Embedded Files
Domain Summary: Instruction
Domain Summary: Instruction
During the past few years as we've been developing Kokomo High School's STEM Academy, teachers have received training during weekly academy meetings, through school-offered professional development, and through PD offered from other organizations, including Purdue, Ball State, and Fable Robotics. We've worked together to plan and implement our first academy-wide cross curricular STEM unit based on tiny houses. Teachers have written grants and received additional training to develop more units and lessons with a STEM focus. The 4Cs of STEM: Communication, Collaboration, Creativity, and Critical Thinking are integrated into our classrooms on a regular basis. We strive to teach students skills they'll need not just in high school, but beyond - whether that is college, trade school, or a career. We're proud of the steps we've made to improve and increase our STEM instruction.
3.1 STEM Instructional Approach Training
3.1 STEM Instructional Approach Training
At least 50 percent of teachers have been trained in implementing a STEM instructional approach in the context of solving a real-world problem or challenge
SHAK Maker Space
SHAK Maker Space
75% of the staff members in the Kokomo STEM Academy participated in STEM/PBL training put on by SHAK Maker Space in Kokomo. The training was open to all staff members. Multiple professional development sessions have been put on, and we are excited to apply what we learned when 1st Makerspace installs our new maker lab next month.
Makerspace Instructional Training
Makerspace Instructional Training
The newspaper article below describes the newly opened Makerspace at the Kokomo STEM Academy. It also describes the Instructional training that Dr. Dewing is undertaking as part of her new role as Manager of the Makerspace.
Indiana GEAR UP
Indiana GEAR UP
Approximately half of the staff at the Kokomo STEM Academy went through training last year that was put on by Bill Walker from Indiana GEAR UP.
Puliyanda 3.1 Fable Robotics.pdf3.1 Rinker Gear up PD.pdfCollaborative Inquiry
Collaborative Inquiry
In November of this year, all teachers in the Kokomo STEM Academy went through the Collaborative Inquiry Training from Equitable Education Solutions.
3.2 STEM Instructional Approach Implementation
3.2 STEM Instructional Approach Implementation
At least 50 percent of teachers use a STEM instructional approach in the context of solving a real-world problem or challenge
Tuberculosis Treatment
Tuberculosis Treatment
In this grade 9 unit, students utilize ArcGIS software and other websites to examine tuberculosis and to determine where it is still prevalent in the world. Students work in groups (this year with virtual and in person students mixed and brought together via WebX). They select 1 area and work to develop possible treatment plans that would be effective in that part of the world.
Poe and the Red Death - JOY DEWING.docx
Ebola and the SIR Model
Ebola and the SIR Model
This less was taught using the SIR Model which focuses on three aspects:
Number of Susceptible Individuals
Number of Infected Individuals
Number of Recovered Individuals
STEM UNIT Plan SIR (Diener).docxSIRModelEbola.pdfBasics of SIR.pdfCovid-19 Biology
Covid-19 Biology
This Biology Unit was created as part of our Covid-19 Academy wide project.
COViD-19 project STEM lesson plan.docxCOVID-19 supplementary worksheets Project.pdfWhat is a Virus?
What is a Virus?
virus lesson-STEM.docxThe Pandemic Times
The Pandemic Times
The Pandemic Times.docxYellow Fever
Yellow Fever
schedule.docxUnit 8 English 10 STEM Project.pptxThe Social Impact of Covid 19
The Social Impact of Covid 19
STEM - Covid-19.docxCovid 19's Impact on the Music Industry
Covid 19's Impact on the Music Industry
Stem Unit April 2021.docxHydroponics
Hydroponics
In this activity the students are working to design a hydroponics setup that will use their own proprietary mixture of media to optimize water holding capacity, air filled porosity, and capillary action.
STEM_Challenge_Process_Worksheet.pdf158300_STEM_Hydroponics_FAS.pdfgrowth trial.docx158300_STEM_Hydroponics_WBR.pdfSTEM_Challenge_Vocabulary.pdfvoice over.docx158300_STEM_Hydroponics_SGM.pdfMichael_Julian_answers.pdf158300_STEM_Hydroponics_EAQ.docx3.3 Student Instructional Work Groups
3.3 Student Instructional Work Groups
At least two times per week and in at least 50 percent of classes, students work in groups as follows:
1) Students collaborate with peers based upon project/intended outcomes
2) Each group member has at least one assigned role that is critical to successful project/goal completion
3) Accountability is measured and recorded for each individual as well as the entire group
Collaboration
Collaboration
Students at Kokomo High School utilize our Makerspace to collaborate with one another on regular basis. It is the expectation that group work is carried out in all classes. Below, you will see images of students working together as they move through the engineering design process in a geometry unit focused on designing and prototyping kites. Another image depicts students carrying out a chemistry lesson as they learn about the research together the impact nitrogen has on the environment.
