The STEM Academy hosted by Sidney Central School and in conjunction with DCMO BOCES is off to a strong start.
With students from several area districts attending, the program is building nicely and pushing toward the future as area eighth and ninth graders have the chance to expand their education in a different setting.
The program is preliminarily designed as a four-year half-day program. Students have the ability to decide on participation each year, but the most academic benefit will come to those who start as accelerated 8th or 9th graders. Students will still participate in other activities in their home school, but will take the highly rigorous, college-prep engineering-based classes along with their state-mandated math and English courses with other students from area districts at Sidney High School.
Sidney is a leader in STEM education in the area with programs starting in elementary school and going through high school. Students in Sidney start the program in second grade. The base has allowed Sidney to bring students from other districts in and help start this program.
Students take math, science and engineering courses. Those courses include algebra and geometry in math; living environment and earth science in science; and intro to engineering and design in engineering. Because of the schedule, visiting students also take physical education at Sidney.
“The kids who have elected to come here from another school want to take everything,” said Christine Race, a technology teacher at Sidney. “There’s a lot of excitement by the kids who are here.”
The dynamics of having students of different grade levels and from different districts is proving to be beneficial for students.
“We are taking people from all walks of life and brainstorming,” Race said. “We have students from Unatego and Franklin and different grades all together. It’s a great cross-section of young adults. The solutions of problems are more vast, not just solutions to Sidney problems. It’s more young adult problems.”
This collaboration between Sidney and DCMO BOCES allows students access to a leading-edge lab with the newest technology tools, software and project-ready facilities. The program also gives students the chance to earn college credits, which are transferable to Rochester Institute of Technology, and all SUNY colleges.
“I feel STEM has helped my experience because, of course, any education experience must be well-rounded,” said Franklin ninth-grader Felix Bridel, who is part of the Academy. “The lessons taught, both normal and psychological, are very helpful in any school experience.”
This program helps students see things in a different light, Race said. It makes them learn by using lessons and applying them, rather than just recalling the information that has been taught to them.
“If you can apply it, that’s Level 4 learning,” Race said. That’s not just seeing it. It’s seeing it, learning and doing. And that stays with them.”
Many of the STEM-based classes are electives, so Race said she has to rely on applying things more than traditional studying.
“My students are candid that they don’t study as much (as in core classes),” Race said. “So to get the results, I have to rely on a higher level of thinking, not recall.”
The STEM classes force thinking beyond doing something in a basic way. For example, consider a traditional shop class where a student might build something like a birdhouse. In a scenario like that, the idea and instructions would already usually be in place.
But take an engineering class such as Race’s classroom. They utilize tools of the trade and apply math and scientific concepts to build this house. Say it’s a birdhouse for a certain bird. The class will go through the six steps of Engineering (identify the problem, generate concepts, develop a solution, construct a test, evaluate a solution and present a solution) to come up with a birdhouse that might be made toward a specific bird. The students would do that by identifying said bird, its size, what the house might need and anything else besides just following printed instructions.
“I’m excited because I believe in what I am doing,” Race said. “I believed in Project Lead the Way. I have been doing the best I can for Sidney students and now I get to do what’s best for regional students.”
To see a gallery, please click here.
With students from several area districts attending, the program is building nicely and pushing toward the future as area eighth and ninth graders have the chance to expand their education in a different setting.
The program is preliminarily designed as a four-year half-day program. Students have the ability to decide on participation each year, but the most academic benefit will come to those who start as accelerated 8th or 9th graders. Students will still participate in other activities in their home school, but will take the highly rigorous, college-prep engineering-based classes along with their state-mandated math and English courses with other students from area districts at Sidney High School.
Sidney is a leader in STEM education in the area with programs starting in elementary school and going through high school. Students in Sidney start the program in second grade. The base has allowed Sidney to bring students from other districts in and help start this program.
Students take math, science and engineering courses. Those courses include algebra and geometry in math; living environment and earth science in science; and intro to engineering and design in engineering. Because of the schedule, visiting students also take physical education at Sidney.
“The kids who have elected to come here from another school want to take everything,” said Christine Race, a technology teacher at Sidney. “There’s a lot of excitement by the kids who are here.”
The dynamics of having students of different grade levels and from different districts is proving to be beneficial for students.
“We are taking people from all walks of life and brainstorming,” Race said. “We have students from Unatego and Franklin and different grades all together. It’s a great cross-section of young adults. The solutions of problems are more vast, not just solutions to Sidney problems. It’s more young adult problems.”
This collaboration between Sidney and DCMO BOCES allows students access to a leading-edge lab with the newest technology tools, software and project-ready facilities. The program also gives students the chance to earn college credits, which are transferable to Rochester Institute of Technology, and all SUNY colleges.
“I feel STEM has helped my experience because, of course, any education experience must be well-rounded,” said Franklin ninth-grader Felix Bridel, who is part of the Academy. “The lessons taught, both normal and psychological, are very helpful in any school experience.”
This program helps students see things in a different light, Race said. It makes them learn by using lessons and applying them, rather than just recalling the information that has been taught to them.
“If you can apply it, that’s Level 4 learning,” Race said. That’s not just seeing it. It’s seeing it, learning and doing. And that stays with them.”
Many of the STEM-based classes are electives, so Race said she has to rely on applying things more than traditional studying.
“My students are candid that they don’t study as much (as in core classes),” Race said. “So to get the results, I have to rely on a higher level of thinking, not recall.”
The STEM classes force thinking beyond doing something in a basic way. For example, consider a traditional shop class where a student might build something like a birdhouse. In a scenario like that, the idea and instructions would already usually be in place.
But take an engineering class such as Race’s classroom. They utilize tools of the trade and apply math and scientific concepts to build this house. Say it’s a birdhouse for a certain bird. The class will go through the six steps of Engineering (identify the problem, generate concepts, develop a solution, construct a test, evaluate a solution and present a solution) to come up with a birdhouse that might be made toward a specific bird. The students would do that by identifying said bird, its size, what the house might need and anything else besides just following printed instructions.
“I’m excited because I believe in what I am doing,” Race said. “I believed in Project Lead the Way. I have been doing the best I can for Sidney students and now I get to do what’s best for regional students.”
To see a gallery, please click here.