Beyond STEM Education
STEM (Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) is changing the way of understanding teaching and learning but also the core of the own meaning
Since 1990s STEM is a term used to refer education policies to improve competitiveness in science and technology development. But is much more, because it has implications for workforce development, teaching frameworks, industries, no formal education, etc. Is a term which also involves the equity of a country and some challenges like the gender gap.
During almost three weeks 19 STEM´s specialist from all over the world have been part of a Multi-regional Project entitled “Science and Technology Education for Youth” of the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) sponsored by the U.S. Department of State.
I was part of the unique experience, at the beginning, the objectives were: to explore the implementation of curricula that is improving math and science in the U.S education system, know the best practices in classrooms and experiential learning activities, like makerspaces. Besides, discuss policy initiatives and public/private partnerships to accelerate students learning with diverse backgrounds in STEM subjects. And at last but not least: review technological innovation in science education and programs that promote scientific literacy in the workforce.
With that ambitious agenda, we traveled to seven different states to live in first hand the experiences and to talk with the real main doers of these objectives that are challenging the way to understand STEM.
We had had different meetings: from a Curriculum department, that are creating programs and practices to ensure fairness, equity and inclusión in STEM´s field; to makerspaces or museums, and TV cannel; because culture and media are key influencers to change the STEM´s mindset. Everyone is involved in creating the next step in education but in all the levels that guarantees the pipeline.
I want to share in this post some of the learnings.
Teaching STEM subjects is not only about logical exercises, math rules…
My first surprise was that all the STEM programs, schools or ideas behind projects are related with axes that are more linked with soft skills to prepare every student for the next generation science standards, some are:
#Engagement: students must be engaged socially, emotionally and intellectually (and at a deep level) with the STEM contents
#Collaboration: working in teams, sharing responsibility and making joint decisions are key strategies.
#Real world connections: all the contents must be exposed to real-world issues and their possible solutions
#Technology: because the world is and will be more wired, wireless and data-driven; students have to be able to use information and communications technology to expand their knowledge and deepen their skills.
#Social-Emotional learning: expand students self-awareness, learn social skills and understand the hallmarks of wise choices
#Critical thinking: all must be able to analyze, synthesize and evaluate in a world with an abundance of information and opinion
#Creativity: to be able to generate new and novel ideas, conceive alternatives, and view things from different perspectives
Yes, they´re a lot but is very important consider all together as a comprehensive approach.
STEM Teaching framework
Furthermore, is not only about teaching STEM´s contents, is about considering a serious core set of teaching practices to support students of all backgrounds to deeply understand science ideas, participate in the activities of the discipline and solve authentic problems.
Some of the common challenges in many of the experiences had a same point to start: how to place the underrepresented in STEM (like inmigrant youth, African American females, etc.)on the main stage as protagonists. In this sense the educators make focus to relate with them more like mentors or advisers and to foment a sense of self-confidence in these students.
Another component is the design and implementation of programs that have a route, a path and objective towards intermediate or university careers, but must start from the high school level: where students fail, teachers as mentors, must be to help them.
So is also about teaching leadership skills: the science and technology is evolving every day so we need to know how to manage the uncertainty and constant change. Besides leadership skills in the STEM´s areas are connected with another kind of ideas: like the value of the curiosity. Is also linked with other ways to engage with the knowledge: experiences should be hands-on, show explication to the real world, and be interactive.
All of these skills are linked to the notion of creative leadership.
At the end, all the goals are related to promoting intellectual engagement and attention to equity. Because STEM needs diversity to be innovative.
The voices of experience
STEM´s educators share their perspectives on common pitfalls and time-tested paths to success. They agree that students curiosity is the most powerful catalyst to learning, so they must create different and innovative activities and then share the results with their colleagues, in order to continue enriching the repertoire or set of proposals.
They consider that collaboration creates sustainability: “If you know something to create a deep learning, share it! is the best way to improve the knowledge” said one professor.
STEM needs You
¨Actual science is all about looking at amazing things and testing ideas about them, not memorizing dogma¨ explained one of the Principal´s schools.
To spread this approach in the heart of a community you need to create alliances. Because of this is very common to identify different partnerships in the STEM´s projects: not only between private/public sector, also between high schools and universities, formal education and experimental education as makerspaces. All these kind of stakeholders empowerment this kind of projects.
The next challenge
One aspect which has been incorporated into the field of STEM is the arts, that is the reason why so some of the experiences call STEAM instead of STEM.
¨It looks like the collaboration is set to take both education and the world of work by storm — and sooner than we may think¨ explained one of the makerspace’s collaborator. The idea of interrelating fields of knowledge begins to sound louder.
It is not only a matter of educating the next generation of workers, but also of doers and thinkers, and within that horizon the concept of STEM has to be rethought.
When your colleagues are from all the world
During the program I could talk with many of my colleagues, all of them are doing amazing projects like: We think code, Fab Lab on wheels, The Garage Project Hub, Ciencia Joven, Society for Canadian Women in Science and Technology, Matific…to name some of their incredible ideas and creations.
As one of the Chicas en Tecnología ´s co-founders was very important to share concerns and experiences with these STEM´s referents. So, I asked to them If they could complete a survey, one of the question was: Why do you think girls are important in the STEM field? I picked up to share the following words or answers that are representatives:
¨In order to make fairer society or fairer notion in the society between men and women, it is much better to increase the number of girls in the STEM field. Women sometimes have different sense from men, so it is important to welcome girls in the STEM field to have further innovations.¨ Chihiro Oga Nakagawa (Assistant Professor, Osaka Prefecture University, Japan)
¨More diversity leads to better problem solving. We need women to develop solutions that they understand. We need to empower and encourage women, so they can unlock their full potential.¨ Arlene, Mulder (CEO & Founder, We Think Code, South Africa)
Have the opportunity to talk to all of them is a real asset to understand the whole problem especially in the gender gap (that is one of my main concern), and try to figure out different ways to face them. I´m talking in the present because we create a strong networking so we are in touch every day.
In other words in each visited, I also learned about how they in their countries deal with the same challenges, STEM Education is not so far, so different, as sometimes we think. Today in a Glocal world (global and local at the same time), share with Others is the best way to build together the STEM or STEAM meaning with real education proposals.
Some links to explore and live the experience
Society for Science and the Public
Carnegie Academy for Science Education
National Science teachers Association (NSTA)
Cincinnati Public School Board of Education
INTERalliance of Greater Cincinnati
University of Utah, The Center for Science and Mathematics Education
Brigham Young University, DUST alternative Reality Game
The Academy for Math, Engineering and Science (AMES)
The Seattle Public Library, Tinkerlab
Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexler University
