plexi painting wall, and a simple machines “energy” station. And, in
partnership with the STEM lab teacher, Ronnie Thomas, I created an
Avian Architecture unit, which turned into some very juicy (steamy?)
STEAM PBL. Fourth graders, while hitting the standard on animal
adaptation, researched the eccentric nest building behavior of three
species of exceptionally intelligent birds: crows, ravens, and bower
birds. They built table top scaled models using a wide range of
materials and then collaborated on a human scale nest sculpture
which now serves as a book nook in the library.
Unpredictability
Jeff Mather is a site sculptor, a community-based public artist
and a teaching artist. He is the president of the Atlanta
Partnership for Arts in Learning (APAL) and a teaching artist
for Arts for Learning (A4L) at the Woodruff Art Center in
Atlanta. He is also STEAM Artist-in-Residence for the Beverly
Sorenson Arts Access Program in northern Utah. He is the
digital storytelling coach at the South Atlanta School of Law &
Social Justice (for nine years) and the lead artist for the digital storytelling
program at A4L Woodruff Art Center. He is married to an elementary school
teacher who he met when he was artist-in-residence at her school (!) and they
have two teenage daughters. Documentation of some of Jeff’s partnerships can
be viewed here: www.facebook.com/mathersiteart
Creating STEAM learning units and projects with school partners has
required considerable risk taking. As artist-in-residence I may have
more latitude to take risks and to be a boundary crosser. But I also
have the freedom to make new connections between teachers and
students and community partners. Extended residencies allow the
time it takes to establish relationships and trust. Documenting
successful outcomes for a sequence of projects also encourages
others to put a foot on the STEAM train. Not knowing what station
you may arrive at along the tracks makes the experience all about the
learning.
Reference: Art and Design in the primary and elementary academies at Charles R.
Drew Charter School, Atlanta, Georgia by Joel Baxley, University of Tennessee at
Chattanooga, publication: Arts Education in the South Phase II: Profiles of Quality,
Southeastern Center for Education in the Arts, 2014; pp. 99 - 109; link: http://
tinyurl.com/qcp7psb.
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