BUILDING SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE Inside this newsletter you will find evidence of IDEAL students exploring the overlapping nature of Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics-the so-called STEAM subjects. These are exciting and innovative times and we are preparing our students for their future.

To start, let’s explore how students develop scientific knowledge and the three distinct types of knowing.

1. Knowing “That” = Facts2. Knowing “Why” = Causes3. Knowing “How To” = Process and Procedures

Knowing “That” is the ability to answer factual questions such as: who, what, where, and when? Knowing the facts about events and describing changes that occur is central to scientific knowledge. To become scientific, one must continue collecting

more factual information through ongoing observations. Knowing “That” helps us understand our world and form expectations. I know, for example, that ice melts when it gets warm or that steel is a magnetic material, but brass is not.

Knowing “Why” is exactly what it sounds like. This knowledge concerns understanding and identifying the causes of what is observed so an explanation can be formed. For example: Why does it appear that the sun moves across the sky? This type of knowledge starts with “because.” All parents have experienced this scientific inquiry through their children over and over again. Why is the sky blue? Why is the cat furry? Why

do the leaves fall? Why do I have to go to bed now?

Humans are born innately curious about the world around us, we are natural scientists. We want to know facts and we want to understand why things are the way they are and work the way they do. Our questions get more sophisticated as we get older.

PIONEER PRESSFall 2014

sci·ence /sīəns/noun

the intellectual and practical activity encompassing the systematic study of the structure and behavior of the physical and natural world through observation and experiment

The IDEAL School & Academy is Full STEAM Ahead!

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Many books are written to help us understand the causes of events that occur in our lives, some in scientific fields such as psychology or anthropology.

The third type of scientific knowledge deals with “How To.” If we have accumulated facts, and we understand the causes, then how do we proceed with rational and fair procedures? This is the investigative knowledge needed for science. How do we test theories? How do we create a hypothesis? How do we test our hypotheses? Observing, hypothesizing, predicting, experimenting, and fair testing with controlled variables - these are the ways we develop the knowledge of “How To.” This is scientific investigation. This supports students becoming problem-solvers by gaining direct experiences which deepen their knowledge, so they can experiment and inquire in a predictable way. During our recent Science Share, our community was invited to see all the ways in which IDEAL students are practicing learning facts (knowing “That”), making accurate predictions (knowing “Why”), and testing hypothesis (knowing “How To”). Our students worked in small groups or pairs demonstrating and explaining their observations and investigations while helping others understand the outcomes of their experiments. The gymnasium was bursting with curiosity and shared science excitement! As Mark Twain said, “Supposing is good, but finding out is better.”

At IDEAL, our students are finding out with STEAM.

Angie BergesonHead of School

SCIENCE

The Maker Movement is a global community that includes inventors, designers, engineers, artists, programmers, hackers, tinkerers, craftspeople and DIYers (Do It Yourself). The IDEAL School & Academy is leading the way in developing students who share qualities of innovation and curiosity. Students in the middle school are challenged to create from scratch and then ask how they could do it better the next time.

Here are a few of the experiences in technology and engineering available to IDEAL students:

• Type to Learn beginning in 3rd grade

• Individual Chrome Books beginning in 4th grade

• Individual MacBook Airs beginning in 8th grade

• 3-D web-based modeling tool -Tinkercad

• Lego Mindstorms Robotics Kits

• MakerBot 3D Printer

• Interactive Coding using code.org and Scratch

TECHNOLOGY & ENGINEERING

tech·nol·o·gy /tekˈnäləjē/noun the application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes, especially in industry; the use of science in industry, engineering, etc., to invent useful things or to solve problems

en·gi·neer·ing /ˌenjəˈniriNG/noun

the branch of science and technology concerned with the design, building, and use of engines, machines, and structures

ALL HANDS ON DECK!

ART

STEM is now STEAM!

Only recently did the acronym change to include the A for art. It is impossible to divorce art from the science of engineering and design or the artistic beauty of math. IDEAL students learn that the overlap is inseparable.

As part of our social justice mission, IDEAL teachers offer culturally situated, art-based learning-engaging students with art that speaks to their ethnic or cultural identity and ancestry. This exposes all students to a variety of cultural histories. Students study the similarities between ancient civilizations as well as the anthropology and architecture behind design. They explore the scientific and mathematical language of art throughout all cultures and across time.

