Sophia Nowaczewski
Pronouns: she/her
Research Mentor(s): Jillian Webb
Research Mentor School/College/Department: LearnEarly / NonUM
Program: UROPF
Session: Session 2 (10:00am – 10:50am)
Authors: Jillian Webb, Sophia Nowaczewski
Abstract
The creation of a research-grounded STEAM resource for early childhood classrooms in Detroit is meant to support educators in integrating additional STEAM into their curriculum to aid in the development of children’s 21st-century learning opportunities and child-led learning. After conducting a literature review to build context for a minimum viable product (MVP) proposal, a MVP was developed and shared with college students for informal feedback. The resource was then introduced for feedback to individual Detroit teachers and finally whole classrooms. The final resource will provide an option for a STEAM and maker-centered activity that could supplement curriculum resources in Detroit PreK classrooms. Informational interviews targeting STEAM teaching experiences with educators and educational community leaders will also provide anecdotes from experts to create contextually grounded, research-supported vignette-like talking points for STEAM and maker-centered learning. This resource will provide highlights of the educators’ experiences with STEAM and first-hand context for those interested in the Detroit educational community. These two products will work in conjunction with each other to support and prioritize STEAM education in Detroit classrooms.
