STEAM program steaming ahead at TP
By the fall 2014, the STEAM program will be fully implemented at the Thomas Prince School, according to principal Mary Cringan.
STEAM stands for science, technology, engineering, arts and math.
“The program has been around since the early 1990s after the National Science Foundation found that businesses and colleges were finding a void in kids being prepared for the math and science world,” said Cringan. The president is also talking about our need to beef up science and math curriculums, she added.
“The STEM and STEAM programs were most often focused at the high school level, but have moved to the middle school level and now more elementary schools are joining the movement,’’ she said. “Little kids are like sponges, soaking up information, so with this program they can understand better the connection between math, science, engineering, technology and the arts. The program used to be STEM, then several years ago they realized that a design process is all about the arts, so that was added. The focus is on taking the common core frameworks, which we are already obligated to teach, and making the connection in a unified manner.”
For example, when ecology is the subject, the program would also include reading, math and writing. At one time, everything was about that one subject, so the math they did would have no connection to another area. “Kids were only seeing things in isolation, ‘’ she said.
But, “now with STEAM, teachers can make the connection easier and smoother for kids to understand. STEAM is a framework for teachers across the disciplines, whereby the curriculum is integrated to make the connection for kids in a more systematic manner than in the past.”
Under STEAM, teachers will spend more time on reading and research about problems connected with a subject. If a group is researching landfill, they will study how many tons it takes to fill the landfill, how many plastic bottles does the landfill contain that never break down, what’s biodegradable, and how long it would take the landfill to reach capacity by mathematically solving problems, she said. Kids will write poetry about landfills and discover what has to happen to change the way people dispose of waste. “Teachers will work closer to make sure all curriculum will be impacted. Instead of a math teacher just teaching math, they will connect it, for example to the subject of landfills. Kids love getting deeper into a subject because as they go deeper into, it they learn more, especially if it’s visual, she said.
“STEAM provides much more of a hands-on learning environment,” said Cringan. “Teachers are really excited about this because they can collaborate with each and share knowledge.”
For instance, this year one of the teachers expressed an interest in tapping trees at the school and making maple syrup. “It’s STEAM on the second grade level,” said Cringan. The teacher researched how to do it, then connected with the town library to get books on making maple syrup, talked with people that did this, and got parents involved.
Students had to go out and identify maple trees on the school property, then every child got to help drill holes, hammer in spouts, put up pails, and keep track of the weather conditions, so now the kids understand the process, and why maple syrup costs so much, she said.
“Sap started flowing like you wouldn’t believe. The kids tasted the sap out of the tree at first, which had no taste, and at the end, they’ll pour some syrup over ice cream or pancakes,” said Cringan. One Sunday on her way to church, the teacher stopped to check on the sap and found one bucket full and another one overflowing so she came back and collected the sap.
“The kids estimated how many gallons they’d get when it is boiled down, read up on maple syruping, did the math, figuring the difference between quarts and gallons, are writing short stories about it, and will go on a field trip to see a sugar shack. That’s an example of STEAM in a second grade class. To tie it into engineering, the kids were saying a round bucket doesn’t work well against the tree, so to solve that the kids will design a better way to do it by thinking outside the box, said Cringan. “When you learn by experience, you remember it.
“The curriculum is evolving based on the time of year and opportunities,” she added.
The school will partner more with Mass Audubon and other institutions, and when the new high speed Broadband is up and running, students can Skype with scientists in California and other places, she said.
“We have the nature trails, vernal pools and with those the kids have the experience of doing things hands-on, and their test scores will be better because they remember the experiences. There’s opportunity to do some online learning and share with other STEAM schools.”
“We’ll pilot some things this fall and hope we’ll be working with WPI and consultants. WPI is already working with high schools at Quabog, in Douglas and Leominster,’’ she said. “They are interested in us because we are a K-8 school.”
WPI would provide its experience of collaboration with other STEAM schools, guide TPS in the program, and provide research-based professional development programs, online collaboration and opportunities to connect with WPI faculty, said Cringan.
“We still have to teach curriculum, the same as all the other schools,’’ said Cringan. Since STEAM has been proposed, TPS has been getting lots of calls of interest. Cringan decided to set up public tours so parents could take a look at the school. “Most people that have expressed an interest in school choice and the STEAM program at Thomas Prince are so far planning on driving their own children,” she said. If opting for bus transportation as part of interdistrict school choice, students would be driven by parents to an existing bus stop in Princeton at a town line to be picked up by bus and taken to Thomas Prince.
STEAM is slated to start in the fall on a limited basis. Some of the units the teachers have been doing will continue and add technology and engineering, she said.
“We’re excited. It’s going to be hard work, but it’s the right thing to do for the kids.”