Objectives
Equip teachers with the skills and strategies necessary to effectively utilize the STEM Centre in order to support the development of children’s critical thinking skills;
Support parents’ understanding of learning through play and the importance of STEAM through targeted parenting training sessions;
Support children’s holistic development through the promotion of hands-on, exploratory experiences in science, technology, engineering, the arts and mathematics.
The project serves two basic schools and two infant departments in the community surrounding the Grace Kennedy Foundation’s STEM Centre in Kingston, Jamaica. One basic school and one infant department receive treatment between January and May 2017 while the other two schools (one basic and one infant department) are control schools that are not currently receiving treatment
Summary
Using the Project Approach, the STEAM curriculum and accompanying training, will focus on children’s acquisition of academic, intellectual, physical and social-emotional skills through real experiences that integrate the areas of science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics. The curriculum is being designed to support cooperative, shared learning experiences for children and teachers through hands-on exploration and inquiry.
The Curriculum
The STEAM curriculum and training programme reflect and model the practices teachers and children should be engaged in. While the curriculum and training form the base for exploration and learning, it is not prescriptive or didactic. Instead, it serves as a guide for teachers and children as they participate in the investigative and creative process. The Project Facilitator leads projects and mentors teachers to implement hands-on practices in their classrooms in order to extend learning.
Mentorship of Teachers
An introductory workshop for the teachers of the treatment schools was held on Thursday January 5, 2017. This workshop introduced the project and project staff to the teachers. The teachers also learned about easy STEAM activities they could use in their classrooms. The feedback was positive which was evident in the evaluations. The teachers made statements such as; “I liked the hands on activities, the information that was given was useful and relevant” and “Workshop was exciting educational and informative”. The workshop was featured in The Jamaica Gleaner on Thursday, February 2, 2017.
read article at the Jamaica Gleaner
