STEAM Project Building Initiative a big hit!

Over the course of the last several months, Jason Bixby and Valerie Honig, the two designated STEAM Consultants at the EMSB, have been busy with the rollout of their latest PD initiative, entitled: “STEAM Team Collaboration & Project Building”.  The purpose of this initiative was to allow time for teachers interested in STEAM to build a learning and evaluation situation (LES) based on the fundamental tenets of STEAM.

STEAM LES’s must be developed through collaboration between two or more teachers of the same grade, but of different disciplines.  They are normally grounded in the solving of a real world problem or challenge, and through the employment of a design process.  If this process is correctly employed, a prototype will be built to help illustrate how the problem can be solved.  Research indicates that correct use of the STEAM pedagogical approach will help strengthen a student’s arsenal of 21^st century skills, as well as general problem solving abilities.  Added positive features of STEAM include higher levels of engagement and elevated levels of curiosity.

This spring, in total, 12 LES’s were built across 11 of our 19 STEAM schools.  Listed below are these LES’s, the schools from which they came, and the teachers who were responsible in their development:

Learning & Evaluation Situation                                    

“How to create a new sustainable neighborhood to welcome newcomers in Montreal”
Charles Martin and Luc Loiselle, Bancroft.

“How can we reduce our ecological footprint?”
Sia Tzovanis-Manolias, Laurence Delachanal and Christina MacDougall, Carlyle.

“How can we increase pollination in order to increase our supply of local fruits and vegetables?”
Kathy Kovacs, Fadila Amiri and Micheal Venditti, Dunrae Gardens.

 “How are we able to divert waste from the landfill for repurposing?”
Chloé Corrado, Sarah Rosenfeld and Micheal Venditti, Dunrae Gardens.

 “Billy doesn’t have a bike – what can we do?”
Ryan Clarke, Jessica Doubt and Lucia De Petrillo, Elizabeth Ballantyne.

 “Creating a community from a vacant lot in St. Laurent”
Adamatia Menexis and Paul Hammett, Gardenview.

“How can we use nature to beautify our schoolyard?”
Angela Triassi and Melissa Mazzotta, Honoré Mercier.

“Essential workers are unrecognized during the pandemic...  How do we fix this?”
Kanella Dimopoulos, Benny Augello and Jennifer DeLeeuw, John Caboto Academy.

“How can the school contribute to biodiversity and reverse land degradation?”
Steven Sperandeo and Matthew Balança-Rodrigues, Michelangelo International.

“Creating an ideal community which is safe and where all needs are met”
Andrea Furfaro, Lisa Caprara and Rosanna Loggia, Pierre de Coubertain.

“What can we do to help the bees?”
Julia Muro and Mary Carone, Pierre Elliot Trudeau.

 “How to solve the issue of our underutilized outdoor classroom”
Kayla Gribbon, Emilee Newin, and Jennifer Oner, Westmount Park.       

A new Sustainable Neighborhood, Bancroft

Reducing our Ecological Footprint, Carlyle

Increasing Biodiversity, Michelangelo

Saving the Bees, Pierre Elliott Trudeau

We would like to take a moment to acknowledge the incredible work that has been developed by these fine educational professionals, particularly given the unprecedented constraints that they have been subjected to this year. Our hope is that interest in initiatives such as these will continue to grow as we evolve, working towards our goal of excellence in STEAM education.