STEM

Joann Askew, Lower School Science Lab/STEM Instructor

Science, Technology, Engineering, Math – disciplines collectively known as STEM, the buzz word of the science community, has evolved. It became STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, ART, and Math. Then, before we could memorize it, it morphed into STREAM (Science, Technology, READING , Engineering, Art, Math). It is comparable to our ever-changing complex world and we continue to adapt our educational approach. As we educate the next generation, it is more important than ever that we prepare our youth to be critical thinkers and problem solvers. It addition to content knowledge it is crucial that we train students in the field of technology to meet the needs of the world’s workforce. We can no longer educate in a traditional format that presents itself as “a teacher in front of the room – teaching content” and measure progress with traditional “fill in the bubble” tests. We need to instill a desire for building, creating, tinkering and making. These provide helpful projects that promote further exploration and learning in our naturally curious youth. We need to question like a scientist, design like a technologist, build like an engineer, create like an artist, deduce like a mathematician and most importantly…play like a child. In order to maintain global influence, we continue to advance our efforts in educating under the current acronyms. November 8, is National STEM/STEAM day. A day recognized and set aside to inspire youth to identify passions related to these disciplines. We are fortunate to live in a time where information is so accessible; we have no excuses. We find trends are changing, we continue to make headway encouraging girls and women to impact the STEM/STEAM/STREAM workforce.

Realizing the trends of the present parents, mentors, and educators will need to utilize STEM, STEAM, STREAM – in fact, all subjects to build leaders of the future. As we prepare our students to excel, not only in school, but in LIFE, we recognize the need to educate differently. So on November 8, National STEM day, gather up the students in your life, get a full head of STEAM and create something that engages, stimulates curiosity, and just might make an impact in the world.

What to Know as Your Child Leaves Kindergarten

By: Frances Traughber, Kindergarten Teacher

Children grow and change so much during their kindergarten year. They have made new friends, worked with a partner, solved group problems, and shed a few tears (and probably some teeth too!). They have learned many new words to expand their vocabularies. They can add and subtract, count by ones, tens, and fives all the way to 100! They’ve learned more than could possibly be listed here.

What can you do to help your child retain all this knowledge and stay ready for first grade? Here are a few suggestions for ways to keep your child’s mind engaged without playing school.

Send your child to a camp this summer. We are offering many fun and educational camps that will provide your child with enriching activities plus social time with other children.
Communicate with your child. Language development has taken off this year and you can continue this growth by having conversations with your child. When cooking dinner, working in the yard, or taking a day trip explain to your child what you are doing and why.
Continue reading aloud. Even though your child is beginning to read themselves, they still need to hear a fluent reader. If they want to read, share by reading alternate pages or let them say the words they know.
Talk about whether the story is real, fiction, or fantasy. Discuss characters and the sequence of events in the story. Talk about ways the story could have ended differently.
Allow your child to be in the kitchen with you. Measuring, stirring, watching how a mixture changes as things are added. Count the chocolate chips, marshmallows, etc. being added to the mix. Cooking is fun, educational opportunity for your child.
Educational apps and videos make learning fun. Homer Reading App, Moose App, Draw and Tell, and Kids Academy are just a few. We love Jack Hartmann videos for review.

These are just a few ways to enjoy the time you have with your child and retain and build on what they have learned in kindergarten.

Libraries–Visit One Today

By: Dana Procter, Librarian

Let me be completely honest with you. I have always loved to read. I remember the experience of going to the library as a young child. I was able to check out as many books as I could safely carry. The excitement of taking them home to read was like a trip to Disney World. Books introduced me to people I would not get to meet and took me places I would never get to see. Books piqued my curiosity and just made me want to read and learn more.

When I had children of my own, I had the opportunity to share my love of reading with them. We visited to the library, checked out books, and read them at home. As a classroom teacher I loved sharing my classroom library with my students. Watching the students select books and read them was pure joy to me. I have had the most wonderful opportunity for several years of being our school’s librarian. I am surrounded by books and can share all of them with students. It is a delight to help a student find “just the right book” or a book about a particular topic.

Even though I have a passion for reading and books, I think some students have forgotten about the library. Our library is the hub of our school and has so much to offer students. There are choices of books such as early readers for beginning readers, picture books, young adult novels, graphic novels, biographies, and nonfiction books, to name a few. When you walk into the library, there are so many resources at your fingertips.

I want to help you find the book that will take you to a new place or a book that can teach you a new skill. So come with me to the library instead of googling your subject or reading a book on your Kindle. Let’s start as you enter the library, orient yourself. Look around at what is in the library. Most libraries are arranged in a similar pattern. But all can hold a special place for you, if you let it. Browse the various books available, take time to sit and read in a comfortable spot, or study and research at a table. Take time to stop in and quietly discuss a topic, subject or school project with a friend or group. The library is a welcoming place for all our students to come to.

