With the Stamford American International School Students, we produced our own designs and built ROVs. What was really special about our workshop was that

This was a 2 weeks workshop, with 3 different grades.

Photos and video from

https://www.arounddb.com/around-db-articles/family-matters/sustainability-through-steminn-stamford-american-school-hong-kong/

Posted in : Family Matters on @April 1, 2019 9:34 AM (GMT+8) by : Around DB development, Stamford American School Hong Kong Comments: 0

The World Economic Forum, held in January this year, listed the top skills required for the future, for the so-called ‘Fourth Industrial Revolution,’ to include higher-order thinking skills such as complex problem-solving, critical thinking and creativity. What is key is that ‘essential skills,’ like these, can’t yet be mimicked by artificial intelligence.

“We know that technology is developing constantly, but it can’t replace creativity and the innovative minds of people. We can’t guarantee what jobs there will be in the future, but by giving children the tools to succeed in a variety of fields, we can certainly help with future-proofing,” comments Linda Cheung, STEMinn coordinator at Stamford American School Hong Kong.

“For this reason, Stamford’s STEMinn programme commences at age five,” Linda adds. “It was developed to drive innovative thinking as well as expand the higher-order thinking skills students need to be successful upon graduation. The innovation [inn] component added to the STEM programme [science, technology, engineering and mathematics] allows students more opportunities to engage in design thinking in the following steps: Imagine, Design, Create, Evaluate.”

This design thinking process sees an idea transformed into a practical solution which solves a real-world problem. At Stamford, students engage in design thinking through both individual and team projects. This approach to learning brings creativity to life while developing skills such as problem-solving, coordination with others and project management.

“Coming up with creative solutions is important but being able to test, fail and improve is even more so. Deep learning for the students comes during the evaluation phase where they learn how to improve their work; this phase often is the beginning of further exploration, not the end,” says Linda.

Sustainable Stamford

Not surprisingly, Stamford students love the STEMinn approach. “By digging in and engaging children with what is relevant to their lives and speaks to their interests, we are able to provide them with meaningful learning experiences,” Linda explains.

To this end, an ongoing whole school project sees students engaging in authentic, inquiry-based projects related to sustainability. Sustainable Stamford will culminate in a two-day event (May 2 and 3) with activities, workshops and showcases of students’ work.

Students are planning their investigations in composting, mealworm farming and vertical gardening. Further activities on the planning table include making detergent from fruit enzymes and pencil cases from Tetra Paks, and transforming plastic waste into art murals and unwanted goods into high fashion. The idea is that students gain confidence when they see that their ideas can be realised and put to good use. Each grade level focuses on topics relevant to their curricular content.

“Our upper elementary students and middle school will use their innovative skills and knowledge to build solar cars and remotely operated underwater vehicles (ROVs) using sustainable materials. ROVs can be used to gather important data, using AI technology to track debris (of various origins) in the ocean more effectively,” says Linda.

“To leave Hong Kong a cleaner place, there will also be a series of beach clean-ups followed by workshops on how to repurpose plastics and, more importantly, on how we can reduce their use.”

Sustainable Stamford challenges students to look beyond their classrooms, and to recognise that they have a role to play in the world. For example, Grade 5 [Year 6] students are working on the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).“Students are now at a point where they have chosen one of the goals to focus on and they are about to develop an action plan of ‘teaspoons of change’ that they can make,” Linda explains. “The teacher leading this project has created a Humans of Stamford library through which teachers share their past experiences, their involvement in positive actions in the areas covered by the SDGs. Students are finding these livedthrough anecdotes truly inspiring.”

Through Sustainable Stamford, students will discover ways to incorporate habits of sustainability into the school’s daily routine – and they will be inspired to take action at home and in their local community.

“Sustainable Stamford will serve to educate both students and parents,” Linda concludes. “And we are proving that a STEMinn approach to education is the way forward, not least because it empowers our students to think of themselves as changemakers.”

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