STEAM & Outdoor Education
The STEAM Education Program at Ferrum Elementary is a teaching method where students are immersed in learning through integrated design projects. These projects are centered around five disciplines: science, technology, engineering, art, and math.
The state of Virginia has a vision that all students will become STEM literate, meaning they will have...
"an understanding that it takes
a scientific approach to observe and interpret the world;
technology to serve as a tool to solve problems or reach a goal;
engineering to design, test and solve a problem through the creation of products or processes; and
mathematics to help quantify, comprehend and evaluate the problem and solution success." -excerpt from VDOE website
Our fantastic teaching staff develops lessons that integrate these disciplines into real-world, relevant, and high interest projects that challenge Ferrum's students. The new Outdoor Learning Project will provide students a natural setting to explore their learning. Students are also learning essential twenty-first century skills of citizenship, collaboration, communication, critical thinking, and creativity.
Throughout our campus, students are encouraged to think differently. Failure is seen as a positive outcome because it helps you learn what to do differently next time. That's why we like these acronyms:
FAIL... First Attempt In Learning
END...Effort Never Dies
NO...Next Opportunity