STEM for all is not enough.
Students need to be able to design—from question to theory to creation to revision.
At LEADPrep students are encouraged to use the design thinking process. Recent design projects completed include creation of board games, robots, and activities to share with elementary students.
This year LEADPrep is going a step further, adding “Genius Hour” to the curriculum. This is time when the students get to learn what they want. A.A. Juliana reminds us that this is more than empowered learning, it’s a time for students “to find themselves in their creative work.”
This process of creative thinking is bigger than STEM.
Encouraging students to use their curiosity to create, test, and recreate; this process allows for risk taking and problem solving.
This process works whether the students are creating digital content, or when “building things with duct tape and cardboard”
Learn more about this process on Spencer and Juliani’s website The Launch Cycle.
We know we have to break the gender myth about STEM classes. But let’s also work together to encourage and support all our students using the design process.