Everything Under The Sun: Technology And Hands-On Learning At St. Paul's School

Middle School Art Show featuring African masks and Kente-inspired patterns, while celebrating Lion King Jr.

Situated in Brooklandville, MD, is an independent school, ST. PAUL'S SCHOOL, affiliated with Old St. Paul's Episcopal Church, that provides education from kindergarten to 12th grade. The lower school (k through 4th grade) holds coed classes, while the middle and upper school (grades 5 through 12) have separate environments/schools, one for boys and one for girls. 766 students are enrolled.

St. Paul's has an award winning middle school science teacher in Casey Kleiman, who received the Nellie Hilleary Carter and Judge Joseph Carter Chair in Innovative Teaching Technology this past summer. The ones who are benefiting are his students. He's been using the monies awarded to get an audio podcast kit, video equipment for live broadcasting, a domino joiner for the Woodshop, and other items for a maker space where students can work and explore.

Headmaster David Faus commented about the award, "Appointment to a teaching chair is a mark of professional distinction, identifying the recipient as a master of his or her craft, and an exemplar of the St. Paul's teaching tradition." Susan Kearney, Assistant Head of School for Academics and Innovation, added, "Casey is a passionate teacher. He is always seeking new ways to explore science and STEM concepts, using hands on experiences to engage and inspire his students. His projects are perfectly appealing to the middle school boy." Mr. Kleiman has been teaching at St. Paul's since 2012.

Gavin Sullivan, a high school student, discussed his experience with Mr. Kleiman, "Mr. Kleiman knew exactly how to teach us. He would make class fun and keep us engaged by making jokes related to the material we were learning or the task at hand. Since my experience with him as my 8th grade science teacher, I have gone back to visit him several times a year. He offers me help on my current school work, as well as letting me assist in labs he does for the younger guys. Mr. Kleiman is one of my favorite people at St. Paul's and I am happy that he has won this award."

Mr. Kleiman envisions the maker space for students as a place for them to invent, create, and learn. Some of the new equipment includes 3D printers and robots. While it is still a work-in-progress, his 8th grade students have already begun working with the robots. The boys are already mastering Python programming, which is used to program the robots. At the end of the year, students will participate in a Crossover Challenge, in which their robots will be competing to move colored spheres from one side to another. They will be judged on the number and relocation sites where the spheres have landed. Robots' movements are to be controlled with programmable controllers.

St. Paul's boys basketball team won MIAA B Conference championship.

In explaining the challenge, Mr. Kleiman said, "The challenge comes with how well they can program the robot to respond to radio signals sent by the wireless controller. It requires both programming finesse and an iterative approach to maximize the robot's efficiency in moving their hex spheres." Certainly a challenge with potential real world applications!