ST1.10
Community, post-secondary, business/industry partners and/or families actively support and are engaged with teachers and students in the STEM program.
Embedded Files
Strengths
Teachers collaborate with each other as well as seek collaborative partners outside the school walls in order to provide the most authentic foundations of learning. We strive to keep open communication with parents, business owners, and various other individuals that are invested in our student's success. In order to extend our STEM connections we call on these individuals to be guest speakers, volunteers, and assist teachers in real-world connections/experiences.
Lincoln Elementary School is a model for any school with goals of developing an innovator’s mindset. Many visitors including teachers, principals, and central office personnel visit our school to talk with our students and teachers about our journey. The feedback is always positive and has enabled us to develop a vast network with fellow educators and stakeholders. Visits have spurred return visits with larger groups to see the vision they have for their schools in action. Comments like, "your school is the destination we are headed toward", let us know that what we are doing is to be commended.
Weaknesses/Challenges
We have many partnerships with community and business owners in our area. Some of those partnerships include support in the form of monetary donations and materials. Our goal is to involve those community members in a deeper capacity. We want to increase the frequency and depth at which our partnerships are utilized including school visits, real-world application to their particular job, and STEM connections.
Action to Sustain Strengths/Action to Address Weaknesses
To sustain as well as strengthen our school in this area, we will continue to work towards building deep and lasting relationships with our community partners. Moreover, we will strengthen our relationships by inviting more business leaders into the classroom to provide real world connections for our students.
Action to address weakness is moving STEAM Career Day lead by professionals to the beginning of the school so teachers can connect with local community members. This time will provide teachers an opportunity to plan and collaborate for future PBL STEAM projects. At the end of the year, having a STEAM Career Showcase and allowing our students to focus on the skills and instructional components through projects related to those careers.
Key Exemplars
Key Exemplars
STEAM Career Day
STEAM Career Day
As our students become enriched in STEM activities throughout the school, we felt it was important to make the connection with Career Day as well. We invite guest speakers from a variety of careers from around our community. Students begin learning career opportunities, meeting community leaders, making plans and setting goals for their futures. During Career Day, teachers build partnerships with our local community members so in return have an open communication during the school year.
Electricity
Electricity
Over the past 10 years, Alabama Power has partnered with Lincoln Elementary School to provide our students with the understanding of how to be safe around electricity. The Safe-T-Opolis interactive program is presented by specially trained Alabama Power employees. The program meets educational standards for fourth-graders in Alabama and is endorsed by the state Board of Education.
Assembly Line
Assembly Line
To Kick the lesson off, we invited a worker from our Lincoln city Honda factory to give a virtual tour of how an assembly line works at Honda and how it makes constructing more efficient.
Afterward, we began our lesson with Defined Stem Assembly Line. First, after watching the Ford Plant video we discussed how Khan, Ford’s architect used the engineering design process to design the most efficient factory assembly line to produce the most cars. We also discussed how the Honda plant also has the single story plant design and how many plants still use that design today.
When they began the task to design our assembly lines four stations based on the cars blueprint. Students wrote down in each station what materials were being used and drew a diagram of what it will look like. Next, students took turns getting out their materials for their station based on the plan. Students then began the task of demonstrating how their assembly line works by assembling their car starting with station one through four and ending with a totally finished car to begin testing.
Digital Learning Day
Digital Learning Day
Across the country, schools are transforming instructional practices to those that include digital tools and technology. Digital Learning Day provides an opportunity for collaboration, sharing of ideas, trying new digital tools, and celebrating digital learning. We have participated in this event for several years in various ways. On February 28, 2019, LES opened its doors to parents and the community for them to visit classrooms, the STEAM Lab and MakerSpace to see digital learning, creativity and making in action. Our students also showcased the extracurricular activities they are involved in, including Chorus, Running Club, Tech Team, Archery Team, E3 Club and more through digital presentations. Our teachers and students also connect with their peers globally through twitter and video presentations. Through this they are able to see what other classrooms are doing throughout the world and can gain insight and ideas for future digital endeavors.
Historical Lincoln Tour
Historical Lincoln Tour
As a kickoff to Lincoln Elementary’s fourth grade STEAM project for Alabama’s Bicentennial “One City, One Family”, Lincoln city leaders Mayor Carroll "Lew" Watson, former Council member Jean Burk , Police Capt. Darren Britton , and City Council member Mr. Billy Pearson loaded the buses with fourth graders for a historical Lincoln tour. Fourth graders learned all about the rich history of Lincoln city, along with a walk-of-Yesterday in old downtown Lincoln area.
As part of their project students created a city website with pictures and information on the past and present of the city of Lincoln. Mayor Watson and Ms. Jean Burk will partner with teachers and students to help provide more on the history of Lincoln.
Student’s were absolutely amazed to learn about the past of many buildings and events that took in Lincoln. One being that Lincoln was once called “Kingsville”. There is no doubt that students are excited and eager to begin this project for our community.
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