Curriculum
What is STEM education?
STEM is a curriculum based on the idea of educating students in four specific disciplines (science, technology, engineering and math) in an interdisciplinary and applied approach.
Why should we begin STEM education at such a young age?
According to the former president of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), building a strong STEM foundation during earlier schooling “is required to make STEM learning easier for children” in higher education. STEM initiatives and programs are a growing priority in American schools and should be implemented in Indian government schools as well. Unfortunately while most private schools have advanced computer education programs, government school do not. When these students attend college, government school students will be at a disadvantage to their private school counterparts because they have had minimal experience with technology. This technological inexperience perpetuates the cycle of poverty in villages. Due to Andhra Pradesh’s huge population, only the top ranking college graduates get well paying jobs. The lack of early STEM experience for government students makes it difficult for them to be at the top of their class in college.
Our Curriculum
General Computer Education
Starts from very basics like how to turn on a computer and login and continues to more advanced skills like installing software and downloading files. Students will also learn about some common hardware like flash drives and the parts of a desktop setup. Towards the end of the course, students will also learn how to troubleshoot. Students will also begin typing lessons using TypingMaster.
Internet Safety and Education
Students will be introduced to various online resources (including Quizlet, Kahoot, and Prezi) to supplement their learning and will learn how to conduct online research efficiently. They will learn how to distinguish between reliable and non-reliable websites as well as how to stay safe on the internet.
LEGO Robots (Building)
Students are introduced to mechanical engineering through LEGO Mindstorms. They will build several unique, functioning robots using tiny plastic pieces guided by manuals or they can create their own. This is a hands on way for students to develop their own designs and use creativity to solve problems like engineers do. It also shows them how parts can fit together to make moving objects and introduces them to machine components like Linear Actuators and Gear Trains.
Microsoft Office Proficiency
Nanosatellite Program
Our Nanosatellite program, conducted by Prof. Praveen Naidu, consists of orientation plus seven practical modules. By the end of the course, students will have built a complete nanosatellite. It can't go into space, but can be launched and will descend with the help of a parachute. During flight, it will send high quality pictures and data. Students will learn to use a ground tracking system as well.
LEGO Robot (Programming)
Students will be introduced to programming via LEGO EV3 Mindstorms kits. After building the robots (as learned in class 7), they will program them to move and complete tasks using the LEGO Mindstorm software. This will introduce students to things like algorithms, loops, and switches which are the very basics of coding. Students will also learn to write programs that utilize sensors on the robot including color sensor and touch sensor.
Microsoft Office proficiency is a crucial skill for those wanting to pursue careers in today’s technology centered era. Students will cover how to use Excel, Word, and Powerpoint. At the end of each unit students will create a document on a topic of their choosing to demonstrate their mastery. Being able to create meaningful documents and presentations is vital to digital professional communication.
LEGO Competitions
Students will receive a challenge mat with various obstacles on it. They will apply their creative thinking and programming skills to build and program a LEGO robot to complete as many tasks as they can in a certain time limit. Each year, the theme of the challenge mats will differ and will be based on certain worldwide problems like Biodiversity Loss and Water Contamination. In addition to building and programming their robots, students will utilize their Microsoft Office proficiency to create a presentation on possible solutions to mitigate these world problems.
KNEX Renewable Energy
Students will learn to think like environmental engineers by building models of solar-powered and wind-powered machines and learning about the importance of renewable energy sources. The burning of fossil fuels has caused the deterioration of air quality world wide. In the future, there will be a high demand for environmental engineers who can help by creating energy efficient alternatives to environmentally harmful fuel sources like coal.
Coding
Students will be introduced to coding via JAVA Script using Code.org. They will complete self-led Hour of Code activities and the Express Course on Code.org. For students wishing to major in Computer Science, this will give them early exposure.
A more detailed overview of our curriculum can be found here.
