About McSTEAM
The Fayetteville School McSTEAM Center is designed to house each student daily from grades Pre-K through Twelfth.
Students visit the McSTEAM Lab at their convenience to checkout books throughout the day. It does not matter how many times that the student visits because McSTEAM promotes an Flexible Open Door Policy. Thus also giving students access to the STEAM Lab and Maker Space as well. Students grades Pre-K through Fifth also visit once monthly for a literacy-based, STEAM focused lesson engaging them in literature and the Engineering Design Process.
The McSTEAM schedule has multiple open slots throughout the week each week when Ms. Kornegay, the Media Specialist, partners with teachers Pre-K through 12th grade to provide students with enriching lessons related to the classroom curriculum and embedded within Project Based Learning students are involved in. This type flexibility and adaptability ensures that students are provided maximum opportunities to learn and create each month, all while immersed within the standards.
Copy of McSteam (1).mp4
HISTORY of McSTEAM
The Fayetteville McSTEAM program was created in 2017 by the then Media Specialist; Jaye Machen, Digital Learning Specialist; Stephanie Brooks and Principal Amy Smith. It was the first program of its kind in the county, setting ways for others to follow. McSTEAM took on the role of Media Center and STEAM Lab.
The vision for the Media Center and STEAM Lab is to join forces to enhance student learning and promote student growth. The main goal of McSTEAM is to promote literacy and technology and to break barriers beyond the school norm.
MCSTEAM_PRES.mp4While students grades PreK - 12th visit McSTEAM, they are encouraged to become active readers and develop a love for reading. They learn that it takes all genres of books to complete the learning circle. They also foster a culture where reading can take the reader on a journey. This helps connect the gap with McSTEAM by being an environment for students to create and dream of endless possibilities to promote growth and make our world a better place to reside.
While students are in the McSTEAM atmosphere, they learn that collaboration is an important role of society. Students learn to build knowledge and connect that knowledge with others to make a better product. McSTEAM teaches the Engineering Design Process to students, so there is a solid guideline for students to follow across the board. In McSTEAM, students learn to become leaders and not followers. They learn that each role is a vital part of the project. Students learn that making mistakes is also important part of the learning process. They continue to learn that sometimes things do not go wrong until the final product. That is why correcting the final product and sharing it with others is so important.
Under the direction of Mrs. Brooks and Mrs. Wales, our school achieved Cognia STEM Certification, one of the most distinguished certifications a school can earn. Fayetteville was, in fact, the VERY FIRST K-12th grade school in the nation to earn this honor.
Even through the Covid-19 pandemic, former Media Specialist Cecilia Wales and Instructional Specialist Stephanie Brooks, along with Dynamic Learning Partner Missy Bullen worked with teachers to provide students with lessons and experiences, engaging students even while socially distanced.
Now, emerging on the other side of the pandemic, Fayetteville has a newly redesigned McSTEAM Center, boasting a student centered reading area, student collaboration booths, an enhanced Maker Space wall and a STEAM area chock full of new technology for students and teachers to employ. Current Media Specialist Amber Smith, is eagerly anticipating what this year and the years to come have in store for our Fayetteville Family in McSTEAM.