“How is that going to help me in the real world?”
“I’m so glad I took algebra! I use that every day! – NOT!”
As teachers and as schools, we must not dismiss these complaints. We need to embrace them because they are real. Indeed, how does what a student is learning apply to their lives? How will they use what they are learning? If we cannot answer these questions, we are failing our students. It is compulsory for a school to show students the answers by providing them with real-world tasks that incorporate their education. In addition to having an Integrated STEAM program, some examples of other activities I encourage are:
- Scratch club (programming, games, animation) (math, algebra, English)
- Puzzle-solvers club (math, science: compete in Harvard University’s puzzle challenge)
- Website development club – student stories, journals, poetry, and art (English, art, general scholastics)
- Multimedia (movie-making) club
- Drama club (English)
- Community garden (part of a science project?—donate food to poor?)
- Robotics club (math, science)
- Academic All-stars competition (general scholastics)
- Sustainable energies club (math, science)
We should come up with as many ideas as possible for students to engage in activities that allow them to put into practice what they learn. Any and all ideas are open for discussion. The only criteria is that the activity needs to be:
- Level appropriate and
- Reinforces something they have learned or are learning