STEAM UPDATE

The Human

By Wade Hanse, STEAM Coordinator ver the last decade, I have had the distinct privilege of working with some incredible children and adults. With each new relationship, I grew as a professional and became a more dedicated educator. In reflection on all I have seen over the years, the two most important lessons I have learned are that students are the most precious resource in schools followed closely by the need for passionate teachers. This human element, a caring will for kindling meaningful development, is what makes good education great.

Take a moment and allow your mind to drift back to your childhood. What did you consider the bleeding edge technology of your time? I was a child of the ’90s. My youth saw the internet and America Online invade American households, VHS

Element

gave way to the DVD, and, most significant to the current generation, cell phones sent their first 140-character text messages. Nearly 30 ...we as a community, and support teachers in creating inquirybased, problem-solving opportunities for our students. It must be stated that embracing years later and the dial-up internet of the ’90s is laughably obsolete. DVDs have been left to must foster, an innovative mindset is a gradual and sometimes arduous process. However, litter the forgotten shelves of our entertainment centers, and SMS messaging is almost validate, through regular experiential learning, which develops reasoning, planning, and unrecognizable, now gilded in memes, emojis and animated GIFs. and allow the utilization of appropriate technology, innovative problem solving can become a The purpose of our quick trip down memory each child to fundamental, cognitive component of each St. Martin’s student. lane is not to remind everyone how incredible the ’90s were—because we all already know they were—but to provide perspective on how quickly technology and industry move in our contemporary society. The rate of development and change makes it a nearly impossible task to pursue his or her ideas with vigor. The purpose of highlighting “The Human Element” in Patterns is to create a transparent forum for parents, teachers, and students to see and showcase the innovative and creative activities taking place in our school. At St. foresee what the future holds with any certainty. Martin’s, our students are our most valuable In this era of continuous advancement, the human element has resource, and I firmly believe their creativity will change the become more critical than ever. So, how best can we prepare face of tomorrow. Therefore, we as a community, must foster, our students for the rigors of tomorrow? In a word: Innovation. validate, and allow each child to pursue his or her ideas with Innovation is a talent that requires users to problem-solve, vigor. think creatively, and gaze beyond the surface of a situation. In my career, I have always told my students I want them to Students learn these skills best when committed teachers see the world and all that is in it as what it can be, rather than provide caring environments that allow for investigation, merely as what it is. Regardless of what the future brings or application, error and revision. Stated more simply, students how quickly it changes, innovative thinking will provide our learn to be innovative through authentic experiences. St. Martin’s students with a foundation for sustained success. From our toddlers to our Elementary schoolers, and up In my new role as the STEAM Coordinator at St. Martin’s, it through our 8th-grade students, I look forward to sharing their is my mission to amplify the human element in our classrooms growth with you!