STEAM education at Taylor

There are many things that make Taylor Elementary a great place to learn and grow, but one in particular stands out from the rest. Since 2012, Taylor’s exemplary program has been STEAM: Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math.

Students across all grades meet once a week for a dedicated STEAM class. Taught by Katie Ross, Taylor’s Exemplary Project Coordinator, this class provides students the opportunity to learn through design challenges and productive struggle and to focus on building problem solving skills using the 4Cs: collaboration, communication, critical thinking and creativity.

Every student, pre-k through fifth grade, participates in coding activities ranging from code-a-pillars in pre-k, small robotics coding to more sophisticated coding applications for the upper grades. Some more examples of STEAM class activities include:

• For kindergarteners, most lessons are built around children’s literature to learn the 4Cs and problem solving skills.
• First graders learn about motion and forces using Hess trucks and building roller coaster mazes.
• Second graders learn all about inventors and their inventions, the inventing process that culminates in creating their own inventions.
• Fifth graders learn how to create their own Ninja Jr. courses using AI and Tinkercard.

What makes STEAM different from a regular science or art class? “STEAM is a very integrated and process-based approach to teaching,” says Ross.  “We are never learning about or teaching about one part of STEAM,” she said.  She further explains that STEAM uses the knowledge of math and science and arts (creativity and innovation) to engineer (problem solve) and create technologies (new ways of doing something, solutions).

In an effort to help integrate some of the STEAM lessons into the classroom, last year Taylor started school wide STEAM challenges in their homeroom classes. Teachers are provided materials and a month’s time to complete a design challenge with their class. “This is a great opportunity for students to use their problem solving skills and 4Cs outside of the STEAM classroom and for teachers to get more comfortable teaching through a problem based process”, says Ross.

STEAM Days

In addition to STEAM class, Taylor holds school-wide STEAM Day activities three to four times throughout the school year. “STEAM Days are an opportunity for students to use their skills that they are developing in class in a more authentic real world setting and to have the time to really dive deeper into the design process,” says Ross.  “It also gives all students shared experiences that helps to unite our school community.”

Here are a few examples of STEAM Day activities in which students have participated.

• For cardboard challenge day, students use various weights of cardboard and other provided materials to create functional arcade games that children from other grade levels can play in an arcade set up around the school.
• For the egg challenge, students collaborate with classmates to create devices that protect an egg from breaking when dropped from a high distance. The drop test starts from ladders and playground equipment and culminates in a final test with the fire department coming to school to drop students’ creations from atop a fire ladder.
• Using the Shark Tank theme, classes create a proposal to solve a real world problem in their school community. Students present their solution to a panel of teachers who then choose some of the ideas to be implemented around the school.
• Depending upon their area of interest, students from different grade levels work together to create everything from a mini-golf hole, building a ukulele to studying architecture.
• The annual Career Day is also a part of STEAM Day activities. This event attracts between 20 to 30 parent and community volunteers who share interesting information about their various occupations with Taylor students.

Tapping into local industry

Taylor benefits from its proximity to many business and technology resources in the DC metro area. Ross says that she’s worked with organizations like NASA, Amazon, Hess, the Air and Space Museum, and the US Air Force for professional development opportunities. In addition, Amazon has come into the school to walk students through their space and AI experience as part of their Future Engineer Program.

Taylor also works with Rosie Riveters who provide professional development to staff and bring STEAM kits into the classrooms. These kits connect to the current SOLs through a productive struggle and problem solving challenge.

Impact of STEAM education

STEAM class generates a lot of buzz around the school and helps build a sense of community. On STEAM Days, students and staff wear branded STEAM t-shirts and parents join in the fun by donating materials and volunteering in the classrooms to work with students on their different projects.

And the impact goes beyond the school walls. Parents have relayed to Ross that their children will share at home what they learned in STEAM class, whether it be talking about the science behind dominos, or recreating a problem at home that they were working on at school. One student built a cup and plate rollercoaster at home with his family and then brought videos in to share with the class.  Another student brought in an invention patent from his dad that connected to a book the STEAM class was reading about inventions.

“I love seeing that spark that what we learned in class might ignite,” says Ross. “Even just having students ask me when their next STEAM class is going to be or talking about something we did in STEAM outside of the STEAM classroom.”