STEM stands for: Science, Technology, Engineering (NOT ENGLISH!), and Math. It is new in the TDSB world, but considerably old news in the UK, and the US. This meaning that there seems to be a lot of research, articles, discussions, about STEM pedagogy. I will try to make sense out of it and bring it down to the basics so that it doesn't seem so daunting and daring as whenever you mention Science, Tech, Engineering, and Math to many elementary school teachers, they turn away figuring they just can't do it because they were an Arts major.
STEM teaching seems to have appeared as evidence was gathered that students were dropping out of Science and Mathematics based study like crazy. This is alarming to any government and country as this is the fundamental core of engineering, and as we know, engineering is the fundamental core of any civilization! What we don't want is for all our innovators, inventors, problem-solvers, to be out-sourced from overseas. We want the brains and the braun to remain right here in our own countries where we share similar values, cultures, and aspirations so we can solve our problems in our ways, and perhaps change parts of the world and make it a 'better' place??>>??
Some key points to STEM education are:
STEM teaching seems to have appeared as evidence was gathered that students were dropping out of Science and Mathematics based study like crazy. This is alarming to any government and country as this is the fundamental core of engineering, and as we know, engineering is the fundamental core of any civilization! What we don't want is for all our innovators, inventors, problem-solvers, to be out-sourced from overseas. We want the brains and the braun to remain right here in our own countries where we share similar values, cultures, and aspirations so we can solve our problems in our ways, and perhaps change parts of the world and make it a 'better' place??>>??
Some key points to STEM education are:
- You don't have to only teach Science and Math in Science and Math classes! (Science/Math can be read about, discovered in the context of social studies, language, AND the arts ... DaVinci is a great example)
- STEM is based on problem-solving models, individual and team-based.
- Students are coached and taught how to learn explicitly - As the world changes faster than we can imagine, our students need skills and strategies that will teach them how to not only cope, but excel in being resourceful learners.
- STEM pedagogy, like any pedagogy, is more engaging and meaningful when it is relevant and when the students get to DO stuff. DO-ing stuff doesn't just have to mean building and making machines and bridges, it can also mean talking, working on a presentation, defending ideas, discussing outcomes.
For this link, click on the video for TEAM based Learning. The context is taken in College/University level teaching, but the idea and premise is relevant and can be adapted. What I liked most about this video is the section that discusses how groupings are made, how individuals are made accountable, and particularly how the process by which groups are made and start working together allows for collaboration and reflection. |
This website by BIE, Buck Institute for Education focuses on an essential portion of STEM and that is Problem-based learning. There are a variety of videos and resources under the "Resources" heading. I particularly enjoyed the keynote speakers where one might find inspiration to simply be a better person, and a better teacher. See the video called, "What is Gold Standard PBL?" |