'They Love Her': Ms. Pal Makes STEAM Challenges Fun And Engaging For Students Stuck At Home

STEAM classrooms are known for extraordinary activity and engagement, but so many students e-learning at home, parents are wondering if that excitement can be maintained.

Fortunately, a South Carolina educator answered the call and launched Ms. Pal STEAM Challenges for K-12 students on YouTube.

Kristyn Palazzolo is a Library Media Specialist at Memminger Elementary School in Charleston. As soon as her school shut down to prevent the spread of COVID-19, she decided she didn't want her students to miss out on the excitement of STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, mathematics).

Memminger Elementary's Assistant Principal Stephen Thomas, who has participated in the online challenges, said he was once surprised to see students skip recess to work on STEAM projects with Ms. Pal when school was in session.

"It just really speaks to her and how great she is with the students. They love her," he told Lowcountry Parent.

Palazzolo posted the first of eight (and counting) videos on March 24. The first challenged her students to create Rube Goldberg machines. Named after American cartoonist Rube Goldberg, the machines are intentionally designed to perform a simple task in an indirect and overly complicated way.

"We had a great time tearing the house apart to find the items we needed to build the simple machines that made our Rube Goldberg machine work," said Sarah Phillips, who has first and third-grade sons at Memminger Elementary. "And the boys couldn't wait to share their machine with Ms. Pal."

Palazzolo's boyfriend, Dries Vandenberg, films and edits all of her STEAM videos and usually appears in front the camera as projects come to life.

"He really makes all my STEAM dreams come true," she said.