STEM Leadership Roles
STEM Leadership Roles
Below you will find the Leadership Roles and Responsibilities document which we use to identify what collaboration should look like in STEM instruction. You will note that each role is clearly defined and separated into two groups, static and dynamic roles based on the needs of the unit of study being implemented. Additionally, below this document, you will find our evaluation tool that we used to provide feedback to our students based on their individual role and their team as a collective.
STEM Leadership Roles (2).pdfCollaborative Work Groups
Collaborative Work Groups
In this unit focused on analyzing balloon flight, students were assigned and assessed on the roles they carried out as well as the way they worked together as a team.
Analyzing Balloon Flight - Hot Air Balloons - JENIFER SCOTT.pdfInstructional Feedback
Instructional Feedback
Students are broken apart into groups and assigned specific roles based on the PBL unit they are working on. Students are then asked to evaluate their work, their teammates, and their team as a whole.
Instructional Workgroup Survey Results
Instructional Workgroup Survey Results
60.8% of the students who took the survey stated that they regularly collaborate with their classmates on different tasks either every day, or at least twice a week.
65.2% of the students said that they collaborate with their classmates and their teachers on a regular basis.
Weekly Lesson Plan Outlining Workgroups
Weekly Lesson Plan Outlining Workgroups
The attached weekly lesson plan documents the instructional workgroups created in advance for students in our life-sciences class.
3.3 - 11-4 to 11-8 Weekly Lesson Plan-Group Work.docxballoon 3 - JENIFER SCOTT.PNGAutomatons
Automatons
As students explore what an automaton is by reading the book, The Invention of Hugo Cabret, they work in groups with assigned leadership roles as they move through the Engineering Design Process to research, design, and then build their own automaton.
October 26 English 10 STEM - JOY DEWING.pptxGroup Collaboration Survey
Group Collaboration Survey
This group collaboration survey was shared with the student body. The results (found below) clearly show that our students work in collaboration with one another in a variety of forms multiple times per week for more than 50% of the student body.
Students were able to identify a variety of types of work, projects, or tasks which they have collaborated on throughout the course of the school year.
Nearly 70% of the students cited that they prefer to work in teams.
3.4 Technology in Instruction
3.4 Technology in Instruction
Students use a variety of technologies to enhance their learning in investigations and problem solving e.g., data collection/analysis, design, creation, virtual simulations, research and communication at least 50 percent of the time
Red and Blue: Student News of Kokomo High School
Red and Blue: Student News of Kokomo High School
Kokomo High School students have leveraged their technology skills to develop and run their own online student newspaper. They work to gather stories, data, and information from the various student groups that comprise their population and then to share their stories in a digital format with their classmates.
Learning through 3D Printing
Learning through 3D Printing
We have begun integrating 3D printing into our instruction. Students are able to create rapid prototypes of solutions to design problems and test out their design skills.
Drones
Drones
Kokomo HS STEM Academy has recently invested in drones to integrate into multiple disciplines. They have used them to carry out a mapping and tracking of migration patterns unit.
Tiny Houses Commercial
Tiny Houses Commercial
Students leveraged their technology skills to create a commercial for the Tiny Houses Unit
Choir Tiny House.mp43.5 STEM Integration
3.5 STEM Integration
At least 50 percent of teachers are implementing the planned integrated STEM learning opportunities on a quarterly basis (see 1.3)
Tiny Homes
Tiny Homes
During the collaborative planning time outlined in element 1.3 teachers across the entire STEM Academy worked to develop this Tiny Homes cross-curricular unit that brought students from our entire academy together to make this an all encompassing STEM unit of study.
1.8 Transition - Tiny Home Rubric 2019.docxStaff 3.2A.docxThe Poisonwood Bible
The Poisonwood Bible
During her protected planning time, Jennifer Scott worked to develop a cross-curricular unit around the book, The Poisonwood Bible.
The Poisonwood Bible STEM Lesson Plan.docxEnglish is STEM
English is STEM
In our English 10 course, we read the book, The Invention of Hugo Cabret and then students worked collaboratively to build their own automatons from kits. Students follow the engineering design process throughout this task.
October 26 English 10 STEM - JOY DEWING.pptxTadpoles to Frogs
Tadpoles to Frogs
This unit, Tadpoles to Frogs was carried out over the course of a 5 month period as our Life Skills class observed the changes frogs go through in their life cycle.
Copy of 3.5 Rinker STEM Tadpoles to Frogs.docxMaglev Cars
Maglev Cars
This unit was created in collaboration with our science and our technology teacher. Students utilized their design notebooks to follow the engineering design process to build prototypes of maglev cars.
Maglev Car Testing.pptxLife Cycle Terrarium
Life Cycle Terrarium
The life skills class carried out a full scale investigation last year that is still continuing. This project as developed during our weekly collaborative planning time in conjunction with our science teacher. The investigation began with tadpoles brought in. The students observed and documented the stages the tadpoles went through in their development. Students struggled seeing some of them not be able to make it out of the water when they began to change and grow into frogs and eventually drown. As sad as this was, it was an incredible learning experience and lead to a full session discussion on how only the strong survive.
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