Pedagogy, reimagined
Wood served many years of her career in a traditional teaching role. While she enjoyed planning lessons and working with children, she encountered limitations in the resources available to her school. When she learned about the partnership between Penn State York and the York City school district to support innovative instruction, she was excited to apply, she said.
The STEAM Academy is a Pre-K through eighth grade school in the district. Wood explained that the STEAM Academy is a Title I magnet program focused on STEAM integration and PBL.
“My role at the STEAM Academy is to work as a liaison between the STEAM Academy and Penn State York,” said Wood.
Penn State York uses endowment funds to purchase technology, sponsor trips and fund in-school experiences to support student learning at the STEAM Academy. The goal is to provide a student-centered approach to learning where lecturing is not the only pedagogical technique used; rather students are encouraged to think critically and solve problems together.
“I meet with teachers to learn about their units of study, help them plan, and connect them with resources for their classroom to support their students’ learning,” Wood said. She also collaborates with the teachers, principal and other school leaders to develop training opportunities that bring PBL into the classroom.
“I love finding creative ways to help teachers enhance the great work they are already doing with students at STEAM. PBL was my passion when I was a teacher myself and I really enjoy supporting the STEAM Academy as they integrate PBL into their curriculum,” said Wood.
Getting hands-on with shoes and chairs
Part of experiential learning is finding a solution to a problem or answering a prompt. For students in kindergarten through eighth grade, this can mean building a practical object using basic materials.
“Each year I help plan the STEAM Cup Challenge,” said Wood. “This event brings community partners into the school to work directly with students on a fun, hands-on challenge. The shoe-design STEAM challenge in 2019 was one of the first large events I worked on for the STEAM Academy. I developed client blurbs, materials lists and design packets for students in K-8. I also ordered and organized supplies for each classroom and spoke at a whole-school assembly. I was used to planning only my own classroom, so this was a big leap for me.”
Students selected clients to design shoes for. Some examples included a hiker, a businessperson, a basketball player, an 8-month-old baby, and a dancer. Students then had to design a shoe that met the client’s needs.
“Students even modeled the shoes in a fashion show! It was so fun, and they did such great work,” Wood said.
This year, students designed and built cardboard chairs for organizations around York. To kick off this year’s STEAM Cup Challenge, Wood invited artists from Creative York who provided expertise on cardboard construction. Several local businesses met with classes to share feedback on the designs and introduce students to professional design critique.