We have incredible teachers in our district who strive to teach our kids the skills they need to become productive members of society. Our teachers do many cross-curricular projects and examples within each of the subjects they teach. Elementary, middle and high school students have created devices they read about in books. Robots are used to review math concepts. Three-dimensional pens are used to recreate structures of ancient civilizations. Even the simple act of using an example in math that also relates to their science or social studies learning brings the concepts into a new light for the students. Small ways of incorporating STEAM into everyday learning create better problem solvers.

Just to name a few -- at elementary level there are PBIS rewards that include time with STEAM materials, as well as quarterly events with STEAM challenges. The middle school has an incredible Destination Imagination program including two teams this year that placed first and second at states, as well as an avid Art Club that does a great job of incorporating science and technology into their pieces and methods. In connection with Penn State, they also offer a GaLS program that encourages girls in STEM fields. The high school also has a Destination Imagination program, as well as many agriculture, art and science clubs students may participate in.

You may see features in regard to STEAM at school in this link: In the news

STEAM is the way the world is moving. So many jobs in multiple fields involve STEAM concepts and all jobs involve the ability to solve problems and think critically. STEAM gives our kids a strategy for approaching challenges, and experience of how to handle various setbacks and successes, as well as how to work with others in a productive manner. This ability is universal, no matter what path our students choose.

STEAM teaches our students to be critical thinkers, creative problem solvers, communicate their ideas clearly and collaborate with peers. These skills are vital to any path they choose to take in life.

The job entails a lot of professional development for both myself and providing for the staff. I facilitate sessions each professional learning day, as well as extended Tuesdays and other different times. I am learning so much! I spend a good amount of time looking at our available data for all levels to find patterns and trends, which then need to be shared with the staff on various platforms. I observe classrooms to see the wonderful things happening and co-teach lessons with teachers, which is my favorite! I coordinate the STEAM lab materials, training on what resources we have and make sure people have what they need. I also have taken on the role of supporting MAP testing as it is administered and helping interpret the reports to guide our instruction. There are a lot of different parts to this role, which is part of what makes it fun.

My role as the STEM coach is to support the teachers in implementing STEM concepts into what they are already teaching. Small adjustments and modifications, as well as amping up our science curriculum during our re-writing phase will make leaps and bounds in our kids' proficiency in STEM. My job is to support our teachers through professional development and lesson implementation.

To learn more about D'Ambrosia, visit this link: STEM instructional coach

Our district doesn’t have any STEAM specific focused educators, but we have a lot of people who cross over into the STEAM world. All three of our librarians are fantastic STEAM educators, using Makerspace in their curriculum. Julie Henry and Jena Jodon implement many of the STEM principles in their technology classes and support. And many classroom teachers could be considered STEAM teachers, as well.

To learn more about STEM educators, visit this link: STEM educators

STEAM has always been somewhat a part of the curriculum at the classroom level, with some teachers really blowing it out of the water with projects. As it has become a more prevalent focus in education, more and more teachers have modified some projects to more closely align with STEAM processes. With the adoption of my role, the push to exponentially grow STEAM concepts and activities is becoming more of a priority.

There are tons of free online resources to find engaging activities to do at home. You can build, cook, observe, find, solve -- all related to STEAM concepts. Some activities require some basic materials, while others require none. Most items can be found at the grocery or craft store.

STEAM can be incorporated into any class! Students have used robots to tell a story or answer questions about what they are learning. We have created 3D pyramids to show the various structures the Egyptians made. We have built kites to fight just like they do in the book that was read in class. Microscopes have been used in art to draw the wonders of nature at the microscopic level, as well as incorporate the science of the brain into how art is created. Musical instruments have been created out of everyday objects using circuits and coding. There is a space for STEAM in every content area!

STEAM plays perfectly into every type of learner as it involves multiple sensory inputs and plays off of various strengths. Imagination and creativity are vital components, as well as thinking outside the box -- something our special education students typically thrive at. Making learning more hands-on and real-world based can also help all students display their knowledge in various ways that more traditional assessment methods may lack. We have incredible librarians who have been doing STEAM lessons with life skills classes for a couple of years and have seen great results. For our gifted students, STEAM can really push them to apply their knowledge to the real world and solve ever-changing problems. It forces them to work on the soft skills involved in solving complex problems. The products they come up with are truly incredible.

One of the first big ones is coming to STEAM Camp at Bellefonte Elementary School. Otherwise, really looking at how the subjects the kids learn are connected, and how we can help to connect them, is a great start to encouraging STEAM summer learning. While they are out exploring this summer, encourage them to solve a challenge posed to them -- build a boat out of natural materials, get the water to run in a certain direction in the mud or sand, time how fast you have to run to beat the sprinkler, see how far the water goes out of the sprinkler, build a sand castle that looks like the Eiffel Tower, etc.

The internet is your oyster as there are endless resources for activity ideas.

*Click the image below for a list of STEM and STEAM resources created by district STEM Instructional Coach Allison D'Admbrosia.