Hands-On Learning: How Gateway Teachers are Using the STEELS Standards to Engage Students ateway
Hands-On Learning: How Gateway Teachers are Using the STEELS Standards to Engage Students ateway
GATEWAY SCHOOL DISTRICT
Lindsay Mueller’ s classroom buzzed with excitement and wonder, as students observed a floating paper clip. The paper clip— attached to some thread— was taped to a desk and suspended by magnets.
How was this possible? Students began a lively discussion, as Mueller queried them about this phenomena. The activity and discussion was then parlayed into a lesson about force, motion, and magnetic forces.
“ They were amazed,” said Ms. Mueller, a 3rd grade teacher at University Park Elementary.“ This phenomena-based way of teaching hones in on their natural curiosity.”
A focus on hands-on learning and then transitioning to discussions and lessons is commonplace across Gateway School District science classrooms. The learning follows Pennsylvania’ s new Science, Technology & Engineering, Environmental Literacy & Sustainability( STEELS) Standards, which have now been adopted district-wide.
The standards, which are aligned to current research and best practices in science education,“ prioritize a shift away from memorization of facts to having students productively participate in scientific discourse and practices, involve students in sustained investigation to support deeper understanding, and recognize that even young children are capable of more sophisticated scientific reasoning than originally thought,” according to Pennsylvania’ s Department of Education.
A district that already valued hands-on learning is now doubling down, and teachers are seeing positive results.
“ I’ m reaching a lot more kids this way, instead of having them strictly memorizing things,” said Ms. Mueller.“ They’ re engaged and building on their background knowledge, wherever they’ re at with their learning.”
26 MONROEVILLE
Elementary School
Ms. Mueller has her students look outside. Water puddles that were once present the day before are now gone. How did that happen? The change sparks a lively classroom discussion, which then leads into a lesson about the water cycle.
Another day, students dunk their hands into ice cold water. They discuss how it felt and then place a glove on their hands covered in vegetable shortening. The shortening-covered glove shields their hands from the cold, mimicking a seal’ s blubber. Students discuss the phenomena and then learn about physical and behavioral adaptations.
“ The thing I really like about STEELS is there’ s definitely more hands-on experiences and even in our curriculum it does more phenomena-based learning,” said Ms. Mueller.“ It’ s not like,‘ hey we’ re going to talk about the water cycle or physical adaptations’ and the kids are already tentative because those are two big words.”
Many lessons start like this. Sometimes the learning is preempted by an experiment. Other times, it’ s a video or just a classroom discussion based on something students might’ ve observed. Students are oftentimes tasked with stating a claim and then supporting it, testing their understanding and critical thinking skills rather than their ability to memorize a term.
“ We talk a lot about‘ what do you think is happening’ and then talk about evidence. I feel like we’ re doing a lot more on understanding as opposed to them spitting back out what I taught them. It’ s a lot more engaging to them,” said Ms. Mueller.“ They’ re naturally curious. They already have a lot of questions. It’ s a comfortable place for them to share.” Students that might’ ve found science intimidating are now active participants in discussion, Ms. Mueller said. The change in approach has led to some additional benefits.