Whether you’re reading about education today, watching School Committee meetings on ICAM, or talking with Ipswich Public School faculty, parents or students, I’m sure you’ve been hearing the buzz about “STEAM.”
So, just what is “STEAM” in Ipswich Public Schools?
Our district’s definition of this work is:
"STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering,
Arts and Math) education engages students
with a sense of wonder about our ever-changing world through questioning, collaboration and innovative problem-solving."
STEAM work is creative and important, and it involves all our students PreK-12. STEAM “looks like” Doyon students figuring out how to build a zipline across a ravine, Winthrop students contemplating how to make a “kid” out of wires and rocks and batteries, middle schoolers designing water filtration systems and high schoolers grappling with solar panels. STEAM is truly 21st Century work and it is funded through the Override provided by this generous Ipswich community.
STEAM uses principles of “design thinking” to support students in identifying a problem, brainstorming possible solutions, and using Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math content areas and skills to create tangible, hands-on solutions to these real-world problems. In STEAM work, the district’s Successful Habits of Mind are front and center. Students must think critically and creatively and learn from their mistakes.
How did this work begin?
Ipswich Public Schools completed a comprehensive review of STEAM work being done in all our schools in the 2014-2015 school year. To do this, an educational consultancy visited 27 classrooms across the district to measure Rigor, Relevance and Learner Engagement in regard to STEAM work. The resulting analysis was the STEAM-Focused Needs Assessment Report and Strategic Plan by the International Center for Leadership in Education.
The document gives a “Needs Analysis” of ten recommendations for moving IPS forward in STEAM work. Alongside this work, a dedicated Ipswich Public Schools STEAM Team of teachers, administrators, students and community members worked tirelessly on developing a working draft of a district STEAM vision statement and bringing an aligned approach to STEAM work to IPS. Much thanks to this inaugural STEAM Team for their hard work!
What’s happening with STEAM this year?
Thanks to the generous Override, IPS principals started this school year with budgeted funding for STEAM work and the district moved forward to assemble this school year’s STEAM Team. This year’s STEAM Team is comprised of 5 community and business members (including New England BioLabs, SanTron and Change is Simple folks), 3 administrators, 7 teachers, 1 School Committee member and 2 students. Together, we continue to meet throughout the school year in order to move the STEAM work started last year forward. New England BioLabs generously volunteered to host two of our work-intensive days.
This year's STEAM Team's work is guided by the “Needs Analysis” from last year. As such, we have dedicated our time this year to moving forward in three areas, including (1) continuing a STEAM action plan, (2) organizing and setting the stage for STEAM professional development, and (3) establishing school events around STEAM challenges. The STEAM Team continues to meet to work on developing resources and events around these three areas.
All community members are invited to see STEAM in action at the Feoffee Showcase, 5-7 PM on Thursday, April 14th at the PAC. Visit the Ensemble Room to see a video of STEAM work and add your voice to the “STEAM Board.” Visit the wooden gym to see robotics and student-built cars. Along the way, you’ll see examples of all the innovative work being done, as funded by the Feoffee Grants. Come see us here and say hello!
What can I look forward to next year?
Whether it be Makerspaces (places with all the gadgets and gizmos and resources students need to tinker and create), professional development, Pathways, resources or collaboration opportunities, STEAM work is undeniably written all across our school district’s 2016-2017 budget for the coming school year. Compass (curriculum), PLC (facilitation) and Technology (technology as a teaching and learning tool) teacher leadership opportunities, also funded in this budget, further support and inform this alignment work. In this, we keep the promises of the Override, funding STEAM in all our schools.
Look forward to hearing and seeing more, whether it be in as “big” a venue as a district-wide STEAM Fair or as “small” a venue as your kitchen table. Throughout, we will continue to work with the community partners that are vital to helping students make necessary school and career connections. Through this, Ipswich Public School students will continue to become the innovators and artists, great thinkers and problem-solvers our 21st Century world needs.
Look forward to hearing and seeing more, whether it be in as “big” a venue as a district-wide STEAM Fair or as “small” a venue as your kitchen table. Throughout, we will continue to work with the community partners that are vital to helping students make necessary school and career connections. Through this, Ipswich Public School students will continue to become the innovators and artists, great thinkers and problem-solvers our 21st Century world needs.
