Mini-Grant Application for School Year 2021 - 2022

Submitted by: Laura R. Harris Email: harris.laura@brevardschools.org Grade Level: K - 6th Subject: Science, Technology, Engineeri
Co-Applicant:Suzanne DeMarco Email: DeMarco.Suzanne@brevardschoolsGrade level: K - 3rd Subject: Primary VE (Varying Exceptiona

School: Spessard Holland Elementary School Type: Public Grade Levels:K - 6th County:Brevard

Approx. Enrollment: 476 Number of teachers:30

School Address:

50 Holland Court
Satellite Beach, Florida 32937

Phone: (321) 773-7591 Principal:Samantha Alison Email: alison.samantha@brevardschools.org

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Project Title: Full STEAM Ahead to MAKE a Difference!!
Project Dates: December 1, 2021-May 20, 2022 Grade Levels:

Focus Area(s) :Science- Technology- Engineering - Art

Abstract:
Our students love to learn, and they flourish when presented with new challenges! Our mission as a school community is to foster scholarship, excellence, honesty, social responsibility, and respect. To support the next generation of future leaders who are STEAM-capable, we are seeking funds to develop and implement a STEAM program for all learners in our school. Kindergarten through 6th grade students will incorporate design-thinking processes (empathy, define, ideate, prototype, test) as makers to solve problems. Advocacy measures call for the continued support for students to develop competencies for success in the 21st century; however, lack of financial resources and opportunities may lead to our students not achieving the success needed to learn these important skills and attitudes. Design-thinking and related technology/engineering fields are well-positioned as a natural intersection of differentiation, interest, creativity, and relevancy for all students and can lead to growth of 21st century capabilities. For students who spend most of their day in general education classrooms, engineering design activities present opportunities for varying levels of sophistication, breadth, and depth of understanding, thereby providing them with appropriately challenging tasks. We desire to create a culture where students can think and collaborate as teams of scientists, technologists, engineers, artists, and mathematicians.

Proposal:

How is your project innovative?   (25 points)
At the onset of the grant period, we will provide instruction and professional development opportunities for our teachers in grades kindergarten through 6th grade to begin to develop STEAM lessons that correlate with the standards they are teaching. Teachers and students will then spend time each week implementing and experiencing hands-on learning to enrich the ideas and concepts that have been taught in the general education classroom. All projects in the STEAM lab will be standards-based. To further enhance the STEAM education of our students, the following concepts will be embedded in instruction: • Endurance – lasting beyond one grade or course; concepts and skills needed in life • Leverage – crossover application within the content area and to other content areas • Readiness for the next level of learning – prerequisite concepts and skills students need to enter a new grade level or course of study • Leadership – developing future leaders who are STEAM-capable We propose to employ methods by which students from across the grade levels, i.e., 5th grade with 2nd, 6th grade with 3rd, etc., will work collaboratively in the STEAM lab to incorporate design-thinking processes to solve problems. Through these processes, students will continue to practice leadership, STEAM literacy and collegial awareness while being positive role models for younger students. This association across grade levels will encourage a sort of "big brother, big sister" environment and provide mentorship opportunities for our older students. Among our learners are students who live in foster group homes. They need to be a part of our school community in a positive social-emotional environment and a small-group setting. We also have a large military presence (over half of our student population is military) and quite often these students move frequently, affecting peer connections and relationships. Collaboration in the STEAM lab will provide a setting in which students can communicate across domains i.e., scientist to artist.

How will it fit into your curriculum (include standards)? (10 points)
There are many standards that will be met through STEAM activities and collaborations. These standards include, but are not limited to, the following: VA.4. F.3 – Enduring Understanding 3: the 21st-century skills necessary for success as citizens, workers, and leaders in a global economy are embedded in the study of the arts. VA.2.F.1 – Enduring Understanding: Creating, interpreting and responding in the arts stimulate the imagination and encourage innovation and creative risk-taking. SC.2. N.1 – Nature of Science: The Practice of Science – Scientific Inquiry SC. 5. N. 2. 2 – The Characteristics of Scientific Knowledge - Recognize and explain that when scientific investigations are carried out, the evidence produced by those investigations should be replicable by others. This project will integrate into our curriculum, which includes hands-on experiences such as our egg drop, worm lab, solar oven challenge, primary grades plant growth and butterfly projects, schoolwide art museum and exhibits and science fair. These projects will be now designed and conducted in our STEAM lab to incorporate our new technology opportunities. There will be opportunities for all levels of learners to have equal ownership in the collaboration and creativity of learning. Differentiation is a must, and the STEAM lab setting will provide opportunities for all learners to be successful at their own pace. A STEAM lab makes learning fun and interesting. Through this creative learning approach, children will develop a love for subjects like engineering, chemistry, art, and coding. Learning in a STEAM lab combines technical and artistic approaches seamlessly. Students will understand the fundamental academic principles and concepts while exploring various artistic and creative approaches to solving real-world problems. Students develop teamwork and collaboration skills while learning to practice independent thinking. They can learn at their own pace and rate of understanding. Learning in a STEAM lab fosters curiosity. Students learn that failures can be productive, and that making mistakes can bring them closer to the best solutions to a problem. A STEAM lab for students equips children with future-ready skills – not just technical abilities that they can use at work, but also life skills that can help them navigate through challenging life situations.

