ST1.6
The interdisciplinary problem-based curriculum includes a focus on real world applications.
One of the hallmarks of our STEM program is our systematic approach for developing an interdisciplinary problem-based curriculum. Grade level teams of STEM instructors collaborate to intertwine course standards and develop authentic problems, rich with adult-world connections, which are student-centered and focused on collaboration, communication, critical thinking, and creativity.
All planning begins with the establishment of an electronic platform, where teachers can communicate and share resources in real time; we utilize Microsoft365 OneNote. Next, each teacher identifies and presents the power standards of his/her class, and efforts are made to facilitate the alignment of the curriculum throughout the year. After consulting STEM stakeholders, teachers work to select potential problems or issues that align with their standards and lend themselves to interdisciplinary study. Throughout this process, teachers work to establish partnerships with potential community mentors who can garner real life experiences and expose students to a variety of future career options.
Teachers are encouraged to “begin with the end in mind” to determine how students will demonstrate and exhibit what they have learned. Once the outcome and problem have been identified, teachers work to determine the overarching essential question that drives the project, as well as the key understandings students should acquire by the end of the unit. Teachers then work to formulate the authentic problem-based scenario in highly engaging student friendly language.
While our projects are generally driven by the science, mathematics, and STEM pathway teachers, at LSHS we take it a step further and strive to include all disciplines, including English, Social Studies, and Foreign Language, as we are able. In fact, STEM English courses put an additional emphasis on reading informational texts and conducting (and properly documenting) scientific research. STEM teachers are granted the ability to manipulate their curriculum, within the confines of state standards, to best support objectives of the project and to extend student learning. In biology, for example, state standards do not necessitate the depth of knowledge often required of our students, so it is imperative that the teacher know she may work within the curriculum to determine how to best meet the needs of her students with regard to time and resources.
With regards to interdisciplinary problem-based curriculum, one area we would like to improve upon would be increasing our cross-cutting competencies. Skills such as time management and organization are essential to real-world success and are, more often than not, at odds with traditional high school students. Over the next few years, it is our hope to develop and implement strategies that will further help students organize and maintain their work and manage their time in an efficient and effective manner.
All planning begins with the establishment of an electronic platform, where teachers can communicate and share resources in real time; we utilize Microsoft365 OneNote. Next, each teacher identifies and presents the power standards of his/her class, and efforts are made to facilitate the alignment of the curriculum throughout the year. After consulting STEM stakeholders, teachers work to select potential problems or issues that align with their standards and lend themselves to interdisciplinary study. Throughout this process, teachers work to establish partnerships with potential community mentors who can garner real life experiences and expose students to a variety of future career options.
Teachers are encouraged to “begin with the end in mind” to determine how students will demonstrate and exhibit what they have learned. Once the outcome and problem have been identified, teachers work to determine the overarching essential question that drives the project, as well as the key understandings students should acquire by the end of the unit. Teachers then work to formulate the authentic problem-based scenario in highly engaging student friendly language.
While our projects are generally driven by the science, mathematics, and STEM pathway teachers, at LSHS we take it a step further and strive to include all disciplines, including English, Social Studies, and Foreign Language, as we are able. In fact, STEM English courses put an additional emphasis on reading informational texts and conducting (and properly documenting) scientific research. STEM teachers are granted the ability to manipulate their curriculum, within the confines of state standards, to best support objectives of the project and to extend student learning. In biology, for example, state standards do not necessitate the depth of knowledge often required of our students, so it is imperative that the teacher know she may work within the curriculum to determine how to best meet the needs of her students with regard to time and resources.
With regards to interdisciplinary problem-based curriculum, one area we would like to improve upon would be increasing our cross-cutting competencies. Skills such as time management and organization are essential to real-world success and are, more often than not, at odds with traditional high school students. Over the next few years, it is our hope to develop and implement strategies that will further help students organize and maintain their work and manage their time in an efficient and effective manner.
Cross-cutting Competencies: Identified Priorities - Lithia Springs High School's STEM Academy prioritizes skills such as collaboration, time management, and organization. These skills are vital for secondary education and real-world success. We provided students with a Self-Evaluation questionnaire which asked questions about time management, personal study habits, and goal setting.
Representative Problem-Based Learning Experience: This presentation, presented at the 2016 Georgia Science Teachers Association (GSTA) Conference, shares how to make real-world problem based project connections within a STEM program. A detailed presentation on how the goal was achieved with community leaders is included. Cross-Curricular Projects were aligned through nationally and state standards. We discussed how we integrated these projects into each of the students’ core classes across the board.
Interdisciplinary Curriculum Collaboration: Interdisciplinary curriculum collaboration and standard alignment is needed to create, plan, and implement successful student STEM experiences. This collaboration between the disciplines is a key component to the achievement of our STEM Academy in creating authentic STEM connections between our students, stakeholders, and the community. This slideshow demonstrates the inter-disciplinary curriculum collaboration and standard alignment needed to create, plan and implement successful student STEM experiences.
This checklist outlines the necessary components of a STEM Academy cross-curricular project. This document assists the interdisciplinary PLCs in developing and achieving all necessary components to make the projects a success.