“Full STEAM ahead.” Electing an Elective.

Being part of an “Elective” programme at EISB is my very first exposure to this addition in a curriculum. I see the benefits of such an approach and I thoroughly enjoy being able to work with different age levels through various stimulating learning engagements. Students have a choice in what they would like to learn- hence, they elect the Elective they want to attend for that term.

STEAM

Science, Technology, Engineering, the ARTS and Mathematics (STEAM also known as STEM) is an Elective that is facilitated on Tuesdays and is one of my many highlights of the week. 

Students had been actively involved in problem solving in a very creative way. They discussed their plans, drew sketches and through “trial and error,” built a catapult to launch a “ghost marshmallow” using materials they could find around the classrooms. This activity (as does all STEAM activities) fostered critical thinking, opportunities for collaboration, making real-life connections and the application of various ATL skills- especially communication and critical thinking.

During the “catapult project,” students showed respect while planning in groups and continued the development of their interpersonal relationships. They listened to each other, valued each other’s opinions and negotiated the best ways to build their catapult. Not all catapults were a success but students recognized that this was acceptable. “We can learn from our mistakes!”

During a different STEAM Elective lesson, students worked on a quick craft activity that was related to their current unit projects on WW1 and WW2. They used templates to create a WW2 Spitfire plane.

I look am looking forward to many more STEAM projects for the rest of the academic year.