“I like to tell teachers that STEAM is not one more thing on your plate, STEAM is the plate.”


Coding and robotics have now been implemented for all year levels in Primary, and Computer Science is required for all Y7 and Y8 students. Time within the schedule was also created to begin the type of transdisciplinary learning that is a hallmark of STEAM.


Here to Help: Consultant Julie Hasfjord has spent two years on campus developing the BHS Strategy for STEAM.


Listening and Learning was the first phase and consisted of focus groups for all stakeholders including parents, students, staff and board members. Classroom visits created a better understanding of the culture of the School and teaching styles, and digital surveys collected feedback from the School community. From the Listening and Learning phase a set of Design Principles, specific to BHS, emerged. These ensure that: STEAM opportunities are inclusive of all students and year levels; STEAM programming meets BHS’ standards and reputation for student success at university level and beyond; learning is based around the principles of transdisciplinary and inquiry-based teaching and; learning is connected to the local and international community. Ms Hasfjord says that while some of these principles will be found in all STEAM-based curricula, each school will focus on unique aspects. “For example we don’t always put in this idea of success at university level and beyond. That’s hugely important here at BHS,” she says. With the Design Principles in place, the Implementation Phase has begun. For teachers and staff, this has meant ongoing professional development that Ms Hasfjord says was, “more than regular professional development and required a real commitment from the staff.” Meanwhile, Primary students have been engaged in interdisciplinary units of study while Secondary students have taken part in problem-based learning that involved multiple subject areas.


20 Torchbearer Fall 2019


“For Y7 and 8 students, we created common planning time for the Science and Math teachers to design integrated units,” says Ms Hasfjord. “One project was to design gardens for Bermuda that respected the constraints of Bermuda like limited space, the weather, etc. The students ended up creating a lab report in Science from the data they analysed in Math.”


Assessments, or tests, can also be combined so that students receive one assessment across multiple disciplines. With a focus on transdisciplinary learning, teachers were given the opportunity to visit each other’s classrooms, not so much to critique or learn about another subject, but to see what they can take from each other’s practices to improve.


Speaking of her experience with the professional development programme, Y6 Teacher Stephanie Shrubb, says: “I’ve seen a lot more collaboration and student-generated questions and student-led learning. There is also more comfort with the idea of failing forward and making mistakes. The design process, allowing students to go back


and edit their work has been important, and the use of technology has increased tremendously.” Moving forward, Ms Hasfjord will continue to work remotely with the staff and teachers. The School has identified an Innovative Learning Coordinator in both the Primary and Secondary Departments, and they will be leading the process established in the STEAM strategy. Of course, the Innovation Centre will provide the space needed to maximise STEAM-based learning. “Students will be able to spread out and work together,” says Ms Hasfjord. “The equipment will be in place and accessible with resources readily available for students to do this to the best of their ability, and BHS students love to do things to the best of their abilities!” Commenting on the changes and new initiatives that have come with the STEAM strategy, Head of Secondary, Catherine Hollingsworth, expressed her excitement for what lies ahead: “We’re all working towards the idea that STEAM, or Innovation, is about developing skills and applying them to real-world situations. We’re developing a curriculum where students are not taught in silos, because you’ll never do that in the workplace. “It’s more about the connections in the different subject areas and how can we bring that learning together to produce a piece of work that shows what has been learned across several different areas.”


Room to Grow: With the completion of the Innovation Centre in 2020, students will have the space and equipment to fully embrace STEAM learning.


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