By KIM ARCHER World Staff Writer on Jul 29, 2013, at 2:21 AM??Updated on 7/29/13 at 3:11 AM
Union's Darnaby Elementary School is one of 44 schools nationwide selected to participate in a pilot program that will bring new rigorous STEM curriculum into elementary classrooms.About 600 students from kindergarten through fifth grade will be among the first elementary students in the country exposed to a new curriculum in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics from national STEM curriculum provider Project Lead the Way.
"We've seen (the STEM curriculum) at the Eighth Grade Center and the impact it's had. It's a proven curriculum," said Chris Reynolds, principal at Darnaby Elementary School.
STEM is an acronym for science, technology, engineering and mathematics, and refers to the recent educational push to expose more children to and better prepare them for careers in those fields.
Tulsa Public Schools' Mayo Demonstration Academy also was chosen to participate in the pilot.
The Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation in Tulsa is donating an undisclosed amount of funding to both Darnaby and Mayo for the purchase of iPads and other equipment for the STEM pilot.
The Tulsa Engineering Alliance also is providing its resources and expertise to help Union expand its STEM program districtwide.
"We're always looking for teaching that's engaging for our students. This is true hands-on learning," Reynolds said. "It's real critical thinking and problem solving. In all parts of this, you'll see kids working together collaboratively."
He said the science and math will be "all wrapped around the concept of engineering design" that will be presented at levels appropriate to each grade.
For instance, kindergartners might investigate the forces of push and pull by designing the best ways to knock down pins with a bowling ball, Frazier said.
"Students could refine the design to modify the direction or strength of a force," he said.
Fifth-graders may use professional engineering software - scaled down for their age - on provided iPads to design robots, Frazier said.
Union first offered Project Lead the Way's STEM curriculum as an elective in eighth grade last year, and because of that success, the district will implement a STEM elective in seventh grade this coming year, said Kathy Dodd, Union associate superintendent of teaching and learning.
Also this year, Union will form a districtwide committee of teachers, parents, students and industry partners to explore expanding it to all schools over the next three years, she said.
"The project-based format is so unique and engaging. Even though students are building strong content knowledge, the content is contextualized in a problem that mimics the work of an engineer," Dodd said.
The curriculum is highly rigorous, yet so much fun that some Union eighth-graders have said they wish all their classes were structured the same way, she said.
"We are excited ... because it provides more opportunities for students to think critically, work collaboratively and learn math and science material in a creative way," Dodd said.
Kim Archer 918-581-8315
kim.archer@tulsaworld.com
Original Print Headline: Union school chosen for STEM pilot
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