An example is a recent study of ancient Mimbre designs. Mimbre art is indigenous to the Southwest American Indian culture known as Mogollon. There are mathematical concepts embedded in the iconic

black and white geometric patterns demonstrated in ceramic imagery of animals, human figures, and designs. These designs relate directly to Mogollon life and religion. Students learn best when history, story, culture, and math are integrated with social sciences and the arts. Traditional ways of educating separate subjects rather than bringing disciplines together. IDEAL truly engages students’ interest and provides anchors for learning in a variety of subject areas connecting knowledge between fields of inquiry and academic subjects.

art /ärt/noun the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form such as painting or sculpture, producing works to be appreciated primarily for their beauty

INTEGRATION OF ART AND DESIGN

MATH

SOCIAL JUSTICE AND THE FIBONACCI CODE

The IDEAL School & Academy is a unique school. It was founded on the principles of inclusion, diversity, and social justice. Given our innovative history, it makes sense that our math programming choices would showcase educational reform.

At IDEAL we teach math in a connected way. We link math to student’s lives and to issues of equality. We use math to uncover stereotypes and to understand history. Math is more than computations and definitions. It covers a range of topics from geometry, measurement, ratios, percentages, and probability.

The math curriculum is differentiated at IDEAL; sophistication and complexity is individualized so all students access the overarching topics at their own level. Students might work on different skills, but they are working together to understand global and personal issues.

Where does the Fibonacci Code come in you ask? Sometimes patterns and relationships are studied simply because they are interesting, and sometimes because they help solve practical problems. Number

patterns also can be studied in relation to the world in which we live, in order to help us better understand it. For instance, many of the numbers in the Fibonacci sequence can be related to the things that we see around us.

From the spiral of the nautilus shell, to the shape of a pine cone, from a simple number series to complicated computer algorithms used in search techniques, this fascinating sequence of numbers that create the Fibonacci Code can be explored and understood by our students in several subject areas.

Here is the Fibonacci series:1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8...Can you see a pattern? What do you think the next number in the series is?

Math is everywhere and the students can relate the skills gained in math to science, art, and technology at school. At IDEAL, we engage students with real world problems and teach math for social justice with the numbers and beauty behind the elegance of design.

math·e·mat·ics /math(ə)ˈmadiks/noun

the abstract science of number, quantity, and space. Mathematics may be studied in its own right ( pure mathematics ), or as it is applied to other disciplines such as physics and engineering ( applied mathematics ).

Without mathematics there is no art - Luca Pacioli

DR. SHAYRI GREENWOODMIDDLE & HIGH SCHOOL SCIENCE

Dr. Shayri Greenwood joined the IDEAL science and math faculty this summer. She is a native New Yorker who grew up in Harlem and earned her Bachelors and PhD degrees from SUNY Stony Brook. Dr. Greenwood holds degrees in neuroscience and psychology, which combines her interests in brain functions and its effects on human behavior.

Until recently, Dr. Greenwood’s career plans did not include teaching. Initially, she pursued a career in scientific research working on a cure for epilepsy, a central nervous system disorder in which the nerve cell activity in the brain is disturbed, causing seizures that can impact behavior, memory and consciousness. She was on a university research and scholarly career track, but found much of her postdoctoral work - learning how to run her own lab obtaining the extra training required - unsatisfying. It was, however, invaluable experience and she discovered a love for teaching science drawn from her scholarly research.

Dr. Greenwood is energized by her move from teaching undergraduates to teaching middle and high school. When teaching our students, she has the opportunity to open their minds to new concepts and ideas. She says, “it is rewarding to see a student’s reaction when a concept clicks, when a student has made a scientific discovery and it all makes sense”. Developing lesson plans that reach all of our students is invigorating and fuels her brain. “It requires creativity to teach students in a way that makes sense to them, not just in a way that makes sense to an individual teacher.”

Collaborating with IDEAL teachers, as well as with International Baccalaureate teachers around the world, has impacted Dr. Greenwood’s approach to teaching and has expanded her teaching tools. This

summer, while participating in professional development for the IB program, Dr. Greenwood was introduced to the “flipped classroom” method for engaging students. Students gain necessary knowledge before class, and then teachers guide students to actively and interactively clarify and apply that knowledge during class. For example, for a recent unit exploring the metric system, IDEAL students accessed a Powerpoint presentation on Edmodo as a homework assignment and completed a worksheet outlining important facts and concepts. Students absorbed the information on their own, taking responsibility for their own learning, and then applied this knowledge the next day in class by actively participating in a lab (rather than merely listening to lecture).

Dr Greenwood says she has found a home at IDEAL. She is not only committed to the students but she also cares about the faculty. Dr. Greenwood is a certified Zumba instructor and to keep the faculty energized, leads a Zumba class weekly in the 89th Street gym. Dr. Greenwood loves to dance. As a child she took lessons at Ruth Williams Dance Studio in Harlem and performed at the Apollo several times. Dance and Zumba are passions that help release stress and keep her grounded. She also loves to read mystery novels. James Patterson’s Women’s Murder Series are currently her favorite books. She finds the books empowering - four women come together to solve gruesome murders - maybe not nighttime reading for our younger students, but parents might enjoy them!

Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is to not stop questioning. - Albert Einstein

TEACHER FEATURE