FULL STEAM AHEAD

FULL STEAM AHEAD AT STS

BY ALANNA WELLWOOD, DIRECTOR OF LEARNING INNOVATION

Imagine a school day where you build a robotic hand to better understand motion capture technology and ergonomics. Or, you partner with marginalized groups to design an action figure that reflects their individuality. These, and so many more, are the challenges our students tackle through STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, math) learning at STS.

Our approach to what is often called STEM or STEAM is unique. We build key elements of design, innovation and entrepreneurship into every grade, in each Division, so students build capacity over the years and can master the related skills. There are opportunities for all grades to pursue co-curricular offerings, so that STEAM learning continues beyond the curriculum, and often outside of the classroom.

When students can visualize and empathize with a real person or with real ‘clients’, to meet a need, they become highly engaged. The academic experience feels genuine and meaningful. They are motivated and strive hard to find, unique ways to tackle problems. There is much power in giving students freedom to decide what they want to do, and then figure out what learning they need to accomplish their goals. At STS, we talk a lot about happy accidents and how important it is to fail often. It takes practice to be comfortable in that space, to know it is necessary to take risks, and be able to manage the consequences in healthy ways.

In Elementary School this year, Grade 3 students worked in engineering teams to explore ways to improve the mental wellbeing of our campus community. In Grade 4, students interviewed the architects of our new Elementary School and Arts and Innovation building to understand the design. The Grade 5 students were challenged to find a client within their family circle who they could help to solve a problem, such as a grandparent who didn’t see well at night, or a sibling who needed a better alarm clock. Our Middle School students learned graphic design and animation, product design, and advanced their understanding of computational thinking and computing science. In Grade 7, students collaborated to design emergency shelters, while in Grade 8 they built an app for younger students at school.

For the Senior School students, the opportunity to program a robot for a US peacekeeping mission fascinated Grade 10s, and 3D printing a new lunch box from sustainable materials was an excellent chance for Grade 11s to use what they learned in prior years.

Ultimately, these STEAM learning experiences build global competencies using real-life problem solving skills. Our students leverage design thinking and entrepreneurial studies to launch incredible journeys beyond STS. And what a thrill it is for us as faculty to guide them through the journey, full of curiosity and potential!

We build key elements of design, innovation and entrepreneurship into every grade, in each Division, so students build capacity over the years and can master the related skills.