Standard 8

Standard 8 - Students engage in self-directed STEAM learning guided by educators who are effective facilitators of learning.

As facilitators of learning, our teachers recognize that student learning must be both engaging and meaningful to the students' lives. While our units of study are ultimately guided by the Georgia Standards of Excellence, we recognize that the standards are just the starting point for creating student-led inquiry and investigations. As IB and STEAM educators, we know the thirst and excitement for learning starts with our provocation. Right from the start, teachers write down all student questions on the central idea  no matter how "off-topic" or out there they may seem at that time. Sometimes the "off-topic" questions in the moment end up being the most relevant and interesting as our inquiry develops. 

At Warren T. Jackson, we want our students to always be inquirers and to wonder. Through posing questions and encouraging students to take actions within every IB unit, extended inquiry pbl, and STEAM challenge our students are constantly engaging in self-directed STEAM learning. The Engineering Design Process helps guide our students through the problem-solving and learning process with our teachers becoming guides and learners themselves. Teachers challenge the students to think beyond their first solution and to take time to stop and give feedback to others. 

We encourage and celebrate when our students take initiative and action to ask and solve their own problems that they encounter at Jackson, in the community, and in our world. To support this, we have an action wall where students share and celebrate how others have taken action during their unit of study and pbl. This encourages our students to realize inquiry does not stop outside the walls of WTJ--you are always an inquirer and problem solver!