THE STEM CENTER
In Wayne-Westland 10/25/23
thestemcenter@wwcsd.net
The STEM Center Team
3-13-24
Check Us Out On Facebook! Wayne-Westland K-8 STEM Center
Collaboration For Next Year's School Improvement Plan
If you are interested in collaborating with The STEM Center as you plan next year's goals for your classroom, team or building; we are here to support! Please reach out and we can set up a time to chat and help plan goals for the 24-25 school year.
We believe our role is to empower kids to make an impact on the world around them and fully believe in themselves. - John Spencer and A.J. Juliani
Strawbees
We Need You!
We are looking for classrooms ready to give something new a try. Strawbees is strong straw material that can be used in design thinking . Students can follow a blueprint in the beginning and then it leads into more creativity and exploration with their design thinking skills. Bonus: Students can learn the basics of coding Microbits and attaching them to their design to make it come to life!
This has already been introduced in a couple 3rd grade classrooms and the outcome was great. Please reach out if you are interested in seeing what this has to offer.
Here is a slide presentation of various STEM activities that focus on the upcoming eclipse and Earth Day. Feel free to check it out https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1mExvAV9QUTYD2GdIkPdMrLllP8nDkWYTxORSZcIrCls/edit?usp=sharing
Do you use the Virtual STEM Challenges we share out?
Thank you to code.org for welcoming Wayne-Westland into your district program.
Nature At School from Michigan.gov
Each topic includes a PDF pre-lesson with online resources and activities, as well as topic background information for teachers. Each post-lesson offers a wrap-up, more resources and student activities to further explore the content covered during the interactive 30-minute lesson. Teachers choose the distance learning platform they are familiar with, and invite our staff to join into a virtual class. These cover science and social studies standards. See the Nature at School correlations to NGSS 3D.
Young Sharks 2024
It is that time of year again. Our 4th and 5th grade students across the district will be engaging in a Shark Tank themed economics unit. Students will be thinking of problems that need solutions, using design thinking strategies, collecting data, researching, creating prototypes, and presenting their prototypes to a panel of judges.
The winning student or group will advance to the district finals that will be hosted by LTU in early May. They will pitch their prototype to local business community members.
This is a great example of students learning ela, math, science, and social studies as well as Arc of Inquiry and 21st century soft skills all at the same time.
DIA displays Wayne-Westland Student Work
Last year students from multiple buildings across the district participated in a STEAM opportunity where winning artwork would be made into patches and worn by astronauts on one of their missions.
The DIA is now proudly displaying many of the patch art that was entered. Shandra Dicks, one of the art teachers who participated, attended the DIA this weekend and showed us the display. If you have time soon, be sure to check it out!
Elementary Science Update
Science in the Spring
We are currently seeking K-5 teachers who are interested in adding some STEM activities into their science classrooms this spring. Teachers who would be willing to host and participate in some science-centric STEM activities this spring should reach out to Amy Bidne, bidnea@wwcsd.net, for more information.
Engaging Computer Science Activities UNPLUGGED!
Click on the link below to view some great unplugged activities that also include a short summary of a diverse men and woman in STEM and connects to careers. So many wonderful layers here.
https://csfirst.withgoogle.com/c/cs-first/en/cs-first-unplugged/overview.html
Launch By John Spencer and A.J. Juliani
The STEM Center wanted to lift a few passages from the book "Launch" by John Spencer and A.J. Juliani. This book is a very easy and quick read and is extremely powerful!
* "We believe our role is to empower kids to make an impact on the world around them and fully believe in themselves"
* Our current model of schooling amplifies this creative chasm. From the bell schedule to the grading system to the lesson planning and pedagogy, our students inhabit factory-styled schools. Phrases like "content delivery" and "delivering a lesson" treat education as a commodity to be collected and then used in the future. This model might have worked in developing compliant factory workers. So here we are now, well into the twenty-first century. The factories are gone. The jobs have moved overseas. Yet, this industrial school model remains. Here's what happens: students grow up immersed in a consumer culture and then attend schools where they consume rather than create knowledge. The chasm widens and students graduate without the creative capacity to navigate the ever-changing landscape of a globalized economy. On a more personal level, they miss out on the deeply human joy of designing and making."
* "Design thinking isn't about abandoning the standards. It's about raising the standards and challenging students to think at a deeper level."
What if there isn't enough time?
* " What if creativity isn't a side dish at all? What if creativity is a totally different way of cooking? What if creativity means you abandon pre-packaged meals and empower your students to be the chefs?
Suggested Reading:
Contact Us Today!
Email: thestemcenter@wwcsd.net
In District Website: https://sites.google.com/wwcsd.net/stem-center/home
Website: https://www.wwcsd.net/schools/educational-programs/stem-center/
Location: 36105 Marquette Street, Westland, MI, USA
Phone: 734-419-2447