Let Them Cook
When teaching artists Kitty O’Connor and Mia Rotondo sat down to reflect on and share about their collaborative practice, they quickly realized that there were SO many stories of joyful collaboration woven throughout their semesters at school residencies, professional development, and planning with SO many other colleagues and community organizations- that just one story wouldn’t do! So please enjoy this ongoing reflection series on Collaboration and Arts Integration.
DJOD Middle School SLC & STEM Library Lab
Mia Rotondo & Kitty O’Connor
Just let them cook!
“Do you need anything else?” asked the front desk clerk at the STEM Library Lab. I was returning supplies that I had borrowed for an arts integrated lesson on the digestive system (your intestines are a beautiful representation of wavy, cloudy & squiggly lines!). I had planned on simply making a quick supply return, but remembered that the next week’s lesson was gearing up to Earth Day, and would focus on community engagement and beach cleanups. I did need something else, but I didn’t know exactly what, “Do you have any supplies or materials for simulating a beach cleanup?”. Szabolcs “Szabi” Varga, the STEM Librarian, immediately entered the scene, and together we started planning a STEAMy (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) lesson chock full of resources. Trash grabbers were piling up, buckets, goggles, gloves, nets…there were even barrels full of plastic bottles, styrofoam peanuts, and bottle caps to simulate a messy beach.
I was so overwhelmed with excitement at that moment, I looked at Szabi and said, “This is what happens when you have all the cooks in the kitchen!”
My coteacher, the incredible and dedicated Ms. Amanda Thulin was leading the content, Szabi and the STEM Library Lab listened to the lesson objective and knew what supplies would elevate the lesson and engage students, and I was going to lead students in exploring and constructing beach sculptures made from recycled materials.
The lesson was full of joy and exploration. The addition of “the right tools for the job” made all the difference! Students were building hand eye coordination by using grabbers and having fun participating. Ms. Amanda was so excited about the success of the trash grabbers, she wanted to purchase her own classroom set so that students could organize regular playground and campus cleanups.
And this story isn’t the only time Szabi has hopped in the KID smART Kitchen!
From STEM to STEAM! How KID smART and STEM Library Lab worked together to put the A for ARTS in S.T.E.A.M.
Arts Integration Specialist, Mia Rotondo and STEM Librarian Szabi Varga collaborated on co-presenting an AXIS Small Learning Group (KID smART’s monthly Professional Development for teachers) showcasing STEM Library resources and how they can be used in concert with arts-integration. “Hands-on learning” is not nearly a big enough idea to describe what happened when teachers were free to explore multiple tables of learning kits provided by STEM Library Lab (all available to borrow for FREE). From exploring owl pellets with digital microscopes to understanding circuits to learning about the effects of water pollution- teachers were able to access their inner student before switching gears and collaborating on generating arts-integrated lessons to deepen experiential learning opportunities for their students.
We hope these stories of collaboration can act as a resource to encourage collaboration in and out of YOUR classroom. We want to rethink the negative connotations around the adage, “too many cooks in the kitchen.”
We want to bring in the experts, and let them cook!
