By: Ellen Windels
Some may not be familiar with STEAM, previously known as the more recognizable STEM. The acronym stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics. This programming has received a large push in education in recent years to prepare students for the scientific and technological changes of the modern age. This past school year, Falls Elementary implemented a new STEAM program to “help broaden our students’ exposure to 21st-century skills and technology”. The program is directed by Ariana Zahradka.
Mrs. Zahradka summarized the purpose of this program excellently: “The goals of the STEAM lab and STEAM instruction are to foster the development of hands-on real-world skills, and to encourage creativity, perseverance and team building through project based learning. Ultimately, we want to unlock a world of wonder and innovation, which students can explore into high school and hopefully into careers in STEM related fields.”
You might ask, why is it so important to have STEAM in our schools? Well, for one, it gives students a break from the typical classroom instruction to do more novel, hands-on projects. “Someone who struggles with traditional math, for example, may really benefit from the hands-on nature of using math in a real-world situation. Someone who struggles to stay on task when doing a worksheet in a traditional classroom may really thrive when they have an interactive, “get-out-of-your-seat-and-move” style of learning,” explained Zahradka. Students get the opportunity to learn new skills and utilize existing ones in a different way.
STEAM is a “speciality” at Falls Elementary - that means, classrooms in all grade levels rotate through the room, going once or twice a week for about 42 minutes. “STEAM has something for everyone, regardless of ability, age or interest area”. It’s combined with the Library, which Zahradka also supervises, and students are in both classes at least one day of the week.
The STEAM classroom is a non-traditional environment where students interact with all kinds of resources and get a chance to truly experiment. “The kids are engaged,” said Zahradka, “For the most part, I don’t have to struggle to get kids’ attention or engage them in the learning process. Kids are excited to do hands-on lessons, use technology and explore new things”. For that period, students become innovators and mini-scientists, who must use patience and perseverance to complete their task. “We learn that taking risks and not being afraid to fail and try again is okay”.
Activities in the STEAM classroom are stimulating, hands-on, and dynamic. For each grade level’s lesson, Mrs. Zahradka strives to integrate at least two of the STEAM focus areas, although it’s often even more. “For instance, we may learn about a particular animal’s habitat (Science), then create a drawing (Art) or make a graph (Math) about an aspect of that habitat”. In a quick hour, students are exposed to a variety of important fields in a fun way, through games and challenges that also promote problem-solving and teamwork.
This is a new role for Zahradka, who has been a fifth-grade teacher at Falls Elementary for three years. “To be moved to something completely different, and to have to learn to teach all grade levels was a bit scary,” she said, but she soon realized that it “might be a really good fit for my personality, teaching style and knowledge base”. Zahradka was excited and ready for the challenge when the school year started.
One of the best parts for Zahradka has been that “there is endless opportunity to be creative - my parents were artists and musicians, and fostered a love of the creative process in me. I love that I get to share that with kids”. And, although it was intimidating at first, one of the things that Zahradka has loved about the position is getting to know every single student in the school and see the individual ways they approach problems. “I love watching kids succeed at hard things, things they didn’t think they could do. In many cases, the kids that do really well in my class are kids that don’t quite fit the “academic mold”. For instance, they may struggle with reading or interacting socially with others, but they are fantastic at coding and working with robotics”
The goal for STEAM is to build upon the curriculum over a student’s elementary education. “There are so many great STEAM lessons out there that I won’t have time to get to this year,” explains Zahradka. She’s hopeful that as the program continues she’ll be able to evolve her lessons and add many more enjoyable, educational activities into a student's schooling as they travel from kindergarten to fifth grade.
STEAM is a crucial program in our schools. It’s incredibly important for the youth of our community to have specific lessons focused on developing the skills that are vital for succeeding in our new technological age. “My hope,” said Zahradka, “is that by the time our students move on to high school, they will be ready and anxious for more, that they will choose classes that focus on science and technology, and that eventually they will become the designers, engineers, scientists and skilled trades workers that our community, state, country and world needs”
So what does a day in the STEAM room look like?
A typical class begins with instruction time at the carpet in front of the SMART Board, where the teacher may do a short lesson, show a video, or explain the directions for the activity that will be done that day. The teacher goes over rules for the use of materials, which have been set out ahead of time on the tables and gives instructions for how things are to be put away at the end of class. The students are then split into groups and navigate to their assigned table, where they complete the day's activities. The teacher and any helpers walk around to observe, encourage and assist the students as they work. Their focus is not to give out answers or do everything for the students, but to get students to an independent level where they can try new things, persevere in hard situations and work well as a team. Near the end of class, the teacher gives a 5 minute warning, the students clean up, and line up. While lined up, the teacher usually does a recap of what was learned and the students discuss what worked, what was challenging, etc. before the students return to the classroom.
