ST 1.7

STEM educators collaborate as an interdisciplinary team to plan, implement, and improve integrated STEM learning experiences.

Teacher Teamwork

The teachers at Munford Elementary School meet regularly to plan ways to improve the STEAM experiences offered to our students and to review the work being done at the school towards STEM Certification. Our team of teachers participates in planning that involves intentional, regular, and collaborative meetings to create meaningful STEAM experiences for all students. During professional development sessions, the focus has been to enhance teachers’ pedagogical knowledge of integrating STEAM into all subject areas and to effectively incorporate technology to enhance instructions in impactful ways. In addition to school-wide meetings, we have developed a Teacher STEAM Focus Team that meets regularly to plan and discuss STEAM implementation at Munford Elementary school which is comprised of the school leadership team, the science resource teacher, and one teacher from each grade-level who does turn-around training with their grade level after the focus team meetings. We regularly exchange ideas and expertise to ensure student and program success.

Providing Professional Development

We began the process of collaboration for STEAM implementation several years ago as we developed and transitioned to the 1:1 Initiative. Several members of our faculty and administration made school visits to determine the best route for our school to travel to ensure the success of the initiative. Those visiting other schools or attending professional development returned to our school and presented their learning to the faculty. This same approach has been followed as we made the decision to pursue AdvancED STEM certification.

Munford Elementary School teachers have common planning times within each grade level to collaborate and design lessons that improve STEAM learning experiences , as well as, monthly meetings to discuss data and suggest improvements to enhance student learning. Teachers also lead personalized, professional development sessions for their peers during our in-service days at MES. Personalized PD led by classroom teachers has helped advance the STEAM initiative at Munford Elementary by allowing teachers to identify their own professional development needs and seek support in those areas.

Teachers also have opportunities for embedded STEAM training during the work day by joining the STEAM teacher, Mrs. Clifton, and the Makerspace Lab Teacher, Mrs. Waites, during the lessons with their students each week. These co-teaching opportunities have provided job-embedded coaching and mentoring which has led to more integrated STEAM learning experiences for students. The technology integration specialist/DLP Coach, Mrs. Smith, also works with eight teachers per nine weeks to help them learn new technology strategies and tools to increase impactful use of technology in the classroom.

Several of our teachers have led presentations on STEAM and technology topics around the state of Alabama. Seven of our teachers presented at Talladega County’s own STEAM by Design conference in October 2018. In addition , Mrs. Clifton and Mrs. Watts presented STEAM in Reading at the Alabama Blended Learning Symposium in the fall of 2018 as did Mrs. Smith and Mrs. Bradford in the fall of 2017. Also, Mrs. Clifton led a STEAM in Reading session for AMSTI-UM in January of 2018.

Teachers also actively seek individual opportunities for professional development outside of what is offered at school. Some examples of extra professional development teachers have participated in include Space Camp, Stories of the Past, Alabama Technology Education Conference, Empower, Closing the Achievement Gap Conference, and Core Academy.

Kicking it off in Kindergarten

In kindergarten, teachers collaborate and share resources related to STEAM across all subjects. Teachers plan cross-curricular units that integrate standards through PBL projects and STEAM-related activities.

Moving Forward in First Grade

In first grade, teachers collaborate monthly to plan STEAM activities to use during houses. In addition, teachers have attended professional development on cross-curricular lessons.

Sharing our Second Grade Ideas

In second grade, teachers collaborate to plan STEAM learning experiences through Mystery Science, Rozzy Learning, and Discovery Education. Teachers attended a county-wide STEAM Symposium at B.B. Comer High School, and have collaborated through professional development with our AMSTI math specialists.

Taking Technology to the Next Level in Third

In third grade, teachers collaborate to plan STEAM learning experiences through various outlets such as Mystery Science, Lego WeDo, Project Lead the Way, and Discovery Education. Teachers work collaboratively in PD sessions to learn how to “STEAMify” lessons in each content area.

Forming Lasting Lessons in Fourth

In fourth grade, teachers work together to integrate STEAM into Reading, Language, Science, Math, and Alabama History. This is done through PBL projects and everyday STEAM activities. For example, fourth grade teachers introduced Samuel Morse and his code while learning to read informational text. Then, in STEAM, they coded messages through Lego WeDo. As a follow up activity, students “coded” a Valentine’s Day message on bracelets. New teachers are supported in implementing this way of teaching by participating in a dual coaching cycles with the instructional partner and the technology integration specialist to help them understand how technology can be used to support the strong instruction that takes place in the core curriculum.

Finding Fun and Functional ideas in Fifth

In fifth grade, teachers meet together to collaboratively plan, implement, and improve PBL projects that have cross-curricular activities which reinforce the engineering design process. Teachers work together to incorporate STEAM into the reading curriculum and collaborate with the STEAM teacher to extend classroom learning into the STEAM lab. Fifth grade teachers recently collaborated with eighth grade teachers at Munford Middle School during a PBL on Newton's Laws of Motion. The eighth grade students partnered with fifth graders and created games using the Laws of Motion.

Fearless in Physical Education

At Munford Elementary, even our Physical Education teachers are supporting our STEAM learning through a variety of physical activities that incorporate problems solving, mathematics, communication, and collaboration. Physical education teachers have also partnered with the STEAM teacher to help fifth grade students code Sphero SPRK+ robots to count the number of jumping jacks they could complete in one minute.

Report abuse