STEAM Makers

Jacie Maslyk, EdD, has served in public education over the past twenty-eight years. During that time, she has served in many roles. As a classroom teacher and reading specialist, she worked in both inner city and suburban school districts. She served as an elementary school principal and director of elementary education for ten years, with extensive experience in curriculum, assessment, and instruction. A successful school leader, she was recognized as a National Distinguished Principal finalist in Pennsylvania in 2013 and 2014. Dr, Maslyk worked in district administration as an Assistant Superintendent before moving into her current role as an instructional coach and educational consultant, supporting schools through professional learning and job-embedded coaching. She provides workshops (on-site and virtual), model lessons, and curriculum support to school districts and educational organizations across the country.In addition to STEAM Makers: Fostering Creativity and Innovation in the Elementary Classroom, Jacie has also published Connect to Lead: Power Up Your Learning Network to Move Your School Forward, Remaking Literacy: Innovative Instructional Strategies for Maker Learning, Unlock Creativity: Opening a World of Imagination With Your Students, and All In: Taking a Gamble in Education.Connect with Jacie on Bluesky @jaciemaslyk.bsky.social, X @DrJacieMaslyk, Instagram @jaciemaslyk or email her at jaciemaslyk@gmail.com

• PrefaceAcknowledgmentsAbout the AuthorINTRODUCTIONCHAPTER 1. WONDERHISTORY OF STEMWHAT ARE THE JOBS OF THE FUTURE?ADDING THE ALEFT BRAIN VERSUS RIGHT BRAINTHE MAKER MOVEMENTMAKER EDUCATION INITIATIVEFIVE PILLARS OF STEAM AND MAKER EDUCATIONWHAT DOES MAKING LOOK LIKE IN SCHOOLS?FIND IT! (SPACE)FILL IT! (MATERIALS)STAFF IT! (PEOPLE)BUILD CURIOSITY AND WONDERTHE MINDSETWHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?BUT WHAT ABOUT STANDARDS AND STATE ASSESSMENTS?NEXT GENERATION SCIENCE STANDARDSSCIENTIFIC AND ENGINEERING PRACTICESCROSSCUTTING CONCEPTSCORE AREASEXPANDING STANDARDSWHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE CREATIVE IN A STANDARDS-BASED SYSTEM?SUMMARYEXPANDING YOUR THINKINGCHAPTER 2. THRIVEDISTRICT LEADERSHIPPRINCIPAL LEADERSHIPCHANGE MAKERSPARENTS AND COMMUNITYSOCIAL MEDIA MAKERSBRIGANTINE SCHOOL DISTRICT: CREATING SPACES WHERE LEARNERS THRIVEGAME MAKERSCREATING OPPORTUNITIES FOR LEARNERS TO THRIVEELEMENTS OF GAME DESIGNA THRIVING STEAM MAKER ECOSYSTEMTHE SCOTT FAMILY AMAZEUMHELPING LEARNERS TO THRIVESUMMARYEXPANDING YOUR THINKINGCHAPTER 3. ADAPTHOW SHOULD K–12 ENGINEERING BE TAUGHT?SYSTEMS THINKINGCREATIVITYOPTIMISMCOLLABORATIONCOMMUNICATIONATTENTION TO ETHICSENGINEERING DESIGN PROCESSHABITS OF MINDCREATIVITY IN DESIGNALL INCLUSIVESPEECH AND LANGUAGEENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS (ELL)STUDENTS WITH AUTISMENSURING ACCESS TO STEMTHE IMPACT OF AI ON STEAM AND MAKINGADAPTING OUR APPROACHSUMMARYEXPANDING YOUR THINKINGCHAPTER 4. CONNECTSTEAM MAKER TEACHINGCOMMUNITY CONNECTIONSCONNECTED LEARNINGCREATIVE TEAMSLITERATURE CONNECTIONSLEADING FROM THE LIBRARYSPEAKING, LISTENING, AND THINKING CONNECTIONSSUMMARYEXPANDING YOUR THINKINGCHAPTER 5. INVITEINVITING THE OUTSIDE ININVITING COLLABORATIONAN OPEN INVITATIONINVITING STUDENTS TO USE THEIR VOICEACTIVITIES THAT INVITE LEARNERS INGET CREATIVE CHALLENGEONE WORD DESIGNSINVITING LEARNERS INTO THE SPACEA GLOBAL INVITATION TO CREATESUMMARYEXPANDING YOUR THINKINGCHAPTER 6. PARTNERREMAKE LEARNINGA LEARNING ECOSYSTEMCONNECT WITH YOUR LOCAL COMMUNITYPARTNER ON A LOCAL PROJECTARTISTS AS PARTNERSCONNECT TO LOCAL EXPERTSESTABLISH CORPORATE PARTNERSEXPLORING PARTNERS IN HIGHER EDUCATIONUNIVERSITY OF ARKANSASFRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS AS PARTNERSCONNECT WITH THE GLOBAL COMMUNITYSUMMARYEXPANDING YOUR THINKINGCHAPTER 7. EXPANDGROWING PEOPLE AND PROGRAMSEXPANDING MATERIALS AND RESOURCESEXPANDING OUR ROLESEXPAND YOUR PROGRAMS THROUGH GRANTSMY PERSPECTIVESUMMARYAppendicesAPPENDIX A. GAME DESIGN PLANNING SHEETAPPENDIX B. DESIGN CHALLENGE TEMPLATEAPPENDIX C. STUDENT INTEREST SURVEYSAPPENDIX D. DESIGN PLAN TEMPLATEAPPENDIX E. BOOKS TO START YOUR STEM LIBRARYAPPENDIX F. GET CREATIVE DESIGN TEMPLATEAPPENDIX G. CHILDREN’S LITERATURE TO PROMOTE SOCIAL GOODAPPENDIX H. ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS EXTENSION IDEASAPPENDIX I. MAKERSPACE SUPPLY LIST A–ZAPPENDIX J. CHOICE BOARDSAPPENDIX K. LET’S MAKE SLIMEReferences and Additional ResourcesIndex

"In the new edition of STEAM Makers, Maslyk shows us how we can bring in curiosity, creativity, problem-solving, self-directed learning, and a failure mindset into our classrooms and schools while addressing curriculum standards and literacy skills. The book provides everything you need to get started or level up your existing STEAM practices. As a former teacher-librarian, I also really appreciated the comprehensive ideas around children′s books, which can be used to set the stage for projects, and also how libraries can support teachers on their journey. STEAM Makers centers student choice and voice with the educator as amplifier and facilitator and lists ideas for community involvement, all of which are necessary in a world where information can be accessed so easily. This book is a must-read!"