Defining
Role of Specialists in STEAM:
Understand your role as a Content Specialist has not changed! Instead, you are helping students make organic connections between content areas and are availing yourself as a resource for other teachers. For STEAM to truly work and benefit students, it must include teachers of all subject areas working together to build a school mindset!
How can I help students connect what we are doing in our classes to the STEAM mindset?
*One may work better for your subject area than others and that is okay!
1. Connect to PBL: Problem-based learning:
Set up a task for completion as a problem similar to PBL.
Ex: You are an artist who has been commissioned to create a sculpture to support reuse and recycling for a local organization.
You are a fitness trainer who has been hired by help a local company with develop an exercise routine to promote health in an office setting.
You are a musician charged with designing a video/short presentation to teach a beginner basic scales on your instrument.
2. Connect the Engineering Process to your Processes:
Reinforce correlation between what students do and this thinking process.
See the STEAM main page for examples!
3. Connect with vocabulary and content area standards (Science, Math, Technology):
Ex: In STEAM challenges and content standards, students often “use tools” and do things like “create”, “demonstrate”, “explore”, “identify”, etc. Can your subject area relate?
Actions in Review:
Understand your role as a Content Specialist has not changed! Instead, you are helping students make organic connections between content areas and are availing yourself as a resource for other teachers. For STEAM to truly work and benefit students, it must include teachers of all subject areas working together to build a school mindset!
How can I help students connect what we are doing in our classes to the STEAM mindset?
*One may work better for your subject area than others and that is okay!
1. Connect to PBL: Problem-based learning:
Set up a task for completion as a problem similar to PBL.
Ex: You are an artist who has been commissioned to create a sculpture to support reuse and recycling for a local organization.
You are a fitness trainer who has been hired by help a local company with develop an exercise routine to promote health in an office setting.
You are a musician charged with designing a video/short presentation to teach a beginner basic scales on your instrument.
2. Connect the Engineering Process to your Processes:
Reinforce correlation between what students do and this thinking process.
See the STEAM main page for examples!
3. Connect with vocabulary and content area standards (Science, Math, Technology):
Ex: In STEAM challenges and content standards, students often “use tools” and do things like “create”, “demonstrate”, “explore”, “identify”, etc. Can your subject area relate?
Actions in Review:
- Familiarize yourself with the existing STEM/STEAM
program in your school and the Cobb Stem/STEAM website
- Connect to the STEAM mindset (using a method that
works for you)
- Avail yourself as an Specialist as a resource
for other teachers (offer collaboration at your comfort level)