If you haven’t been to the library in a while, you will notice that our library has changed. Libraries all over the world are changing and are embracing the changes as well. Many new things are going to be happening in our library. Even if you don’t love to read as much as I do, come visit our library or a library near you. You may be surprised at what the library has to offer and you may want to take a book or two home with you.

A Picture is Worth A Thousand Words

By: Cindy Williams, Third Grade Teacher, Reading Specialist

We all remember some of our very first picture books that were read to us at an early age. One of my favorite books from my childhood is, Are You My Mother? By P. D. Eastman. Following the little bird on the journey to find his mother was captivating and the line drawings depicting the story demanded my attention.

Do we abandon the joy of reading picture books too early in our children’s lives? Could they help our children develop a love for reading? Are picture books a beneficial tool for students in the middle and upper school grades to promote a deeper understanding of complex ideas?

There is research that suggests we are pushing some of our elementary students into chapter books before they are ready. Picture books have language that is often more sophisticated than some of the first chapter books that children read. Children can enhance their vocabulary, imagery, and increase their comprehension of the text by reading illustrated books. Those who read illustrated stories may be more motivated to develop stronger reading skills faster than when a child is only reading chapter books. Picture books are more interesting and exciting to children. The pictures add a better understanding of the action and a better sense of the plot. Even before children begin to read, the picture books allow them to decode the meaning of words as they listen to the story. Picture books appeal to children’s curiosity and sense of wonder, motivating them to read independently.

When students are encouraged to read text-only stories or chapter books prematurely, we may be limiting their joy of reading and slowing their growth as independent readers.

A ”text only” story cannot use the rich vocabulary choices that illustrated stories use due to the fact that some students are still developing their basic vocabulary.

Many middle, upper school, and even college instructors have recognized the importance of using picture books in their lessons. Reading a picture book does more than any other literary format for connecting people with one another. If you have a difficult idea to express, a picture book is the perfect place to start. The Butterfly, by Patricia Polacco demonstrates the hardships endured during Word War II and Goin’Someplace Special, by Patricia C. McKissack gives a glimpse of bigotry in the 1950’s. Both are difficult topics to discuss, but are easily approached through these picture books.

The Caldecott Medal, awarded each year for outstanding children’s book illustrations, “defines the picture book audience as birth to age 14” (Fingerson & Killeen 32). Many topics tackled by picture book authors are more appropriate for middle school students and are created with the adolescent reader in mind. Their topics are sophisticated, inviting in-depth discussion. Issues that are important and very real to young adolescents—homelessness, crime, environmental problems (Beane 1993)—are easily explored through picture books. The mature content of these books, written specifically for middle school readers, lends itself to opportunities for thoughtful analysis and critical thinking.

It seems that picture books are worth a thousand words and offer a positive reading experience for everyone.

Inquiry Based Learning

By: Carol King, FUSE Instructor

As the world that our children are growing up in is changing, the way they view and learn about it needs to change as well. Schools are tasked with continually adapting to best meet the needs of students. There are several modern ways to approach teaching and learning that help children become 21st century learners who collaborateand problem-solve, are digitally literate, and can think critically. One effective method used in many classrooms today is called Inquiry Based Learning.

What Is Inquiry Based Learning?

Inquiry Based Learning (IBL) is a way for students to learn through exploration and investigation. Students are presented with a question or problem,then are allowed the time and freedom to discuss with their peers, research information, and engage in hands-on activities. Students are required to base their discoveries on evidence and often delve into data to support their investigations. Communication of their findings is also an important part of the process. Whether by writing or presentation, students share what they’ve learned with their peers.

What Does It Look Like In The Classroom?

There are many ways to use IBL across all subject areas. In a science classroom, this might come in the form of creating a water filter out of recyclable materials or determining a correlation between genetics and certain diseases. Social Studies students may determine alternate ways that the American Revolution could have been handled or plan and design a functioning community. In reading class, students could explore characters in a novel, participate in in-depth character study discussion groups, determine how a character’s decision in a novel could have changed the outcome, and then justify a character’s choices. These are just a few of the many applications of IBL in the classroom. By allowing students to investigate and collaborate, what they learn has depth and meaning.

The Benefits

There are several benefits to teaching students through inquiry based learning methods. Students are at the center of this process, therefore are often more engaged due to feeling ownership of their learning. This investigative approach challenges students’ thinking and places a priority on evidence, logic, and imagination. By sharing their outcome, students practice communicating using appropriate vocabulary and learning to justify their conclusions.

Why Is It Important?

Inquiry Based Learning is an engaging approach that keeps students excited and accountable for their academic experiences. This teaching style forces them to be creative thinkers and explorers who can support and justify their findings. It provides opportunities for students to gain 21st century skills and thought processes needed to be valuable members of our community and future workforce, as well as lifelong learners.

For more information about the Clarksville Academy FUSE program visit: https://clarksvilleacademy.com/academics/lower-school/fuse/