Thursday, January 31, 2013

SHARP and STEM




SHARP and STEM


Here at SHARP we are still “buzzing” over the successful unveiling of Bella the Honey Bee Robot.  On January 16, 2013 we invited teachers, students, community members, donors and media to attend Bella’s unveiling at the Milwaukee School of Engineering’s Grohmann Museum.  We could have not been happier with the day.

Bella the Honey Bee Robot
The Honey Bee Robot, which was first envisioned by SHARP last year, aligns with the direction that the SHARP curriculum and today’s students are heading.  At SHARP we recognize that in order to stay relevant, meaningful, and truly make a difference we must help in educating today’s youth for tomorrow’s workforce.   To address this need, SHARP continues to incorporate STEM philosophy into the core curriculum. 

STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) is a national education movement which emerged after recognizing that the standard K-12 education model was not adequately preparing our students to succeed beyond the classroom.   STEM will prepare our students for the skilled workforce that they will face as they begin their careers; it also stresses the importance of integrating educational disciplines as opposed to isolating each subject. 

Bella the Honey Bee Robot is SHARP’s most recent incorporation of STEM principles.  Our first grade students will be able to read about honey bees, pollination, and growing things in our 10th We Love to Learn book A Busy Bee: The Story of Bella the Honey Bee; then they will interact with Bella the Honey Bee Robot.  Bella acts to further support students’ learning and engagement with the story.  Bella has a touch screen panel with questions and answers to challenge students’ thinking and increase their background knowledge, a video that informs students about honey bee communication, and a diagram with LED’s that highlight the honey bee anatomy.  Bella speaks both English and Spanish.

Going forward, SHARP will continue to use STEM principles and philosophy.  The next We Love to Learn book, tentatively titled Our Great Lake, will be an exploration of weather and freshwater.  Much like A Busy Bee and the robot, Our Great Lake will also have an interactive component.  A 3D model will be developed to promote active engagement of second graders’ critical and creative thinking skills.  The model will also appeal to different learning styles, multiple intelligences, and the senses.

SHARP Staff and Students at the unveiling
SHARP has come a long way since its first workbook that used visual images and art history to help second grade students understand weather.  True to our history, as we continue to use the visual arts to engage young minds and reinforce learning, SHARP will adapt to the needs of our students, schools, and community.  SHARP was born out of a need to integrate subjects; using STEM is just another way to ensure that Milwaukee’s students succeed.

Best,
Lynda

Thursday, January 24, 2013

New Year, Same Goal


Happy 2013 Everyone!  It is hard to believe that another year has come and gone.  b
In 2012 SHARP saw a lot of new and exciting things.
  • SHARP incorporated STEM into its 10th book, A Busy Bee: The Story of Bella the Honey Bee.  The STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) principle of education is a national initiative dedicated to educating today's youth in the best possible way.  SHARP will continue to use STEM within its curriculum in order to best prepare our students for tomorrow’s workforce.
  • Pre- and post- vocabulary evaluations were conducted on all SHARP students across all grades.  This was the first time in SHARP’s history that we attempted to evaluate all students as opposed to a subset.  The evaluations lead to valuable information regarding the SHARP program, what works and what can be improved.  We are going to continue evaluating all students.
  • Pat the Great Cat’s family grew by two!  SHARP’s 9th We Love to Learn book: Pat the Great Cat, is based on the real-life jaguar from Belize that now calls the Milwaukee County Zoo home.  Last month the zoo announced that two jaguar cubs were born to Mom, Stella and Dad, Pat.  Along with several SHARP staffers, I was able to attend the reveal at the zoo.
Here is here a sneak peek of what is happening at SHARP in the coming months:
  • Introduction of the HONEY BEE ROBOT After months of planning, designing, and creating the honey bee robot is almost ready for its debut.  Throughout the second semester of this school year the Haggerty Museum will be hosting the honey bee and providing tours to select SHARP first grade classrooms.  The honey bee robot is part of SHARP’s brand new 1st grade curriculum. 
  • Honey Bee Quilt - In conjunction with the first grade curriculum, SHARP students have drawn pictures about bees, pollination, and growing things.  Last December I attended a presentation where student were very excited about this project. Having heard so many positive remarks about the SHARP “Community” quilt hanging in our conference room, I am eager to see what our students will create this time.
  • The next We Love to Learn booktentatively titled: Our Great Lake, will engage students in research questions including common weather patterns, the relationship between weather and seasons, and the influence of weather on local and global culture.   Here in Milwaukee we are so fortunate to have such an expansive fresh water resource in Lake Michigan.  We know that it defines the weather, landscape, and overall culture of Milwaukee; however, many of our urban youth have not had the opportunity to learn about the influence of Lake Michigan or even been able to experience the lake.
Motivated by the successes of our students in the past, we are excited about what this year holds.   I hope you will continue to be a part of SHARP in the coming year!
Best,Look!
Lynda