ST. PAUL - Students were busy creating and learning on Monday morning, floating boats along lanes of water, carrying pennies and other weighted items. Some boats were more capable of securing their loads for the trip, while others needed a few little repairs along the way.
Dacia Jones, or Dr. Drizzle as she's known in education circles, made the trip from North Carolina to visit students at St. Paul Elementary School on Jan. 27. Jones has a connection with the school through local teacher Terra-Lee Gratton, who has been passionate about teaching students through unique, creative means, often using technology to engage.
As students took time to create and test out their boats, Jones spoke a little about what she teaches when she visits schools across North America. She notes that it's not simply teaching students how to multiple numbers, but instead focusing on teaching students about why they multiply those numbers. Also, it's about getting students to understand that there is STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) behind everything they do.
And while she may have been teaching young students on Monday, the goal of creating successful adults from those same students is clear. She spoke to students about how much money they could make pursuing a career in science, and how they always need to remember to thank their teachers for the work they do.
Jones said she was thankful the school was willing to welcome her, and noted that she's proud of the staff members at St. Paul Elementary for being among the first in the area to put a strong focus on STEM in education.
"This is what's happening around the world," said Jones, speaking about the emphasis on teaching STEM related topics.
Jones was in St. Paul as part of the Beyond 7/2 non-profit. The group was created by Colin O’Brady who is a professional endurance athlete. Jones uses O'Brady's story to teach students about overcoming challenges, describing how science is connected to everything.
While wrapping up her first presentation of the day, Jones also acknowledged the school's makerspace, which is a room dedicated to encouraging creativity and exploration. It's "absolutely beautiful" said Jones. She encouraged teachers to continue using the space and offered to send a few of her own challenges to get students engaged and learning in the space.
To the students, her message was simple: "Please, learn everyhing you can about everything." Beacuse one day, "You're going to be in charge of the world."
