EDUCATION
their own valuable ideas , desires , perspectives and questions , who happen to be students , she adds .
It ’ s that focus on educating the “ person ” that seems to distinguish STEAM programs from STEM programs that incorporate elements of studio art . In a recent article in Nautilus magazine , Ohio State English professor Angus Fletcher spoke on the nature of literature — a fundamental art form — and its role in mastering ourselves as human beings :
“ It wrestles with the psychological problems inside us . Grief , lack of meaning , loneliness — literature was invented to deal with these problems . To have happy and democratic societies , effective engineers and scientists , we need people who are joyful , not angry , who have a deep sense of empathy and purpose , who have an ability for logic and problem-solving . You get all these things from literature .”
Reynolds , who has 30 years of experience in private school education , says in response to the human characteristics and skills identified in the above quotation : “ I actually do believe that ’ s at the heart of STEAM education .”
Kids are happier when they ’ re engaging , moving , learning and collaborating instead of sitting at a desk taking notes all day , she says . And after a full day at CIS engaged in authentic learning , students have no or very little homework , so they can spend time with their families and participate in after-school activities . It ’ s a model of work-life balance rarely practiced — but rigorously sought — in the U . S .
CIS is also built on academic fortitude , owned by a family , Reynolds says , that opened 40 schools in China where they were involved in curriculum development . Its own curriculum is built on the framework of NGSS and common core standards , and incorporates STEM Fuse , a robust curriculum that works in tandem with its makerspace .
And its program is attracting attention among educators . According to a study by the Learning Policy Institute , a nonprofit
education research group , 80 percent of school districts in California are experiencing teacher shortages . But when Reynolds posted three openings for teaching positions in early 2021 , she received dozens of applications . While teachers at private schools are not required to have California teaching credentials , all the teachers at CIS do and most have a master ’ s degree as well .
“ I think STEAM education encourages students to approach their learning open-mindedly towards each other , towards the curriculum , towards their teachers , towards different ideas . … You ’ re not going to have a class that ’ s STEAM — it really is everything you ’ re about . And so ( students ) are very open-minded ,” Reynolds says . “ I think it ’ s the best pedagogy out there .”
Jennifer Junghans holds degrees in biological sciences and horticulture , and writes about environmental health , agriculture and food systems , wildlife and conservation . More at www . jenniferjunghans . com .
58 comstocksmag . com | February 2022