Problem Based Learning at GSS

​The Good Shepherd faculty trained by mindSpark for a week in August on creating a STEM/PBL classroom. 
​“At mindSpark Learning we leverage industry to support educators and students so they can cultivate essential skills -- like creativity, emotional intelligence,

​critical thinking and adaptability -- which ultimately results in a more dynamic talent pipeline, and a workforce that industry can benefit from immediately.”
What is STEM?
Science: The study of the natural world.
Technology: The STEM definition for technology includes any product made by humans to meet a want or need.
Engineering: The design process kids use to solve problems.
Math: The language of numbers, shapes, and quantities that seems so irrelevant to many students.
Guidelines for STEM/PBL lessons:
1. STEM lessons focus on real-world issues and problems.
2. STEM lessons are guided by the engineering design process.
3. STEM lessons immerse students in hands-on inquiry and open-ended exploration.
4. STEM lessons involve students in productive teamwork.
5. STEM lessons apply rigorous math and science content your students are learning.
6. STEM lessons allow for multiple right answers and reframe failure as a necessary part of learning.
Current PBLs in Progress (Click Heading for Pictures):
​3rd Grade PBL:
Louisiana’s Invasive Species & Coastal Land Loss
 Partnership: LOOP NOLA
5th Grade PBL:
Pot Holes
Partnership: Civil Engineer Rachel Helm 
1st Grade PBL
5th Grade PBL:
​Coastal Restoration
Partnership: LOOP NOLA
The Good Shepherd School
1839 Agriculture St
New Orleans, LA 70119
Tel: (504) 598-9399
GSS Mission Statement
The Good Shepherd Nativity Mission School, Inc., seeks to help low-income, urban youth in order to realize their fullest potential as productive members of society by providing them with an extended-day, year-round, quality education, integrated with personal, moral and spiritual development, and continued guidance during the students' further education.

The Judeo-Christian values which have inspired the Nativity model include a respect for the dignity and potential of each person, a responsibility to assist the poor and those in need, a strong sense of community within the one family of God, and the obligation to promote a society characterized by social justice. In this Nativity model, students are enrolled without regard to race, color, religion, or ethnicity.