Target 1 – Student-Centered Learning FWSU students will engage in personalized learning involving collaborative inquiry, problem solving and creative learning opportunities.
Strategy – Highlight, create and model innovative learning opportunities that promote collaborative inquiry, problem solving and creativity for students and staff.
GEMS 4th grade held its first weekly STEM Day, which offers a blended learning experience encompassing Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). These hands-on explorations offer students an opportunity to design and discover how science and math knowledge support real-world problem solving.
Using the Engineering Design Process, our students collaborated to successfully solve a problem. Each group was given a task to construct an apparatus that would hold a small stuffed bear for display purposes, using index cards and tape. The supporting structure had to be at least two feet tall. Students were limited on the materials and tools allowed for the challenge – only 12 inches of tape, 40 index cards, and scissors could be used.
Through planning and implementation, testing and redesign, our students learned how to successfully work together and use their science and math knowledge to guide their problem-solving.
Elementary students who are engaged in a natural design process during STEM activities are likely to develop positive associations with engineering and increase their desire to pursue such activities in the future.
The FWSU Story 