From STEM to STREAM

Looking forward, Christian Alliance P.C. Lau Memorial International School (CAPCL) will not be resting on its laurels. “We will be at the forefront in addressing the changing needs of society and to developing leaders who serve the community through the STREAM model, which consists of STEM, Research and Aesthetics components,” said Dr. Cora Hui, CAPCL Head of School.

STEM (Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) has been a trending topic in the academic world in recent years. CAPCL’s way of promoting STEM is to set classroom themes and activities with hands-on learning experiences for different grades according to the curriculum framework of Alberta, Canada.

Adding facilities to increase teacher-student interaction for STREAM

CAPCL wants to add the elements of “R” (Research, data collection) and “A” (Art, art) to the existing STEM teaching in the next one to two years to become a new “STREAM”.

The current school’s library has a great collection of e-books and physical books, allowing students to gather information from reading. CAPCL is planning to add a STREAM Room. “The venue will not be limited to tables and chairs. It will be a multi-purpose space for students to express their imagination and creativity. Tablets and electronic software will help them create freely,” said Dr Hui.

Building a RESEARCH foundation

Although participating in experiments is an important part of learning STEM, doing research is another key factor in building a solid foundation for experiments. From understanding the sources and effects of different materials to using different materials to build things. CAPCL always encourages students to learn from games and build a passion for STREAM through a hands-on experience. “Our students get to conduct experiments under the guidance of teachers, they can find out whether the test results are consistent with the data collected beforehand,” said Dr Hui.  

Don’t forget the ART

Doing a good job in data collection, testing the finished product after making it, and improving its appearance to become the most “eye-catching” and attractive work. “Our teachers cultivate students’ aesthetic ability through daily classes,” said Dr Hui. Balancing between science and art so that whole-person development can be achieved and getting our children future-ready!