STEM 4033
Introduction to STEM Education
“People don't care how
much you know until they
know how much you care”
Notecard Intro Activity
1. What is your major and concentration?
2. Where are you from-where in the world is
home?
3. What is the most exciting thing you did this
summer?
4. A ‘maker’ is a person that makes or produces
something. This term is used to describe those
who enjoy creating things in their spare time,
and is often synonymous with the DIY, DIWO,
and STEM movement. How are you a maker?
Where in the world is home?
Assignment:
What is STEM?
What does STEM mean to you? Why should
STEM be important in schools?
-½ pg. type-written reflection
Reading:
-STEM Education is Elementary article
-Intel Foundation: Changing Attitudes is Key
in STEM Education
The STEM Imperative
Considering a Job in STEM
Only 16 percent of American high
school seniors are proficient and
interested in a STEM career. Partly
because of this, the U.S. ranks 25th in
math and 17th in science among
industrialized nations.
STEM Jobs
According to the U.S. Department of
Education, all STEM jobs in the U.S. will
increase 14 percent between now and
2020, accounting for millions of positions.
Yet, data shows that 3 million of those
jobs will go unfilled.
The Problem
Just as the nation’s economic
engines and national security
measures have come to rest
squarely on the shoulders of
science, technology, engineering,
and mathematics (STEM), American
students are recoiling from these
disciplines in record numbers.
Preparation for Life
STEM prepares students for life,
regardless of the profession they
choose to follow. STEM teaches
students how to think critically and
how to solve problems — skills that
can be used throughout life
A Tall Order
Preparing the next-generation to
succeed in life is a tall order. And,
we will substantially fail if we don’t
teach children how to think
critically and solve ill-structured
problems.
STEM doesn’t have to be expensive
Currently, STEM is Not A Focal Point
Today, PK-12 education does not
focus enough on teaching children
to solve real world problems and is
not interdisciplinary, nor
collaborative enough in its
approach
What We Need in Schools
• STEM content integrated in all courses;
• More engaged learning/less lecture;
• More Ill-structured problem solving;
• More strategies that cause students to
seek STEM content answers;
• More underrepresented populations
engaging in STEM; and,
• More collaborative learning
We Need to Emphasize
Critical thinking
Problem solving ability development
Leadership/teamwork development
Ethics and responsibility
Invention, imagination, and ingenuity
Communication skill development
Teamwork!
Message from STEM Kids
Power of Critical Thinking
• Critical thinking is impossible to teach
directly
• Must be entangled with content
• Placing too strong an emphasis on
simply acquiring knowledge leaves
students struggling when trying to use
this knowledge outside the classroom
What do STEM Teachers Do?
STEM teachers pose problems and
combine problem solving with projectbased learning across disciplines.
• Developing students’ critical thinking,
communication, assessment, and
inquiry skills.
Using Real-World Problems
Real-world problem-solving is the essence
of STEM lessons. Solving real-world
problems causes students to use/expand
higher-order thinking skills.
• Identifying creative, real-world problems
for students is the essence of STEM
teaching.
Pre-service Teachers
Develop & Test STEM Lessons
The Big Builder
Charlotte’s Web
Developing/Testing STEM
Curricula
Students Designing Solutions
Good STEM Lessons…
Accomplish these things:
1. Apply math/science through authentic,
hands-on learning
2. Include the use/creation of technology
3. Require the use of the engineering design
loop
4. Require collaborative teamwork
5. Emphasize math/science/technology
standards
6. Address real-world problems
Connecting Literature w/STEM
Halloween Theme
Working Collaboratively to
Solve the Problem
PBL in Action
Logs and Presentations
Is it STEM?
 A lot of lessons are trying to fly under the name of STEM.
 Does the lesson you are using pass these tests:
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Does it require use of the engineering design process?
Is it a real-world problem?
Can the students relate? (is it locally important?)
Is teamwork essential for solving this problem?
Are there multiple possible solutions?
Do students explore/develop own ideas, without being spoonfed?
Does it cover important concepts from STEM disciplines?
Can performance be assessed?
Does the STEM lesson deliver content, or is it a follow-up?
Is it more than a cute toy?
Is it really STEM—or just a new name for an old activity?