Full STEAM Ahead at Sage

Experts from The Lab@Harvard and Technofrolics who found innovative ways to integrate STEM and the arts, participated in a design session at The Sage School in Foxboro to help teachers launch the school’s new iSTEAM program – innovative science, technology, engineering, arts and math.

“We’re thrilled to start off our school year with our faculty collaborating with experts in the STEAM field.  It is our goal to give students a curriculum rich with an integrated exposure to the leading concepts and techniques in science and math that will ultimately strengthen the skills needed for careers in 2025,” said Head of School Dr. Nan Wodarz.

Well-known STEAM leaders Andrea Sachdeva, the organizer of ArtScience at The Lab@ Harvard and soon to be the coordinator of the Kendall Square Laboratoire, joined David Durlach, founder of TechnoFrolics a high-tech design studio, for two sessions with Sage’s elementary and middle school faculty to discuss the benefits of iSTEAM in the classroom.

Sacheva is best known for her work in education encouraging students to use scientific themes in their art and design work.  Durlach is a leading educational speaker who shares the importance of students using creativity and emotion in the study of such typically empirical and critical thinking based subjects such as science, technology, engineering, and math.

“Incorporating the current STEM disciplines with the arts allows for the full embracement of the left and right brain and the realization by students that neither STEM disciplines nor the arts use only one hemisphere or the other,” added Dr. Nitzan Resnick, STEAM Coordinator at the school.   Resnick, who has a background in virology, molecular genetics, and cell biology, is a leader in the field of K-12 STEM education and will now work with Sage faculty to create the new iSTEAM program at Sage.

These sessions are a part of The Sage School’s school faculty week prior to the start of school.  Sage is in the process of redesigning their STEAM program to create a complementary, streamlined curriculum.

Attending were teachers from Kindergarten through Grade 8. Each division will ‘ideate” their respective iSTEAM programming and lessons for 2014/15.  The Sage School’s formal launch of iSTEAM for the 2014-15 academic year establishes a formal, streamlined integration in classrooms across all ages but will now also have a student-led component to their curriculum.  A centerpiece for the coming year includes a STEAM Gallery created in the school to showcase student works in this area.  Sage middle school students will be tasked as ‘curators’ of the gallery, in tandem with Resnick and Art Teacher, Katie Pearce.

“Including the arts in the study of STEM is a wonderful opportunity for students to learn through a new perspective and discover new skills.  The arts component encourages creativity and independent work processes that can help students grasp concepts in a new way,” stated Art Teacher, Katie Pearce.