The quickest way to make your initiative the butt of jokes in the teacher's lounge is to give it a buzzword that is supposed to make it popular. Not only is STEM this decades most used buzzword in science and math teaching it is also an acronym. That is a double whammy for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math teachers. Teachers get tired of hearing how we are supposed to "collaborate towards integrating our standards and benchmarks with fidelity." In a future post, I will put together a set of buzzword bingo cards for your next in-service. Nothing is funnier than a teacher in the back of the room yelling bingo when someone used the word "differentiation".
We joke, we laugh, we poke fun, but here is a secret that not many teachers will admit. Buzzwords have power! We realize that most of the initiatives that come out are really just old ideas wrapped in fancy new jargon, labelled and categorized with new vocabulary to sell more teacher prep textbooks or accept some doctoral thesis. But when a buzzword transcends the realm of the thesis committee or educational journal audience and becomes real to those outside education, it gains power.
STEM has done this. The focus on these four disciplines reaches from the very top of our government, to the small businessmen in our towns. Our President has used the term, my Governor has an initiative, and local businessmen have rallied to its calling. Money has been allocated, administrative bureaucracies set up, and charity grants awarded for this acronym. This makes STEM, at least in my eyes, more than a buzzword, it's a Game Changer!
I recently had a discussion with a local businessman who was convinced that STEM education was the direction that this country needed to focus. He was concerned, as we all are, that the US has been falling behind in math and science. He knew that our schools have work to do in preparing kids to be competitive in a world-wide market. He heard the calling and was prepared to help in any way he could. That is the power of STEM.
Last week I attended a meeting of our Quad Cities Engineering and Science Council where we heard local engineers and teachers coming together to link what was done in the classroom to what was needed in the real world. The fact that we even have an Engineering and Science Council in our city was impressive to me, but to hear the passion that these businessmen and engineers had for STEM was astounding. The council has been around for 51 years, telling you that the focus on science and math has always been there. STEM has given them something to rally around. They sponsor and work at numerous engineering events throughout the year, give teaching awards, and fund scholarships for students.
STEM is here to stay. To me it is not about learning math and science facts; it is a focus on making students think. This is a mindset that all these disciplines share. It is about solving problems in new and exciting ways. It is about moving engineering thought processes into a science classroom. It is about inquiry learning in math curriculum. It is about teaching the physics behind the principles students use in shop to build their catapult, or the statistics needed in biology to understand how populations change over time. It is pulling teachers together and linking them with industry. It is all of us working together for our students.
Do not brush it aside like we do with so many other initiatives, rally behind it. Science teachers, go to your shop teachers and ask them how you can help with their curriculum. Math teachers, visit a science teacher to ask how your math fits into their lessons. Lend them your expertise. Engineers and businessmen, go to your schools and ask how you can help. You may be surprised at how willing teachers will be to accept any assistance you can offer. Teachers, go to your school boards and ask for support for STEM projects. Administrators, set up a STEM coordinator in your district that can pull resources, people, and initiatives together in one cohesive K-12 system. With all of us working together, we can make the changes our country needs.
Please post comments with your thoughts on STEM as these are my ramblings. In future posts, I plan to talk about some of the stumbles that I see our country has made in STEM in the past and possible ways to fix them in each community as well as overall. I will also be sharing out opportunities in STEM across the nation and the state of Iowa. Stay tuned.
Chris
@christopherlike
I have created this blog for teachers to discuss issues surrounding the profession. Are you interested in education reform, science teaching, inquiry, technology, collaboration, common core standards & benchmarks, gamification, professional development with fidelity, crowdsourcing, social networking, or any other buzzword I missed? If so, this in the blog for you. I plan on opening discussion of any and all of these topics. Please post with your thoughts!
I am delighted to read about your passion for supporting STEM. The powerful acronym has become something not only to talk about but has inspired educational workshops across the country.
ReplyDeleteMy first introduction to the analogy STEM was just four years ago. I am a current student at Coe College and each fall our campus becomes populated with approx. 500 middle school female students (from 29 different schools) attending the stem expo "Open Minds, Open Doors" hosted by Grant Wood AEA. http://www.gwaea.org/newsreleases/2012-2013/omod2012.html
The purpose of this expo is to encourage and inspire female students to pursue a career in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. The students attend a series of workshops during the morning and an expo in the afternoon. The workshops are presented by the following presenters: Kirkwood Community College, University of Iowa Department of Pathology, Schneider Electric, the State Hygienic Lab at the University of Iowa, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Cedar Rapids Vision in Motion, Indian Creek Nature Center, Cedar Rapids/Linn County Solid Waste Agency, Kennedy High School Electric Car Program, iTforTeens, Coe College, and Rockwell Collins. In the afternoon the students attend an science expo where demonstrations are set up at every station. This is where the fun begins. At the last expo our table had UV nail polish, a never-ending mirror, 3-d glasses, plane launcher, climbing grips, electrostatic glider, etc. This past year our table was swamped with fifty girls at a time, the energy was palpable. The most rewarding experience were the reactions after the science was explained following a demonstration. The students replied, "Ohh, that's really how it works?" The students were enthralled by the demonstrations and started asking more questions to clarify their conceptions. The reward of the day was to have the students engaged and asking questions to further their understanding.
This event was my first introduction to the analogy STEM and has evoked my passion to inspire female students to overcome their anxiety towards Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. I find this particular workshop very important because when I was in middle school I remember the cloud over my head regarding males being "better" or "smarter" in the STEM subjects. The cloud wasn't removed until high school when fellow female friends started taking Chemistry and Physics. After we enjoyed those classes we pursued AP Chemistry and now I have pursued a degree in Chemistry. As a high school science teacher what is your opinion of female and male involvement in STEM? Do you think that there is a need for STEM workshops to be directed towards female students?
Thanks for the comment DeAnna! I can tell you that in the Quad Cities, we have a group of engineering societies that have come together to support STEM initiatives. In fact, the Quad Cities Engineering and Science Council voted me STEM Teacher of the Year and presented my plaque just last night. Coincidentally, I found out about the award just hours AFTER I wrote that post.
ReplyDeleteYour expo sounds like it is a very good thing for a lot of students, especially girls. If you would like to post how others could get involved, I would love to pass on the invitation. If there is anything I can do to help, I am always interested in STEM initiatives across the state.
As for focusing on encouraging women into STEM fields, I heard an interesting statistic last night at the banquet. Dr. Vince Bertrum (head of Project Lead the Way) touched on this very topic. He quoted that only 20% of prospective engineers are women and if we can just bring that number up to match the men, it would fill those unfilled skilled positions. I look at my classes in physics and astronomy and they numbers are real. I have NO girls in my Astronomy II class. I am not sure why, as there are quite a few in Astronomy I. It is a problem that needs fixed.
I will be on Coe's campus in March for the Science Olympiad (23rd I think). Stop by the Bettendorf room and we can chat about it.