Using Technology Education Curriculum for MIT STEAM Challenges

College & Career Readiness

BSD partnered with Nord Anglia International School, Hong Kong (NAIS HK) in 2017/18 to develop and deliver projects for the MIT STEAM Challenges. The MIT STEAM Challenges is a collaboration between the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Nord Anglia Education to enhance the teaching and learning of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) by connecting MIT innovation and culture to Nord Anglia schools globally through project-based challenges.

Since 2016, MIT has designed three challenges per year, which have been implemented in Nord Anglia schools. The Challenges are in-school cross-curricular experiences for Nord Anglia students based on MIT research. The MIT Challenges are a unique opportunity aimed to give a taste of MIT to every school, teacher, and student in the Nord Anglia Education family. Each MIT Challenge embodies the teaching and learning culture of MIT, is rooted in the research of MIT faculty, and makes that research relevant and accessible to Nord Anglia students.

Our Solution

NAIS HK used BSD’s cross-curricular curriculum offering – TechConnected with their Year 3-6 students to build their own customised creations for the MIT STEAM Challenges. Students built their foundation with coding by learning HTML and CSS, learn the fundamentals of Computational Thinking, and learned how to make their digital artifacts and present their work.

The BSD projects recommended can be used by students to showcase and present work or to apply their learning. For example, students showcased their work by documenting their journey of researching and building their own STEAM Challenge and presented this by creating a digital portfolio. Students learned about the challenges of space travel, the preparation required and what astronauts do when they face problems in space; then students applied this learning by creating a Mission to Mars theme Choose Your Own Adventure game.

The Results

All students built their own Personal Portfolio Showcase to document their learning and showcase what they have built. In addition to this, students will complete the following projects in each year group:

Year 3: Introduction to coding in HTML & CSS followed by coding and designing their Online Poster with a Keep Calm and Carry On theme. Year 4: My First Website to explain and document their STEAM Challenge Year 5: My First Website with the theme of “Into the Unknown” and Choose Your Own Adventure with a “Mission to Mars” theme. Year 6: Trivia Game and MicroBit Wearables with a “Medical Marvel” theme.

At BSD, we believe in and advocate for introducing digital skills, including coding, to students during the primary years. This builds a strong foundation of skills, knowledge and experience applying technology that they have created in a real-world context to make them future-ready and prepare them for technology first careers.

If you are infusing your regular lessons with technology skills we would love to hear from you.

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