around design and inquiry with noticeable results. We now offer a Girls Engaged in Math and Science (GEMS) club to any 5th grade girl in an effort for our girls to excel in STEM, moving through middle school and high school.

Currently, we are overhauling our schedule once again to improve cross-curricular experiences for students, as well as efficiently deliver instruction of our varied course offerings. Additionally, we are preparing STEM summer camp offerings in partnership with other school districts as well as a local college. We also are exploring the creation of a 4th grade robotics course to go along with the 5th grade course.

Though only midway through our third year as a STEM school, some common outcomes have been noted.

• Our students demonstrate a capacity to collaborate independently through the various investigations and challenges presented to them on a regular basis.
• They show enthusiasm for critical thinking opportunities, and are quite creative with their solutions.

However, very interestingly, is the fact that our middle school has needed to shift scheduling and programs to provide for students who are more advanced in their science learning needs and desire to engage in tech education. As we continue to navigate through the implementation of the PA Core Standards, and its new assessment, we look forward to continuing to improve and expand our program.

At Douglas Taylor Elementary, on the far South East Side of Chicago, Illinois, we have taken great strides to revamp our science program, with the goal of offering enhanced learning experiences that will lead to powerful student achievement.

In 2012 we decided to take a new approach to science instruction, beginning with the middle school-the upper grades at Douglas Taylor. Our student population is diverse, including 37% English Language learners and 13 % special education students. Although the majority of our students exit their bilingual programs by middle school, studies have shown that it takes a full 5 - 7 years post-bilingual education for them to master the academic language of a mainstream classroom. We are continuing to target reading comprehension through school-wide practice, and, according to our NWEA data, our students are on track with their progress.

Working with our Taylor Elementary students, we quickly recognized challenges in their mastery of objectives in science. We found two major issues:

• Students interest and enthusiasm did not match our expectations
• They had trouble understanding the text

We realized that their motivation might improve if we could find exciting ways to draw them into their learning. We also needed to provide instruction about the readings in ways that they would understand.

To boost their confidence through successful experiences, we focused on three components of instruction:

• Expanding their vocabulary
• Providing a multiple modality approach with kinesthetic and visual opportunities for learning
• Improving their reading comprehension through providing more thorough, high-interest, background knowledge

At Taylor, we also invested in upgrading the science lab with both technology and new science books. We applied for many grants and formed new partnerships with organizations and museums around the city to build programs that students requested and desired.

When Taylor Elementary students expressed interest in taking part in programs that did not yet exist, such as engineering and robotics, we were inspired to pursue these avenues. We worked diligently and received five grants from programs that provided everything from safety equipment to preserving organisms and developing live animal habitats. Students learned biology directly through seven living habitats in their classrooms, also learning responsibility and compassion through care-taking.

To further our program, Taylor Elementary developed partnerships with C3 (the Chicago Conservation Corps), the Chicago Field Museum, the Kitchen Community (for a "learning" garden), the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, and the John G. Shedd Aquarium. Through these partnerships we formed a green team for conservation and sustainable energy, developed a native plant garden, furthered student understanding of botany and nutrition, reduced energy consumption, engineered solar-powered cars, and began an ROV (remotely operated vehicle) underwater robotics program.

The results of revamping the science program at our school showed student growth by seventh graders of 19 % in the ISAT exam. Our school is currently the second highest performing school in science in our area. We hope that stakeholders will continue to contribute learning opportunities that will reach students throughout the entire school, keeping us moving in an upward trajectory.

Editor's note: Watch for additional information on Taylor's STEM partnerships and programs in a CEI blog to be posted later this month. 

         The Philadelphia Science Museum project on STEAM

With STEAM, students can be engaged on multiple levels. Last month, in Naperville, Illinois, STEAM students in an after-school program at Crone Middle School, had a chance to ask wind-energy expert Kimberly Smith about their experiments. The students are constructing turbines, and they were able to gain many insights from Smith about size, number, and placement effectiveness. Smith is vice-president for construction and operation services for Acciona Energy North America (Baker, 2014).   

Faribault, Minnesota, schools will be offering an expanded STEAM program this summer with a grant from Flextronics. Where the 2013 program focused on helping students who were lagging in core subjects, this summer will be "full steam ahead" with continued help in reading and math but with added enrichment projects in geocaching and orienteering, the science of transportation, the art of the Medieval era, and other topics.  

"We have three goals for Summer STEAM: reduce the achievement gap, reduce the enrichment gap and encourage students to make healthy choices," said Anne Marie Leland, community education director (O'Neill, 2014)   

References

O'Neill, E. (2014, February 27). Faribault Public Schools expands summer STEAM program. Faribault Daily News.