This school year, it’s been full STEAM ahead for an innovative partnership between two Heidelberg professors, a ‘Berg student teacher, third-grade classes at Tiffin’s Krout Elementary School and Sentinel Vocational Center.
All would agree that the multi-faceted collaboration has had multiple levels of benefits across the board.
“Anything to get my students more engaged and making connections to real-world ideas while integrating the subjects of Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math that doesn’t involve ‘busy’ worksheets, I’m in,” said Krout third-grade teacher Jennifer Gressman. Jennifer has worked with ‘Berg education professors Dr. Stacey Pistorova and Dr. Lindsey Haubert to incorporate STEAM principles and projects in her classroom.
The third-graders started with the study of wind. They created turbines and weather vanes, with their teacher incorporating Van Gogh’s weather artwork into the lessons. Working on the turbines produced a curiosity about circuits and how they function. Jennifer brought math and engineering into the mix by having the students create cities with specific criteria, ultimately lighting up their cities with simple circuits.
“This STEAM program is a great way to bridge the gap between the classroom and the real world,” Lindsey said. “The students apply the skills they’re learning to real-world topics,” said Lindsey.
By far, the favorite project of the STEAM team has been the “Chicken Coop Challenge.” Jennifer brought third-grade teachers Lindsay Newlove, Chris Shaver and Nicole Arnold on board, along with Sentinel teacher Aaron Thompson. “We all decided to incubate eggs together in our classrooms,” she said. The classes engaged in a friendly competition to design a chicken coop after researching the needs and behaviors of live chicks.
The next step was to design a chicken coop. After their blueprints were judged and the winning teams’ designs were revealed, Aaron, who teaches building and trades at Sentinel, worked with the students to actually build their coops. Each classroom now is enjoying their coop, observing the chicks’ behavior and charting their growth.
“This was such a neat experience to have Tiffin City teachers, Sentinel and Heidelberg all working together for the benefit of student learning,” Jennifer said.
’Berg senior Tori Hossenlopp, who is student teaching with Jennifer this semester, has been amazed by the students’ analytical skills and teamwork through the STEAM project.
“I think what has impressed me most is the students’ excitement and their dedication to the different experiences,” Tori said. “The projects present them with an authentic challenge that incorporates specific standards while also requiring them to use real-life problem solving skills. … I have always believed that students need these experiences in the classroom to develop deep connections with content.”
Another piece to the STEAM project was introduction of Genius Hour. Stacey and Lindsey helped the Krout teachers pilot an after-school program in which students plan, pitch and design a prototype of an idea that sparked their passion. Tori and several other ‘Berg education majors worked weekly with 12 students on their passion projects, culminating in a presentation to their parents on Wednesday.
“This is not something you’d typically see in an elementary school,” Stacey said. “It’s been interesting to see what kinds of things are possible and how they engage with something they’re passionate about.”
Throughout all of the STEAM projects, one of the major benefits has been integrating subjects, rather than teaching them separately. The process unfolded organically.
“Introducing STEAM into my classroom has been one of the best decisions I have ever made as an educator,” Jennifer said. “The impact these lessons have had on my students is exactly how standards should be taught in my opinion.”
And student learning has benefitted too. “I have seen such a change in my students,” she added. “They have shown so much excitement for school and these projects … they are constantly asking when they can do more.”
The STEAM projects have long-term implications.
“Too often we are spoon-feeding students the answers instead of letting them do the exploring for themselves,” Jennifer assessed. “This was the perfect example. STEAM is not just another buzzword or trend in education. It’s a movement that teachers need to be open to.”
With an evolving workforce, she suggests that teachers need to adapt their approach to getting students ready for the real world, even in the third grade. At least one future teacher is on board.
“I hope that I can provide my students with experiences such as these so that they can make interdisciplinary connections while partaking in enriching learning experiences,” said Tori, who will graduate May 13. “I feel ready to continue their work and create a STEAM environment within a classroom of my own next fall.”
Stacey and Lindsey hope this STEAM inaugural run creates future opportunities across the board as an education movement in Tiffin and beyond.