Dana Ricketts MESA/STEM Coordinator STEM REdefined Dana Ricketts MESA/STEM Coordinator

What is STEM? STEM defined by subject matter STEM defined by pedagogy Science Technology Engineering Math To a teacher, STEM is a set of distinct instructional practices; to a student, STEM is engaging, relevant, and often hands-on STEM education can be an interdisciplinary or trans-disciplinary approach to learning where rigorous academic concepts are coupled with real-world problem-based and performance-based lessons. (Source: California Department of Education)

STEM is a teaching and learning process distinguished by the following characteristics: Multi-disciplinary Integrated Problem driven Real world Active Product or performance based Experiential Hands-on Rigorous Cyclical

Two Popular Processes Applied to STEM The Scientific Method The Engineering Process The new SEEd standards requires teachers to embrace the stem movement and begin to integrate science and engineering into a single process while utilizing technology and math to solve real life problems. Teachers guiding students to figuring out how the world works rather than simply telling students how the world works.  It is not enough for students to read about science; they must do science. They should observe, inquire, question, formulate and test hypotheses, analyze data, report, and evaluate findings. The students, as scientists, should have hands–on, active experiences throughout the instruction of the science curriculum. In the Engineering Process, students learn all about the nature of technology and problem solving. Students study the scope of technology and its impacts on society. They learn about the core concepts of technology and about the various approaches to solving problems, including engineering design and experimentation. Students participate in engineering-design activities to understand how criteria, constraints, and processes affect designs. Students are involved in activities and experiences where they learn about brainstorming, visualizing, modeling, constructing, testing, experimenting, and refining designs

At the elementary level, a simpler engineering design process is appropriate This same process can be applied to art, speaking, reading, writing, math, music -- even sports. (Source:http://eie.org/overview/design-principles)

In this model of an integrated engineering curriculum (grades K-12,) as students work through the engineering design process to solve a problem, science, math, and technology are taught and applied as needed. Science Math Engineering Technology

Integration is Key One of the key concepts in understanding STEM education is the concept of integration. The term multidisciplinary is often used when discussing STEM, but it goes beyond grouping subjects together. STEM is all about the connections between and among subjects. For example, a teacher can integrate engineering with science and improve student understanding of technology. Or, a teacher can integrate engineering with technology and improve student understanding of math. In the real world, scientists use technologies that engineers create to conduct their research and engineers use science and math to design new technologies.

STEM is the way we teach and learn rather than what we teach and learn! S = Solving a real world problem T= Through the use of technology, science, math, and engineering E= Engages M=Minds! STEM is: S = Scientists using T = Technology E = to Explore M = Matter! STEM is: S = Students T = Testing their E = Engineered Design M = that required Multiple Mathematical calculations! Now you try it! How do you define STEM? S = T= E= M=