Swift's dining hall buzzed with focused excitement as more than 200 students engaged in activities designed to stimulate the 4 C's – creativity, communication, critical thinking, and collaboration.
At one station, students manipulated variables to move Sphero robots through a maze. Mathematical reasoning also came into play as students programed the Probot, a car-shaped robot, by estimating distances and calculating angles. Teams of students experimented with stop motion video and brought drawings to life using the Explain Everything app.
Spotlight on STEAM is part of Swift's school-wide initiative to increase STEAM programming, which includes a new Friday Tech Club for 7th and 8th grade students working with Finch and Sphero robots.
"The response from students and teachers was overwhelmingly positive," said Donna Cherry, Director of Technology and Assessment. "Our students stepped up to the challenge of solving problems through peer collaboration."
Not many people are aware of the connection between dyslexia and STEM aptitude. According to Davis and Braun (2010), in "The Gift of Dyslexia", many dyslexic students naturally use three-dimensional reasoning as a technique for problem solving. When dyslexic students encounter a problem solving situation, they naturally change their three-dimensional perspective and examine the problem from various angles without shifting their observation point.
"These projects develop a set of thinking, reasoning, teamwork, investigative, and creative skills that students will use in all areas of their future," added Cherry. "It was exciting to see that kind of mind power at work!"
References
Davis, R. & Braun, E. (2010). The Gift of Dyslexia. Perigee Books.
