Beyond the acronym When most educators think of STEM education, they think of fully integrated projects seamlessly combining all four disciplines--science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

And thanks to some very clever marketing, many politicians, parents and dare I say educators, are not able to see beyond the acynom.

Other subject areas have tried to get in on the act. The Arts will talk about STEAM, with some even claiming that the ‘m’ actually stands for ‘music’ English have jumped in and claimed we should be delivering STREAM, incorporating reading and ‘writing’ into the acronym. And I am said to say even languages have tried to come up with a witty acronym of their own, but I just don’t think STLEM is going to catch on. With all of these additional letters, these leeches, we risk loosing what STEM is really all about. STEM is not about an acronym it goes beyond this.

The Spaghetti Bridge Challenge is one of those STEM tasks, that you have seen done, or you have done something similar with a class. The brief usually goes along the lines of… Construct a free standing bridge out of spaghetti strong enough to support some sort of weight. And may be used as some sort of assessment task to see if the students understood the engineering concepts you have been covering in class. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pp9U6lyoIqg

What can you take away from this task? (Discussion) But this task, doesn’t just look at what makes bridges withstand the pressures they do. It supports our students in something greater.

It teaches our students Problem solving. Problem solving is one of those skills that employers want and talk about needing staff to demonstrate constantly. Society requires us to problem-solving. Doing your taxes requires problem-solving. Problem solving is working out how you are going to get home when you have locked your keys (and phone) in the boot of your car. Those are the types of skills that really matter. And any engineer will tell you, that the mathematics they studied at university didn’t just help them solve problems on paper, but taught them how to solve problems, and most importantly, how to think about problems.

This project also teaches creativity. It teaches students to think outside the box, and to look at the problem from different perspectives. By asking open-ended questions we do this, but with our maths and science hats on, showing students different models to vary the ideas of how it might look to bring together one idea. Or you can not show a model at all and leave it a little open-ended so students have to come up with a solution on their own. Asking ‘Why do you think this is?’ and getting students reflecting and explaining what they did to solve a problem can foster creativity and teach collaboration—another important skill.” Says Jenny Nash, education specialist with LEGO Education 

We want student to be Flexible. This project may require students adapt quickly to new demands and new situations. What if the bridge started collapsing in the test phase. Students would need to have the flexibility to change and work with the new situation as it develops before them.

And most importantly students will learn that FAIL is not the evil word that it has become. Leaving one feeling deflated and worthless. Students need to see failure as a valuable learning opportunity And as John Dewey says- The person, who really thinks, learns quite as much from his failures as from his successes’

Projects with a real world application teach us and our students more than concepts from a text book. Students are given opportunities to persist with their learning. Imagine where we would be if Einstein didn’t have the mindset he had?

STEM goes beyond the four letters of it’s acronym. And as teachers of Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths, it is your responsibility to ensure students are getting exposure to the skills needed to survive in the real world. STEM projects do more than just teach concepts. They teach students skills for life. Don’t get lost in the subjects behind the acronym. You will loose what STEM is all about.

Resources Beyond STEM to Future-focused Learning: 10 Shifts of Practice https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4TRBA52unns&t=10s STEM Education: Developing 21st century problem solvers https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xi2Qm87kC7o STEM teachers sit down! Socrates is dead: Tom Dubick https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRbKsSmtvmU 7 Important STEM Skills https://www.weareteachers.com/important-stem-skills-teaching-kids/