I am very excited to be delivering the STEAM program at Boronia Heights Primary School in our purpose build STEAM lab. STEAM is a a hands on approach to learning and development that integrates the areas of Science Technology Engineering Arts Maths. Through STEAM, students develop key skills including:
- critical thinking & problem solving
- creativity
- teamwork – collaboration
- initiative
- communication
- digital literacy.
These skills foster resilience in our students – which is something that is very important across their lives.
Students from Foundation through to Year 6 participate in extended sessions in the STEAM lab each fortnight where they are involved in a program which is developed according to the requirements outlined in the Victorian Curriculum. As there are so many areas of the curriculum in STEAM, the student’s problem solving skills are developed best by participating in projects that cover several areas in one task. Some examples of this include:
- Lego towers: sorting, patterns, engineering/structure
- Designing a mini golf course: this covers design thinking, maths: area & perimeter, angles and physics
- Biodiversity audit (flora & fauna count) for our school. This uses biological science, maths: mapping & counting, data collection and computer skills to upload research
- Electrical circuits: science and digital technology: design, modify and follow simple algorithms.
Project-based learning and experiences where students design and test prototypes (like electronic doorbells and bridges) are used in the STEAM lab at Boronia Heights. This is a fantastic way to get the students using the Design Thinking Process. This teaches the students the steps of: Ask, Imagine, Plan/Design, Create, Test, Improve. Through age appropriate tasks and challenges the students are given the opportunity for planning, investigating materials, components, tools, equipment and processes to achieve intended design solutions. We have a range of robots that are used for programming and engineering with all students from Foundation to Year 6.
We celebrate student achievement at assembly with the INVENTORS COG AWARD – an award given for creative thinking, great group work or cool tech discoveries!
Throughout the year students will have opprtunties to participate in excursions which highlight the use of STEAM skills in real world industry and the local community.