It’s cliché to say but so true that “a picture speaks a thousand words.” These pictures of Spectrum Station summer students and their creation highlight everything a STEAM education program is about and then some. In January I wrote a post about what STEAM looks like in each of our classrooms (Read about STEAM here), but seeing this project come out of our class last week really drives the value of the program home!
A group of 5 students ranging in ages from 7-10 yrs. chose to go to the construction craft station on Thursday morning. They were given piles of supplies and little more direction than to create a building that represented the current theme – Europe. The students used computers to find Google images of the Eiffel Tower and set to work. So much about this makes us beyond proud to call these kids Spectrum students, and it really brings to the forefront the value of an intentionally structured, yet student led summer education program. Our students are having so much fun that they don’t even realize how much learning is going on. In this one project alone these seven young people cultivated skills in the following areas:
The teachers in the room help to draw attention to different aspects of the activity in order to scaffold the subject matter, cement the learning, and add new levels of challenge, but the students were left to their own innovation. One of the most interesting aspects of project based learning is always watching the interactions between the students: the way they make decisions together, the way the divide up jobs, the way they congratulate or constructively critique each other, and the way the work through a problem before asking for advice. These students will be well equipped to work through the unique challenges that their future educations and careers will present them.
A group of 5 students ranging in ages from 7-10 yrs. chose to go to the construction craft station on Thursday morning. They were given piles of supplies and little more direction than to create a building that represented the current theme – Europe. The students used computers to find Google images of the Eiffel Tower and set to work. So much about this makes us beyond proud to call these kids Spectrum students, and it really brings to the forefront the value of an intentionally structured, yet student led summer education program. Our students are having so much fun that they don’t even realize how much learning is going on. In this one project alone these seven young people cultivated skills in the following areas:
- Science – physics
- Technology – computer
- Engineering – designing and implementing construction
- Arts – varying mediums (popsicle sticks, toothpicks, hot glue, wood and cardboard)
- Math - measurements
- Cooperative Learning
- Effective Communication
- Problem Solving
The teachers in the room help to draw attention to different aspects of the activity in order to scaffold the subject matter, cement the learning, and add new levels of challenge, but the students were left to their own innovation. One of the most interesting aspects of project based learning is always watching the interactions between the students: the way they make decisions together, the way the divide up jobs, the way they congratulate or constructively critique each other, and the way the work through a problem before asking for advice. These students will be well equipped to work through the unique challenges that their future educations and careers will present them.
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