Brockington Elementary Magnet School for Science and Technology is committed to providing learning experiences to prepare students to be college and career-ready graduates. At our school, you will not find rows of quiet listeners and teachers lecturing. BEMS classrooms are learning centers! Daily, you will find groups of active learners, thoroughly engaged in discussion and exploration. You will see teachers on the move observing, asking questions, and guiding students to make sense of the world and solve real-world problems. BEMS believes it is not enough to just master traditional academics (reading, writing, and arithmetic). Students need to acquire a set of skills that will last for a lifetime and be able to solve problems in our complex, fast-changing world. They must be creative thinkers and work well with others. Not only do we now need to teach the traditional subjects, but we must expand these areas to include what has been described as 21st-century skills...The Four C’s: collaboration, creativity, communication, and critical thinking. To be 21st century ready, BEMS classrooms exhibit the following characteristics:
- Teachers as Facilitators: At BEMS, teachers are NOT “sages on the stage.” BEMS teachers are facilitators of learning, planning lessons that engage students and foster independence.
- Use of a Problem-Solving Methodology: Problem-solving goes well beyond science classrooms. BEMS teachers plan lessons to encourage problem-solving throughout the curriculum.
- Inquiry-based Approach: BEMS teachers plan lessons that encourage students to be curious and ask questions about a variety of topics.
- Opportunities for Creative Expression/Collaborative Environment: Across the curriculum, BEMS teachers plan lessons that allow students to collaborate and foster the development of communication skills.
- Justification for Answers: BEMS students are given opportunities to defend and explain their thinking orally and in writing.
- Hands-on learning: Magnet science classrooms provide authentic science experiences in a lab-like environment.
- Technology Integration: BEMS classrooms integrate technology throughout the curriculum. Each classroom has access to iPads. Students participate in computer-assisted instruction daily in the classroom and at home.
- Authentic Assessment BEMS students are assessed in a variety of ways. Assessments types include but are not limited to performance tasks, rubrics, and other formative assessments
As we plan for education in a post-Covid-19 world, Brockington Elementary Magnet School for Science and Technology will continue to use data to meet the needs of students. This laser-like focus on academic achievement can and will only be accomplished through collaboration with all stakeholder groups. Together, our efforts will fulfill our school’s mission to “prepare students to be college and/or career ready, meeting the demands of the 21st century.
Ada O. Sindab, Ed.S.
Principal
