ST 1.1
The STEM school/program supports non-traditional student participation through outreach to groups often underrepresented in STEM program areas.
Engaging Students with STEAM
Munford Elementary is a rural school with approximately 65 percent of the students living below the poverty threshold according to school data reported by the National School Lunch Program. At MES, all students have access to high quality STEAM education experiences. An area of strength for ST1.1 is that all students at Munford Elementary School are exposed to a STEAM curriculum both in their classrooms and in the STEAM or Makerspace Lab. STEAM disciplines, concepts, and methodologies are embedded in everyday instruction and made available to all students without exclusion. Our students receiving special education services, female students, and students of poverty represent groups of non-traditional students who receive STEAM education on a regular basis. During STEAM instruction, teachers focus on the content standards of the Alabama Course of Study and STEM Standards which emphasize creativity, rigor, collaboration, and equity.
Communication
We share our STEAM program with others through various methods of outreach to keep both parents and community stakeholders informed of school events and programs involving the STEAM initiative and activities. Remind 101, ClassDojo, SeeSaw, and BlackBoard's Mass Notification system, and the school's social media accounts are used throughout the year to provide open communication and encouragement for all parents. Our school website is also used as a form of communication as the monthly newsletters and calendars are posted for all stakeholders to see. A Back-to-School Open House provides parents the opportunity to see a presentation about the school programs offered in addition to providing a time for both question and answer and program sign-up booths. Parents also learn about STEAM during our family STEAM Nights, Leadership Celebrations, and Coffee and Collaboration Days.
STEAM Family Nights
Munford Elementary School holds a STEAM Family Night in February each year which always has a large turnout of both parents and stakeholders. The first STEAM family night was held in February of 2017. We used the first STEAM Family Night as a tool to educate our community on STEAM education. Stations were set up so that parents could participate in STEAM-related activities with their children to explore coding activities and technology programs used at school.
The second STEAM family night included activities in Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts, and Math in which families could participate. The responses from our guests were overwhelmingly positive.
The most recent family night at MES was on February 28, 2019, in which a third of our student population and their families attended and provided great feedback about the event. One parent said, "I love that my girls are able to be part of a team that gives them hands-on opportunities and stimulates their minds to further themselves." Another parent shared that her favorite part of Family Night is how the teachers collaborate with the parents to engage their children in STEAM. Each wing of Munford Elementary School hosted activities representing all five aspects of STEAM. In addition, a collaborative family drum circle was offered in the gym and a family art mural was created in the lunchroom. It was a great night of collaboration among family members, students, and teachers.
STEAM in the Classroom
Thinking Thankful
In fifth grade, students completed STEAM challenges on House Days with connections to their communities and math standards. In the month of November, students were challenged with creating a Thanksgiving table that would hold food for a large family. Students created Thanksgiving “table” prototypes out of paper and tape. Students were provided an allotted amount of paper and tape and were instructed to complete a prototype that would hold canned goods. Groups tested their designs to see which design was the strongest and held the most Thanksgiving food.
Christmas Collaboration
In fourth grade, students worked collaboratively to research the Rockefeller Christmas Tree. After reading a book about it, they worked together to build their own Christmas tree out of paper chains. They also created their own ornaments that represented themselves. Then, students read a passage about Christmas tree safety and collaboratively planned ways to keep an egg which represented a Christmas tree safe on a vehicle that would move down a ramp. After building and testing their vehicles, students gave each other feedback on what went well and what could have been improved.
Presenting to Parents
In third grade, students worked in collaborative groups to research and learn about Native American tribes from Alabama. Students took notes using a lotus diagram. Each student created their own diorama of their tribe based on what they learned in class and at home with their parents. Students then created a Google slide to present their information to parents during their Native American Expo in the lunchroom. Parents were able to rotate around to different stations and hear multiple students present their findings.
100 Days at MES
In kindergarten, all students celebrated the 100th day of school by working collaboratively to build structures using various collections of 100 objects. Students used blocks, straws, Popsicle sticks, cups, cubes, etc. to design and create their stand-alone structures. The 100th Day Celebration was an engaging way to integrate the EDP process with math standards as students collected, sorted, and represented 100 in a variety of unique ways!
There has been a 10.5% increase in girls on the STEAM Team during the 2018-2019 school year. Currently, 65% of the students on the team are girls!
STEAM Team
STEAM Team is an after school program that is open to all fourth and fifth grade students. The STEAM Team places a special emphasis on STEAM throughout its curriculum. Students apply to be a part of the STEAM Team program and participate in Regional Competitions. Students are chosen based on teacher recommendations and a rubric. Due to efforts made to encourage participation of girls on this team, this year an overwhelming 65% of the team was comprised of female students. This program is of no costs to members. Students in this program are given opportunities to create solutions to real-world problems using the Engineering Design Process.