How will it encourage long-lasting change in your classroom, school or community? (20 points)
Long-lasting change will occur in our classrooms through this project. Since STEAM often looks like play, students will have the freedom to manipulate a variety of materials to draw meaningful connections to patterns, observations and trial-and-error. Research shows the mass benefits of this unstructured way of learning. Teachers will scaffold knowledge through modeling, prompting, and discussing, but mostly through observing natural interactions and leading students through their own experiences. Teachers will guide students to explore, collaborate and improve. The careers of the future will no longer be subject to one skill set, but instead will require interdisciplinary knowledge and a cross-marketability of skills. By integrating science, technology, engineering, arts and math, STEAM education fosters this essential cross-marketability of skills that will set students up for exciting, unprecedented prospects. Through STEAM a classroom flow where everyone is learning will take place. STEAM provides a safe place for students to explore at their own pace. They are encouraged to feel intellectually and emotionally safe. If students are too afraid of being wrong, they will not take the academic risks necessary for lifelong learning. A STEAM classroom is student-centered, therefore encouraging teachers to adopt a different role from a traditional teacher. As a STEAM lab is inquiry-based, there is a natural movement from "teaching" to "listening". These are all necessary and exciting changes that will occur in our classrooms and become a permanent part of our learning culture.

How will technology be utilized?  (20 points)
Technology will be utilized to improve student engagement and exploration. According to the McKinsey Global Institute, a demand for higher cognitive skills, such as creativity, critical thinking, decision making, and complex information processing will grow by 19% by 2030. The careers of the future will no longer be subject to one skill set but instead will require interdisciplinary knowledge and a cross-marketability of skills. By integrating science, technology, engineering, arts and math, STEAM education fosters this essential cross-marketability of skills that will set students up for exciting, unprecedented prospects. Use of technologies that will be new to our students and staff such as Osmo, SparkFun Inventor’s Kits, Horizon Inductrix FPV and 3Doodler Starter will enhance the technologies that we already have in place. Our first-grade students have one-to-one iPads and our 2nd - 6th grade students have one-to-one laptops. Osmo, when combined with iPad technology, fosters learning in key areas such as fine motor skills, creative problem solving, and STEAM. Osmo provides tablet play for kids with a balance of fun and learning in advanced problem-solving skills, geometric shapes, coding and math. SparkFun Inventor’s Kits will be used by our students to get started with programming and hardware interaction with the Arduino programming language. 3Doodler Starter Kits will be a safe, fun way to introduce 3D printing, especially to our K – 3rd grade population. The Arduino Starter Kit will provide the opportunity for our older students to learn programming, electronics as well as important concepts such as current, voltage and resistance. The Makey Makey will allow students to take everyday objects and combine them with the internet. Through the acquisition of the technologies requested through this grant, the learning environment for our students will be leveled. Students throughout our campus will be able to communicate with one another from classroom to classroom and collaborate remotely on projects and assignments. No one must take a "back row" to digital learning. Technology will help bring educational content to life. There will be a hands-on experience for each student to put to practice the information they have learned in the regular classroom. A key part of non-cognitive development is fostering a growth mindset about learning. Technology fuels student achievement by deepening student engagement. Technology can be a vehicle for innovation and enhancer of human capabilities.

What evidence will you collect to show student gain?   (10 points)
Student gain will be evidenced in several ways. Prior to the first STEAM lab project, students will complete a pre-survey. After each STEAM lab experience, students will complete an exit slip listing three things they learned or explored, two things they want to learn or explore and one question that they have about the lesson or project. In May, students will complete a post-survey identifying content and activities they would like to see the following year, activities they would like to see modified the following year, and reflections on leadership opportunities afforded through the STEAM lab experience. The surveys will be shared at the end of the year to measure attitude and self-efficacy, along with perceptions of leadership. This design is selected so that students can provide valuable insight to the key decision makers on what components of STEAM education are effective at achieving short and long-term outcomes and which components are not. We also expect an increase in student learning gains in math and science. This will be evident when we receive our Florida Standards Assessment (FSA) scores in the summer of 2022.

How will participants share your project results with the community?  (15 points)
We will share our project results with our community through several venues. Our principal publishes a bi-monthly newsletter digitally and in print that is shared with all stakeholders at our school. We will pen regular articles letting our community know about the meaningful and exciting experiences our teachers and students are experiencing. We also will share this information via our daily morning news cast to staff and students. As a culminating event, we will hold an "open house" so that all community members may tour our new STEAM lab and observe our students as they explore and create. If, due to current COVID restrictions, this in-person tour is not permitted, we will create a video to share with our community and televise it on our school's private YouTube channel.

Budget:

I, Laura R. Harris, certify that the application is complete and final, AND I verify that I have received permission to apply for these funds from Samantha Alison,the Principal of Spessard Holland Elementary School and any other individuals required by my school district.

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