Syllabus

STEM Education for the 21st Century

Instructor: Jonathan Dietz

Contact Information:

Class time:

Location: Online

Course Description:

STEM(Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) in an educational context refers to the concept of teaching content in these areas not in siloed separate classes, but in an integrated, project-based manner, emphasizing student agency and self-directed learning. This course aims to educate teacher-candidates in best practices for implementing this, through a combination of readings, videos, instructional design, and a series of mini-projects that model curriculum integration practices.

Course Objectives

1.Candidates will learn how to plan and implement a project-based STEM unit.

2.Candidates will learn to apply critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and communication skills and practices used in project-based learning.

3. Candidates will become proficient in teaching technology-based skills in design, basic coding, educational technology apps, and media.

3. Candidates will understand the Guiding Principles and content and skill practices of the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks in science and technology/engineering, mathematics, and digital literacy.

4.Candidates will develop an understanding of developmental progressions of conceptual knowledge in science and engineering.

5.Candidates will learn how to promote conceptual development of learners through diverse pedagogical strategies, including discourse, modeling and representation, scientific investigations, and engineering design.

6.Candidates will become familiar with and understand best practices in project-based STEM assessment in order to promote equity among diverse learners.

7.Candidates will learn to collaboratively design and lead a hands-on investigation of a Science or Technology/Engineering concept incorporating best practices in curriculum design, science teaching strategies, integrating grade-appropriate content in English language arts, mathematics, technology, and art.

Skill-based Outcomes

Candidates, through weekly hands-on/experiential projects, will develop a series of technical skills.

These will include:

  • Week 0(Prep): Set up Gmail and other edtech accounts

  • Week 1: Set up a Google Classroom for your unit.

  • Week 2: Code a video game in Scratch; share game and screencast video

  • Week 3: Edit a Youtube content video with EdPuzzle

  • Week 4: Scratch-based math project

  • Week 5: Collaboration: Remix and add to another student's Scratch project

  • Week 6: Create a promotional video for the unit

  • Week 7: Unit technology plan and developing an online assessment

  • Week 8: Exhibition and presentation of learning

Curriculum Outcome- STEM Project-Based Unit Plan

  • Each student will design a project-based unit of instruction that will teach science content, technology skills, engineering, language arts, mathematics, art in a series of lessons that highlight collaboration, communication, and other so-called '21st-century skills'.

  • Content learning Goals based on Massachusetts Frameworks, including STE and mathematics

  • Technology/Skill Learning Goals

  • Five(5) complete Project work lesson plans:

      • An entry event 'hook' lesson to introduce the topic- may be hands-on or children's literature based.

      • A lesson developing a Driving Question(s) developed with student input-Students can be answering different questions( Voice and Choice options)

      • A lesson focusing on managing Project Work, including research, design, testing, journaling and critique

      • A lesson focusing on skill training through independent study of videos, etc.

      • A lesson focusing on editorial expectations for a student media Product

Above lesson plans will integrate ELA, Math, and art practices, with modifications for special needs

  • Student Reflection

  • Teacher Reflection

Discussion Forum Guidelines

If you have comments or technical issues with the course, or are unclear about assignments, or have questions of a general nature that might be of interest to others, or that others might have encountered please create a thread and post them here.

There are a few common-sense guidelines we would ask you to respect as a member of our forum. They include things like:

  • Be nice – treat other forum members with respect and empathy. We will not tolerate bullying or inappropriate conduct.

  • Don’t over-share – please no sharing of personal issues- you can email me separately for that.

  • Stay on topic – this is a forum to discuss topics related to this online course. No politics.

  • Clear and concise – the forum will be used by others who may be looking for the same question/answer as you. Please file your posts in the appropriate category and write as if other people will read it.

That’s it! We’re excited you’ re part of our course community. If you have any questions about the Forum, contact me.

Please note the discussion topics below are graded, as discussion and sharing ideas about education is an important part of the learning experience. Please write at least 80-100 words in each post. See the discussion board rubric in the Syllabus.

Remote Classroom Norms

Arrival to on-line class

  • Please login to the remote class meeting within three minutes of the scheduled start time.

  • Use a name that is recognizable as you – Michael C. or M. Carter, for example.

  • Communicate any planned absences with your instructor.

Logging On:

  • Once you log on to the remote (“live”) class session be sure your camera is turned on for attendance and your microphone is on mute.

  • Choose an appropriate background for your session.

Location and Dress:

  • Do your best to find a space that is comfortable with minimal traffic. Find a well-lit space that allows you to participate and engage in the class.

  • Dress comfortably, yet appropriate

Focus and Engagement:

  • It is easy to become distracted when working on your computer, but it is critical that you engage deeply when doing so. Keep off other devices, programs and websites during class time.

  • When it’s class time, it’s class time. You must be able to fully focus on class and not be arranging any simultaneous commitments such as errands or non-class responsibilities.

  • When you would like to ask a question or make a comment during class, you may raise your hand visibly or using the feature in zoom or use the chat. Your instructor will be able to address the comments directly by the person in charge of the session.

  • Do your best not to interrupt others while they are speaking.

  • You are responsible for all content delivered during online class sessions. Do not open another browser unless instructed to do so.

Be Respectful:

  • Screenshots, pictures, snapchat, recordings etc. of your teacher or classmates during class time are prohibited.

Textbook and Materials

Course Content includes video lessons, examples, discussion board questions, writing of unit plan components, simulations, various pdf/web link handouts., and implementation videos.

All readings are contained within the course; there is no required textbook that you need to purchase.

Key Reference websites(curriculum):

Massachusetts Frameworks(2016) http://www.doe.mass.edu/frameworks/current.html

David Lee EdTech https://www.youtube.com/c/DavidLeeEdTech/videos

PBL Works/Buck Institute https://my.pblworks.org/

High Tech High- PBL Project Management https://www.hightechhigh.org/project/hth-structures-project-management/

GritLab Project Design Guide(High Tech High) http://gritlab.org/project-design-guide/

Novel Engineering http://www.novelengineering.org/

PBS Design Squad Global https://pbskids.org/designsquad/parentseducators/resources/index.html

Engineering is Elementary https://eie.org/

Edtech Programs and Apps:

Students should create free online accounts for the following teaching tools:

Technology/Engineering:

  • Scratch or Scratch Jr.

  • SketchUp

Video/Screencasting:

  • Screencastify add-on for Chrome ( https://www.screencastify.com/)

  • Loom( https://www.loom.com/)

  • WeVideo(https://www.wevideo.com/academy)

  • NearPod( https://nearpod.com/ )

Formative Assessment:

  • EdPuzzle( https://edpuzzle.com/)

  • Kahoot( https://kahoot.com/)

EdTech Tutorials:

  • The New EdTech Classroom( https://www.youtube.com/c/NewEdTechClassroom/videos)

  • Pocketful of Primary( https://www.youtube.com/c/PocketfulofPrimary/videos)

G-Mail Account For STEM Education

G-Mail Account for Google Classroom

Posted on:

Teachers should create a free Gmail account if they do not already have one, for use in this course in conjunction with Google Classroom and related apps.

This will enable you to create a Classroom for your unit on your personal account, and to share it with others in this course.

Google Classroom is used in a great majority of public schools to communicate with students, as a place to share assignments, tutorials, videos, and to submit assignments[ much as Blackboard is used in higher education].

While it was originally planned that this would be done through the G Suite for Education account of your cooperating K12 school, it is likely not possible during this year's Summer 2020 session, so we will be using the personal account option.

Links: