For far too long in education, we’ve been working with the presumption of teaching to ensure our students get a “good job”. But what does that look like? We are preparing students for jobs that don’t even exist.We are at a point where it is not only possible, but imperative that we facilitate learning environments that are fluid, dynamic, and relevant.
None of us go outside and look at a tree and say, “that’s a tree, so that’s science” or, “the sky is blue, so that’s art.”our world is a beautiful, complex, and intricate tapestry of learning all in its own right. Why do we believe that we have the ability or the right to box it in behind brick walls and classroom doors in a place called school?Integrating concepts, topics, standards and assessments is a powerful way to disrupt the typical course of events for our students and to help change the merry-go-round of “school.”
It takes what we do when we open the doors to the real world and places those same practices in our cycles of teaching and learning. So we can finally remove the brick walls and classroom doors to get at the heart of learning.
In order to accomplish these goals, schools must consider a variety of factors, including:
- Collaborative planning, including a cross-section of teachers on each team
- Adjusting scheduling to accommodate a new way of teaching and learning
- Professional development for all staff in STEAM practices and principles
- STEAM schema-mapping for the curriculum and assessment design process
- Alignment and unpacking of standards and assessments
- Seamless lesson implementation processes and strategies
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