In March, four RCDS STEAM faculty (Director Cathie Bischoff, DEI Teaching Fellow Maximo Perez, LS Science Teacher Debra Simpson and Science Lab Technician Nicole Zazzarino) participated in the Science Teachers Association of New York State (STANYS) STANYS Conference at Purchase College. 

Cathie Bishoff and Maximo Perez teamed up to give a presentation on Makerspace curricula and how to create authentic “Maker Science” projects with or without a designated space. They also addressed constructing knowledge and assessing student work in maker projects, and they walked their colleagues through creating a design challenge. It was an informative session on the benefits of STEAM and competency-based teaching and learning in schools.

Debra Simpson led a presentation about STEAM in elementary grades. She highlighted RCDS’s Lower School (Pre-K - Grade 4) STEAM curriculum, providing examples of curricular projects at different grade levels, including making windmills, wood, and sundials, among others. Ms. Simpson also covered the standards addressed in each STEAM project and provided resources about them. Her thesis was explaining how collaboration between different subjects and divisions enhances the education of students. 

Thanks to our outstanding STEAM team members for sharing their insights with fellow educators!