STEM K12 8: Students engage in self-directed STEM learning guided by educators who are effective facilitators of learning.

Impact Narrative:

At Kelly Mill, educators guide self-directed learning through the 4-Cs (creativity, collaboration, critical thinking, and cooperation). We foster an environment where students are encouraged to create and drive STEM projects through their curiosity and inquiry. The educators at our school utilize the STEM lab, STEM and mathematics closets, creativity playground, and the art, drama, and music classrooms to support students in their engagement and exploration.

In conjunction with the 5-E Model, all students at Kelly Mill follow the engineering design process when working on projects across different content areas. Each classroom has a design process poster visible to students, guiding them as they engage in their self-directed learning activities. Some examples of these learning opportunities are:

• 1st-grade Lemonade Wars (internal business opportunity based on the novel)

• K-5 STEM Bins

• 5th-grade enrichment specialty classes (hotel design project, mining activity)

• 4th-grade bathroom design project

• School-wide Toy Box Project

As evident, students at Kelly Mill utilize the school’s five tenants (wisdom seekers, Colts who care, difference makers, world changers, and family), the 4-Cs (critical thinking, communication, creativity, and collaboration), and the 5-Es cohesively, when engaged in STEM learning. Our team of highly qualified, invested, and effective facilitators are dedicated to developing life-long learners who will be able to independently navigate through the STEM process wherever their future educational paths take them.

We continue to embed the 5E Model, emphasizing extending student usage of elaborate and evaluation. Adding more student reflection processes through STEM journals in engineering and science are also areas of continued growth for Kelly Mill. Finally, we plan to implement more data collection from students year-to-year through these more significant project outcomes to drive the direction for large-scale and grade-level work through STEM.

Initiatives/Actions/Artifacts:

• Lemonade Wars

• STEM Boxes

• Adult Restroom Design Project

• Toy Box Project

• Virtual STEM Experiences

• STEM Enrichment Specialty Classes

• Teacher Growth Reflection Data