STANDARD 6

Educators and leaders participate in an ongoing system of STEAM-specific professional learning.

Impact Narrative:

All of our educators participate in the planning process and creation of project-based learning and STEAM-inquiry opportunities with our STEAM Specialist. In addition to planning and professional development, Centennial’s educators have the opportunity to serve on the STEAM Leadership Team and help develop scholar activities. The Georgia STEM/STEAM Virtual Summit is a fantastic event for our educators connect with other teachers in Georgia, learn about STEAM activities across the state, and deepen their knowledge of inter-disciplinary learning. Educators also have the opportunity to co-teach STEAM lessons with our STEAM Specialist in order to put philosophy into reality.

Through in-school opportunities, we have been able to provide unique professional development to our faculty. In the summer of 2016, training from the Buck Institute on developing high-quality project-based learning greatly enhanced our current units and became the springboard for creating even more project-based learning opportunities for our scholars. In the 19-20 school year, we strengthened our implementation of the “A” in STEAM by forming a teacher-leader cohort. Fine arts and content teachers focused on growing our pedagogy in Arts-Integration with guidance from our partner, ArtsNow.

Not only do our educators receive on-campus professional development, but during the summer of 2018, a cohort of teachers attended the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) Conference. After becoming a Google school with one-to-one technology for all scholars, there was an intentional focus on increasing our teachers’ technology skills. This greatly enhanced their knowledge in instructional technology. It was additionally important in growing our scholars from consumers of technology to producers of technology, which is the basis of the work in our Computer Science pathway.

In 2019, our faculty received an opportunity to apply for the GoSTEAM Grant, a five-year partnership between Georgia Tech, PreK-12 schools and other organizations in the metro-Atlanta area. Led by Georgia Tech's Center for Education Integrating Science, Mathematics and Computing (CEISMC), GoSTEAM creates models of sustainable, school-based, curricular and extracurricular programs focusing on the fields of Computer Science, Engineering, Invention, and Entrepreneurship. The Arts, including Visual Arts, Media Arts, Dramatic Arts/Theater, Dance and Music, are also incorporated in authentic and compelling ways to promote positive STEAM identity.

At Centennial, STEM and art/music teachers are paired throughout the year with Innovators in Residence and GoSTEAM coaches to engage scholars in creative STEAM-focused experiences and to promote vertical teaming between schools, universities and the community. We currently have six educators serving as Fellows in the grant. GoSTEAM ultimately desires to create and disseminate thoroughly assessed PreK-12 interventions that authentically integrate the arts into the technical fields of engineering and computer science and promote deep learning in both fields.

Strengths:

Ongoing PBL Trainings (APS District and Buck Institute)

Teacher-Led Professional Development Sessions

Monthly District Level STEM/STEAM Professional Learning Sessions

State and Partner-Led Conferences

Initiatives/Actions:

Professional Development Pathways SY22-23

School Visits, High Tech High, Amana Academy, and Lead Academy

Artifacts:

GoSTEAM Summer PD Calendar

GoSTEAM Implementation Planning Session

Georgia Tech University’s GoSTEAM Grant