At Washington High school we seek change the way our legacy builders see the world around them. We want them to be active community advocates and change agents. Our teachers look for learning models and opportunities that challenge students but also encourage them to inquire about new ideas and ask the “why” ? In our STEM learning environments, we encourage both independent and collaborative learning. Often in education, we encourage more collaborative learning than anything but at Washington we understand that in order for collaborative learning to be effective independent learning must also be explicit. STEM innovations do not arise on their own; each is brought forth through the hard work and ingenuity of all learners. When teaching problem-based lessons, the use of thinking scaffolds helps propel students toward greater expertise and deeper learning. This can be done by way of targeted prompts, supports, and even peer modeling. Some ways this is achieved is by: Encouraging students to think about things in context: Posing questions that push students to think about what they may already know and what they don’t yet know. This helps them become more inclined to seek out new connections, patterns, and possibilities.  Our teachers also make questions open-ended. This helps draw out students thinking or even helps them rethink ideas without correcting them outright. It also promotes self-efficacy when we let students own their own learning. At Washington we are huge on building positive relationships with students, and we want our students to know that we trust them to demonstrate their learning mastery. This also fosters a culture of productive risk-taking. Students and teachers at Washington High school are willing to try new things and understand that productive struggle is the recipe for success. We do not always blook for the right answers the first go around instead we are patient and allow students to engage in self-discovery before we jump in and guide them back to a more structured course. Our math and science courses especially implement STEM strategies that allow students time to debrief or reflect. This is a way for our legacy builders to see themselves as active learners, rather than mere participants. It also encourages expression with questions about performance, results, and students’ thought process.

 

Opportunities for Growth

 

Having such a rich historical legacy in we seek for our students to make connections between our past and how they can and will in modern day impact the STEM world. It can sometimes be a challenge for students to see the big picture and see the application to career opportunities post high school. This is where we strive for partnerships and industry professionals to expose students to the endless possibilities and career connections related to STEM in even the not so noticeable ways. Because we want our students to be the pipeline to address diversity in STEM  we understand the importance of them engaging with STEM educators and professionals that represent a diverse background. We aim to work on having students think more inclusively and understanding that different backgrounds encourage different perspectives and life experiences and needs. These differences will bring new perspectives needed to promote STEM innovation.

 

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