Culture
At MVJH our classroom teachers plan lessons to engage students and incorporate the 5Cs of learning; collaboration, communication, creative thinking, critical thinking, and citizenship skills. The 5Cs of learning are skills that will serve students well as they progress through their learning paths in elementary, secondary, and college. As they enter the global job market, the 5Cs will also be skills employers want to see in their employees. The 5Cs are also a major focus of STEM best practices. All instruction, at MVJH, employs as many of these skills as possible.
MVJH teachers use their common plan time to prepare lessons that address the computer science standards. A STEM approach to lesson planning allows teachers to build in problem-solving and design-thinking opportunities for students to practice the 5Cs of learning. STEM lessons are prepared, planned, and executed quarterly. Instructional and STEM coaches collaborate with classroom teachers to provide support, resources, and live-event learning.
MVJH students are fortunate to have a dedicated PLTW teacher and classes each quarter. They not only receive STEM instruction in their regular classrooms, but also receive an additional STEM lessons from the PLTW teacher each quarter.
Students’ attitudes and interests show growth in the area of STEM education. The STEM culture at MVJH is changing the way our students rank their priorities. When asked about their favorite class at MVJH, our students are more than likely going to say, “STEM!” Our culture provides a rich environment for our students to experience a strong STEM program.
1.2 Learning Modalities
The school's STEM program has an explicit plan for continuity of STEM learning regardless of modality (in-person, remote, or hybrid) including each of the following:
1) Integrated STEM lessons in the context of solving a real world problem.
2) Students to work in a team either synchronously or asynchronously.
3) A variety of methods used to assess STEM learning.
1.5 Measurement of Student Attitudes/Interests
Formal measurement of students' attitudes toward STEM and/or interest in STEM classes/career pathways are measured at least two times per school year and the school's STEM program is revised, as needed, based upon analysis of this data.
1.7 STEM Instructional Feedback
All of these indicators are documented:
1) Evaluation indicators have been determined, in the current local evaluation instrument or through modifying the local evaluation instrument, for identifying targeted STEM instructional practices.
2) All evaluators are trained in observing targeted STEM instructional practices, using the local evaluation instrument.
3) Evaluators incorporate feedback on targeted STEM instructional practices in formative and summative evaluations, using the local evaluation instrument.
1.8 Ongoing Support
At least 75 percent of teachers experience at least one of these forms of instructional supports, related to STEM instruction, on a quarterly basis:
1) peer observation
2) lesson study
3) critical feedback
4) coaching
5) modeling
6) action research
7) mentoring
8) targeted professional development sessions
9) curriculum training
1.9 Access and Opportunity to STEM Courses and Programs
Our master schedule allows for 100% of our students to participate in STEM instruction. Teachers, in our district, have received training in Project Lead the Way, Project-Based Learning, Design-Thinking, and STEM training. Teachers have created PBL lesson units for instructing students and integrating STEM opportunities. A STEM classroom may be a messy challenge for our cleaning crew, but the collaboration and communication by all staff makes this endeavor a truly beautiful work of progress. STEM times are respected by all staff and pull-out services are planned around the STEM schedule.