STEM learning outcomes demonstrate students' STEM literacy necessary for the next level of STEM learning and for post-secondary and workforce readiness. (AdvancED STEM Indicator ST1.8)
In 2015, our State Department of Education developed the South Carolina College- and Career-Readiness Standards for English Language Arts. According to this publication, these standards "are designed to ensure that South Carolina students are prepared to enter and succeed in economically viable career opportunities or post-secondary education and ensuing careers." The readiness standards include a "Profile of the South Carolina Graduate," along with the "World Class Knowledge," "World Class Skills," and "Life and Career Characteristics" he or she should have developed by high school graduation. With those goals in mind, the standards include expectations for students as young as kindergarten, in order to begin cultivating these skills and characteristics as soon as possible.
While the standards focus on English Language Arts, they include all areas of STEM as necessary world-class knowledge, and focus heavily on inquiry and independent thinking. These standards serve as a guide for the STEM educators at Fairforest Elementary School, as we strive to prepare our students for the outside world even at the elementary level. Our reading coach has been a valuable resource in helping teachers to develop these skills in their students and assisting with curriculum planning that will provide more opportunities for inquiry in all subject areas. |
Our focus on technology has been a huge part of preparing our students for the next level of STEM learning, as well as the future beyond their school years. Our technology integration specialist has worked with classroom teachers in order to help them integrate technology for communication and collaboration, going a step beyond the "skill-and-drill" websites that may have been the focus of the past. This STEM educator also works with each kindergarten class for a related arts period each week; during this time, our youngest students have become adept at accessing our school network and learning management system, while also beginning work on programming, problem-solving, and collaboration. In the upper grades, students are now researching, producing photo and video projects, and communicating with each other using a variety of web tools.
Artifacts:
School-Wide STEM- and Literacy-Focused Projects:
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Samples of Student Work:
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