Student-Driven STEM Focus
Hattie Cotton is a STEM-based magnet school. All core subjects are taught with an emphasis on the Engineering Design Process and the components of STEM, which stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math.
This approach is designed to allow students to think in unconventional ways about solving problems that we face in the real world. STEM aims to teach the "whole" student in order to foster the skills necessary to become academically competitive now and in the future.
At Hattie Cotton, teachers transform the typical teacher-centered classroom into an environment that is student-driven in the following ways:
Cooperative Learning
Students are actively engaged in the learning processes and working in collaboration with other students to accomplish a shared goal.
Inquiry-based Learning
Students are encouraged to ask questions for a better understanding.
Project-based Learning
Students explore real-world problems and challenges relevant to their lives outside of school.
Differentiated Instruction
Allows students different avenues of acquiring content or making sense of ideas in a diverse classroom setting.
Interdisciplinary Instruction
Promotes an approach where teachers connect all content areas across instructional units for deeper understanding of instructional standards.