Teacher education candidates at Orlean Beeson School of Education recently experienced the classroom through the eyes of their students during a hands-on, multi-room training.

The professional development event was designed to expose undergraduates to STEAM, an educational approach integrating science, technology, engineering, the arts and mathematics. Education Learning Commons coordinator Amanda Stone and adjunct professor Dana Joyner, both STEAM-certified, developed and guided the stations to demonstrate how to engage students in STEAM and encourage student inquiry, dialogue, discovery and critical thinking. 

“As professors, we want to model current trends and research, and provide time for our students to see STEAM in action,” Stone said. 

The Halloween-themed stations included an engineering exercise requiring students to build structures using only the supplied materials, technology challenges in coding and circuitry to create animated and holographic ghosts, and exercises integrating math and science through dry ice experiments.

“We also wanted to expose students to technology and resources available for STEAM ideas and lessons through the Orlean Beeson School of Education Learning Commons and Curriculum Materials and Technology Center for STEAM ideas and lessons,” Stone said.

For junior Caroline Dymond, the event reinforced the importance of the student perspective when designing lessons. 

“It's really helpful for us to be in the student's shoes to understand the best ways to teach and utilize the material to our advantage," Dymond said. "I learned about the importance of literature used in everything in the classroom, there should be no activity done without content behind it.” 

Learn more about how the Curriculum Materials and Technology Center supports teacher candidates.