Attribute 2.3
Research and Development
Model: On a monthly basis school/program leaders and other STEM teachers share with each other research and best practices related to their STEM program goals.
Every month our HES STEM team meets to discuss practices, strategies, research and data. It is very important that the data is supporting and guiding our efforts. We analyze school wide units and grade level STEM plans. Also, monthly we share plans and data with the staff at meetings, and we have faculty STEM challenges each month.
Recognizing that many teachers did not have specific education classes in engineering, we provide professional development at each meeting on the engineering process. Also, grade level teams have each selected specific best practices to implement in the classroom such as collaborative pairs, vocabulary word walls, and/or graphic organizers that positively impact learning. They share strategies at both grade level meetings and vertical planning meetings. Teachers support and contribute results of their STEM activities and lessons learned to the school STEM Google drive for subsequent review and as a way to consistently improve the STEM offerings.
Each month, the Technology Department of Henderson County Public Schools, informs all schools about upcoming professional development and resources. It is a great example of how the schools in our pipeline collaborate to stay current and connected.The HCPS Public Information Officer sends e-mails to all school staff members, as well as our business partners and other important people connected to our pipeline STEM events throughout the county. She also updates the HCPS website that includes headlines of important events from each school, pictures highlighting PBL activities, and important STEM calendar items. Our STEM specialist provides monthly updates to our STEM webpage for new resources, research and best practices.
The STEM Specialist meets monthly with teachers on each grade level to share new STEM research and discuss methods of implementation in their specific classrooms. Below are links to the STEM meeting dates and an example of notes taken at a meeting.
Our school created a visual model of the engineering process so that students would be exposed to the same visual and process throughout their entire elementary school career.
Teachers surround the students with word walls containing STEM content words, images, and ideas. This makes all aspects of STEM a much more ‘natural’ part of the students’ view of their world.
Each month our county technology support shares resources and best practices related to our school STEM goals.
Mrs. Stewart, the school principal, instructed the teaching staff on STEM instruction best practices, and engages in systematic encouragement of the teaching staff to become increasingly proficient with the use of scientific method, engineering design principles etc.