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STEM is more that just a grouping of science, technology, engineering, and math concepts. It is a movement. One that our future economy, well being, and industry depend on. STEM is an interdisciplinary approach that reinforces critical thinking and exploration practices in order to build a deeper understanding and application to content areas. It teaches students how to think, problem solve, create, and innovate.
Fayette County Public Schools is dedicated to providing students with excellent learning opportunities to prepare them to be successful and excel in a global society. STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) careers have become increasingly more in demand in today's society. In an effort to increase interest in STEM and expose students to 21st century learning opportunities, Fayette County will be the home to a new STEM Bus. This mobile learning lab will target third grade students in its first year of implementation. The vision for this resource is to provide students with hands-on learning opportunities in science, technology, engineering, and math, increase interest in STEM fields later on in life, and provide teachers with ways to incorporate STEM into their instruction.
“In the 21st century, scientific and technological innovations have become increasingly important as we face the benefits and challenges of both globalization and a knowledge-based economy. To succeed in this new information-based and highly technological society, students need to develop their capabilities in STEM to levels much beyond what was considered acceptable in the past.” (National Science Foundation)
Six Characteristics of a Great STEM Lesson:
Six Characteristics of a Great STEM Lesson:
1. Focus on real-world issues and problems.
2. Guided by the engineering design process.
3. Immerse students in hands-on inquiry and open-ended exploration.
4. Involve students in productive teamwork.
5. Apply rigorous math and science content your students are learning.
6. Allow for multiple right answers and reframe failure as a necessary part of learning.
"[Science] is more than a school subject, or the periodic table, or the properties of waves. It is an approach to the world, a critical way to understand and explore and engage with the world, and then have the capacity to change that world..."
— President Barack Obama, March 23, 2015
"Scientists investigate what is; they discover new knowledge by peering into the unknown. Engineers create what has not been; they make things that have never existed before."
- Joe Bordogna, former deputy director, National Science Foundation
References:
Jolly, A. (2018, June 27). Six Characteristics of a Great STEM Lesson. Retrieved January 8, 2019, from https://www.edweek.org/tm/articles/2014/06/17/ctq_jolly_stem.html
Kids, P. B. (2016, February 02). Why Is STEM Education So Important? Retrieved January 8, 2019, from https://www.engineeringforkids.com/about/news/2016/february/why-is-stem-education-so-important-/
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. (2014, March 06). STEM Integration in K-12 Education. Retrieved January 8, 2019, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AlPJ48simtE
U.S. Department of Education. (n.d.). Science, Technology, Engineering and Math: Education for Global Leadership. Retrieved January 8, 2019, from https://www.ed.gov/stem
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2021, September 8). Employment in STEM occupations. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved November 2, 2021, from https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables/stem-employment.htm.
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