STEAM+
STEAM+ Plan
STEAM+ Plan
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To develop a complete mind: Study the science of art; Study the art of science. Learn how to see. Realize that everything connects to everything else.~Leonardo da Vinci
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Cross children experience extraordinary learning opportunities that advance students’ thinking through stimulating engagement in the educational program. Cross STEAM+ environments are alive with standards-based learning encounters that teach our children to think, innovate, create. Through purposeful lessons and units of study based on clear learning targets and objectives, our students have opportunities that challenge their thinking and require them to apply what they have learned.
Our students must possess certain knowledge and skills to thrive. These essential skills define what students need in order to realize their potential, to be innovative global thinkers, and to be poised for success in their chosen careers. Students must be comfortable taking risks, adept at collaboration, confident in the face of significant challenges, and skilled at carving out unique solutions.
Our STEAM+ opportunities will provide robust and engaging opportunities for students to experience an interdisciplinary approach to learning. Purposeful learning occurs around clear concepts that require students to think critically and explore solutions to real-world problems. We are preparing our students for the future! Dynamic learning environments support strategic thinking, innovation, and collaboration. These practices promote deep understanding and sustain a lifetime of inquiry. Students who are prepared for their future must be able to connect experiences from a variety of disciplines and think about problems through a new lens.
Support for STEAM+ reflects our commitment to the education and development of the whole child. We are in relentless pursuit of creating experiences where every student has opportunities to develop their individuality and learn to communicate their thinking while gaining an understanding of the world around them.
Cross is fortunate to have an exceptional staff supporting STEM+. With support from Imperial Unified School District and our community we are committed to providing the highest quality education.
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Creativity is intelligence having fun.
~Albert Einstein
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Through guided inquiry projects, creativity takes flight in every classroom. Students are encouraged to take risks and learn from each experience. Thinking creatively, students transfer ways of solving problems between seemingly unrelated situations, examining each angle with a fresh perspective. Students embrace challenge and develop original thinking into imaginative and innovative results. Students’ unquenchable appetite for discovery is fueled by their passion for learning.
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Teach children what to think and you limit them to your ideas. Teach children how to think and their ideas are unlimited.
~Sandra Parks
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STEAM+ highlights and promotes the value of collective and individual thinking. Students actively question, observe, make connections, interpret information, and reason! Thinking is visible, encouraged, and celebrated in every classroom. As curious learners, students engage in the process of gathering evidence to support reasoned thinking and explore new ideas. Through opportunities to reason and think critically students develop their own understanding of concepts and ideas.
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Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.
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A collaborative culture among students and educators is one of the reasons STEAM+ thrives in our classrooms. Learning comes alive when students have opportunities to interact, collaborate around common ideas, and create . Through collaboration, tapestries of diverse thought are woven together, informing next steps, solutions and often, further inquiry. Together, we explore, discuss and ignite one another’s thinking.
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If you just communicate, you can get by. But if you communicate skillfully, you can work miracles.
~Jim Rohn
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The art of is threaded throughout each day in every classroom and STEAM+ discipline. Students explain their thinking, provide evidence, and make connections through reading, writing, speaking and listening. Classroom structures stimulate energizing student conversations that mature and skillfully develop in a culture supported by classroom teachers. Hands fly across a keyboard composing, explaining, crafting, creating. An author finds voice. An audience listens. Learning comes to life!