Lisa's Story

11/29/2013

I host a group of students in my classroom for what has become the latest buzzword activity:XSTEM. Buzzwords are meaningless to the kids walking through my door. After a few meetings with activities using safe materials to experience and demonstrate basic science principles, they asked if we could just do what they were callingTake Aparts. Not having any plan for how this would go nor having a clear sense of what they wanted or needed, I said sure, why not! They have taken apart every kind of every day appliance they could get their hands on. Aside from a few scratches, the kids are all fine despite adult skeptics who consider the most minor scratch a potential law suit. They are now at a cross roads which has developed into their understanding that they must now BUILD! I\'m going to toss into the mix recyclable plastic bags to see what they will do. Our XSTEM endeavors started out with adults pushing the idea onto the kids but the kids have taken control of their own process and created a more fulfilling experience. It is supposed to be about the kids, after all!