I N C O R P O R AT I N G ST E M
E D U C AT I O N I N TO YO U R
C U R R I C U LU M
P R E S E N T E D BY D I A N E I N S A R I A N D K I M B E R LY D E M P S E Y
DIANE.INSARI@LCPS.ORG
K I M B E R LY. D E M P S E Y @ LC P S . O RG
TODAY’S OBJECTIVES
We will explore….
 What STEM is and what STEM is
not
 Why STEM is important
 How to start a STEM initiative in
your school
 Mini STEM activities
Catapult
Challenge
Your mission is to acquire more land
for your king by laying siege on a
neighboring castle. Using your
catapult, your team must get as many
boulders over the wall and into the
castle as possible in 3 minutes.
Reflection:
What adjustments were needed
to make your boulder fly…
Further?
Higher?
Faster?
More accurately?
STEM- The Thinkers of Tomorrow
We define STEM education as
the preparation of students in
competencies and skills in
the four disciplines:
Science
Technology
Engineering, and
Math.
STEM education provides:
• Sequences that build upon
each other
• Real-world applications
• Integrated disciplines
SCIENCE
• Hands-on activities
• Cooperative learning
• Open-ended trials
• Critical thinking
• Real-life applications
TECHNOLOGY
"...the goal of
technology is
to make
modifications in
the world to meet
human needs."
The National Science Education
Standards
LET’S TEST YOUR
KNOWLEDGE OF THE
HISTORY OF
EDUCATIONAL
TECHNOLOGY
“Students today depend upon
_____ too much. They don’t know
how to write on _____ without
getting _____ ____ all over
themselves. They can’t clean a
____ properly. What will they do
when they run out of _____?”
(Principal’s Association)
“Students today depend upon
paper too much. They don’t know
how to write on slate without
getting chalk dust all over
themselves. They can’t clean a
slate properly. What will they do
when they run out of paper?”
(Principal’s Association 1815)
“ _________ ____ will be the ruin of
education in our country. Students
use these devices and then throw
them away. The American virtues
of thrift and frugality are being
discarded. Business and banks will
never allow such expensive
luxuries.”
(Federal Teacher)
“ Ballpoint pens will be the ruin of
education in our country. Students
use these devices and then throw
them away. The American virtues
of thrift and frugality are being
discarded. Business and banks will
never allow such expensive
luxuries.”
(Federal Teacher 1950)
“__________ ___________ became
visible in the mid ____’s but prices
were astronomical, sometimes in
the thousands of dollars. In the
____’s, they started to become more
reasonably priced.”
“Electronic calculators became
visible in the mid 1960’s but prices
were astronomical, sometimes in
the thousands of dollars. In the
1970’s, they started to become more
reasonably priced.”
ENGINEERING
The Design Process:
the engineering approach
to identifying and solving
problems
MATH
Integration of…
• Computation
• Graphing
• Measurement (Weight, Length,
Volume, Time, Temperature)
• Geometry
• Problem Solving
• Probability
THE STEM PHILOSOPHY





Teacher as Facilitator
Hands-On Exploration
Trial and Error
More Than One Right Answer
Integrated Curriculum
STEM IS NOT…






An add-on
Arts and crafts
Showing off
Only for high-achieving students
Teacher demonstrations
Step-by-step directions
STEM TO STEAM
Integrating the Arts
Art
Music
Foreign Language
Physical Education
Social Science
Collaboration
Hands-On Activities
Problem Solving
Technology
Real-Life
Applications
Design Process
Critical Thinking
 Invest more in STEM education so students
can learn to think critically in science, math,
engineering, and technology.
 Improve the quality of math and science
teaching so American students are no longer
outperformed by those in other nations.
 Expand STEM education and career
opportunities for underrepresented groups,
including women and girls.
President Obama’s National Security Strategy, May 2010
 Creativity and Innovation
 Critical Thinking and Problem
Solving
 Communication
 Collaboration
Virginia Tech
• VT-STEM K-12 Outreach Initiative
• Summer STEM Institute for Teachers
College of William and Mary
• STEM Alliance initiative for middle school
• $580,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to benefit women faculty
• $2.5 million grant pairs teachers with professional engineers and scientists
University of Virginia
• Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary STEM Education
• STEM Education Programs
Programs for High School Students:
• Ten Governor's STEM Academies
• Virginia Council on the Status of Women 2012 STEM Essay ContestMrs. O’Donnell, Chair
Insert 1st grade video here
THE MISSION
NASA is looking for safe landing sites on the
moon. Once they find one, they need to
design and build a spacecraft that can land
there without injuring astronauts or
damaging the spacecraft.
Today you’ll make a lander—a spacecraft that
can land safely when you drop it
on the floor of the moon–
or classroom.
YOUR TASK
1. Design and build a shockabsorbing system out of paper,
straws, and minimarshmallows.
2. Attach your shock absorber
to a cardboard platform.
3. Use test results to improve
your design.
The Design Process
1)identify the problem or challenge;
2) brainstorm solutions;
3) design your equipment or device;
4) build it;
5) test and evaluate the outcome;
6) discuss your solutions; and then
7) make improvements for better
performance.
A Four-Tiered Approach
Our Four-Tiered
Approach
INITIATE A FOCUS GROUP
•
•
•
•
Gauge interest
Solicit support
Brainstorm ideas
Form a committee
STEM COMMITTEE MEMBERS
•
•
•
•
•
Administrator(s)
Teachers from each grade level
Technology Resource Teacher
Specialist Teacher(s)
Parents/Business Partners
STEM COMMITTEE FIRST STEPS
• Create a LOGO
• Define Vision and Mission Statement:
Liberty Elementary: Preparing Active Learners!
“We believe that cultivating active thinking through a
STEM instructional approach will prepare students
for their futures.”
• Share vision with staff and community
• Professional development for committee
• Acquire resources
SOLICIT SUPPORT
 Get Staff Buy-In
Refine vision and goals
Hands-on STEM activity with staff
Gauge interest with staff survey
 Get Students Excited
Morning News Show: ‘Fascinating Facts’
After-School: Robotics, Science Club, Lego League, Odyssey of the Mind
Science-themed assemblies
STEM activities during school day
 Peak Parents’ Interest
Newsletter, Web Site, Posters, Bulletin Boards, Word of Mouth
Kick-Off Event: STEMmerday!
ACQUIRE RESOURCES
Human Resources:
 Parent Volunteers
 Local Technology Company Employees
 Universities
 High School
 Central Office Science and Math Departments
Financial Resources:
 Inventory current resources
 Grants
 Donations from parents and local
businesses
 Donations from employers of parents
 PTA support
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
 STEM Conferences/Professional Organizations
Children’s Engineering Conference
International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE)
 STEM Classes/Degree Programs at Universities
 Peer-to-Peer Collaboration
 Team Planning Days with Committee Support
 Professional Learning Communities to include Specialist Teachers
 Collaboration with STEM Professionals
 STEM Camp for Teachers
 Social Networks/Blogs (Follow #STEM on Twitter)
 STEM Web Sites (Pitsco.com, Learning.com)
 STEM Literature/Articles
Insert
testimonials
here
For a copy of this presentation and more information
about STEM see our website: www.lcps.org/liberty
Or contact us:
diane.insari@lcps.org
kimberly.dempsey@lcps.org