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Fostering the love of learning
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June 14, 2023What has Eric Carle’s children's classic “The very hungry Caterpillar” to do with technology, art and the bible? More than you might think: a teacher could link the book with a lesson on the cycle of a caterpillar, to God being the creator of all things, and invite the students to create an online book sharing their insights with animated pictures and voice recording.
35 teachers from pre-K to high school came together to learn how to implement these cross-curriculum projects from four of their peers who developed several lesson samples. “The STEM subjects – Science, technology, engineering and math – can be enriched with the addition of religion and arts,” said Superintendent Dr. Rosemary Henry, who was happy to see so many teachers giving up their free time to learn.
Four teachers – Amy Migura, Lisa Hernandez, Rob Boostrom and Paola Prado – showed some examples of how to use STREAM projects for different grades from kindergarten to high school. Science, technology, religion, engineering, arts and mathematics in a combined project can guide student inquiry, hands-on learning, dialogue, engagement, and critical thinking.
But first, the teachers reflected on how teachers had a profound impact on their lives. Some of them shared how a teacher helped them when they struggled with English and discovered their passion for math, or how one teacher made even the children who found school boring fall in love with reading by introducing them to adventure novel series.
The group tried to develop their own Stream projects. Each subject is part of the greater whole of the lesson, so the leitmotiv. And the concept of an interdisciplinary approach helps to provide instruction that resembles knowledge used in real life.
“STREAM projects result in engagement, problem-solving, critical thinking, collaboration, real-world connection, and they foster a love of learning,” said Monica Maldonado, Director of Technology for Catholic Schools.
By using some apps specially developed for the classroom, even students in 1st grade can prepare online books and audio recordings, developing skills they will need throughout school and their careers.
