Introduction to STEM Integrating Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math

Things To Think About… Kids form their opinions about academic subjects at a very early age… They also determine their OWN ability to succeed in these subjects at an early age… “School” math and science often means memorizing huge amounts of sterile, often unconnected content. It leaves out the joy and wonder of discovery… To a student, a “problem” is a bad thing. To scientists and engineers, a “problem” is an opportunity – to create, to enhance, to solve, and there is no one “right answer. In the “real” world, problems are often not clearly defined, and there is no one “right” answer.

What can we do about that? What if… What students learn in school could prepare for jobs that haven’t even been created yet? Students asked questions about things we want them to learn Students could apply the knowledge they learned directly to a real-life problem?

That’s Where STEM Comes In: Our future needs: An educated workforce that can think critically and collaborate digitally. Employees with technical skills and advanced knowledge. Creative thinkers who can help develop new ideas and solutions to problems that don’t yet exist.

STEM Means: Integrating instruction Applying Inquiry to learn Incorporating technology and engineering into the teaching of subject areas. Moving away from teacher-centered classrooms Encouraging curriculum that is driven by: Problem-Solving Discovery Active Student Engagement

So…How Does STEM Work? STEM integrates science, technology, engineering, and math into one COHESIVE, hands-on, contextualized learning experience. The engineering component puts emphasis on the PROCESS and DESIGN of solutions, not on the solutions themselves, encouraging discovery, exploration, and problem-solving The technology gives students a way to apply what they’ve learned.

Pedagogy of STEM Effective STEM integration: Promotes student motivation and engagement Connects to prior knowledge Focuses on long-term retention Provides explicit, authentic practice and application of critical thinking skills

An Effective Integrated STEM Curriculum Contains: Relevant Problems to make learning meaningful Authentic Projects to promote higher level thinking Hands-On Experiential Learning to increase retention Opportunities to Design and Create to motivate students to think, problem-solve, and discover

Benefits of STEM Education Teaches independent innovation Allows students to apply skills they’ve learned Engages students, tapping into a variety of learning modalities and styles Helps prepare students for the workforce by teaching them how to think critically.

What is Engineering? Engineering is problem-solving… Engineering is the practical application of science and math to solve problems Engineering is everywhere…

PROBLEM!!! THINK of a problem. WHY is it a problem? HOW will you fix this problem? WHAT is your solution? HOW well will it work? WHAT might you do differently?

The Engineering Design Process

Engineering Design Process VS Scientific Inquiry Process Engineering Design Process Scientific Inquiry Process Identify the need or problemFormulate the problem Research the need of the problem Information gathering Develop possible solutionsMake hypotheses Select the best possible solution Plan the solution Construct a prototypeTest solutions (perform experiments) Test and evaluate the solution Interpret data, draw conclusions Communicate the solutionPresent the results RedesignDevelop new hypotheses

Challenges of Implementing STEM Curriculum in the Middle School Classroom Not enough time in the day Difficult to measure results Teachers are unfamiliar with where to start Lack of resources and materials Pressure to teach the curriculum Standards must be addressed

Project-Based Learning Provides the context and application for STEM instruction.An approach to instruction that This approach is designed to engage student interest and motivation, teaching and reinforcing 21 st century skills. Requires students to think critically, be creative, has real-world relevance, provides multiple opportunities for varied assessment, and allows for multiple outcomes. Allows students to drive the process and own the outcome.

A Good Project: Involves students’ own communities whenever possible Is ill-defined Takes an inquiry-driven approach to problem-solving Has a clearly defined goal, but many possible outcomes. Is collaborative – students work together to complete the project. Is interdisciplinary – the skills students learn and refine go beyond one field of study. Is authentically assessed – assessment is integrated with learning, reflecting how quality is judged in the real world Has real-world applications

Project-Based Learning Worksheet Begin with the end in mind: What do I want my students to understand and to know how to do? What’s the BIG IDEA? Craft the essential question. What do I want my students to find out? Think about assessments? How will I measure what my students are learning? How will I assess what they’ve learned? Map out the project. Facilitate – How will I facilitate learning by discovery? How will I manage the project?

Creating and Implementing Integrated STEM units Determine your access point – choose what you know best Define concepts from other content areas that support this access point Design a culminating project that provides a context and a real world application to content area instruction, giving students a way to demonstrate their learning Get out of the their way!