Sara Hunter is here to tell teachers, "You Don't Have to Be A Scientist to Incorporate STEM." Hunter is a third grade teacher and STEM instructional coach. She is interested in flipped classrooms that are on a "transformational level that changes our practice as educators and provides our students with an innovative learning experience" (Nelson, 2014, p. 9). Hunter wants to disprove those who think they must be a "scientist" to bring STEM into the classroom. To that she says, "one of the important pieces in the philosophy behind [STEM] is removing the role of teacher as expert" (Nelson, 2014, p. 9). Some examples of Hunter employing STEM are reading the story Sheep in a Jeep and having students understand what makes the sheep stay in the vehicle or fall out by using physical models, using mobile technology to interact with nature, and tweeting the Mars rover Curiosity (and getting a reply!).
Similarly, authors Stephen Portz and Glen Bull wrote, "Teach STEAM with Toys" (2014) about creative ways of teaching. STEAM is still Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math but now with the added "Art" element. The art part is key because these are not ordinary toys but "automata," or mechanical moving toys. That's where the STEM part is important! Educators and engineers at the University of Virginia are researching how we can use, "digital fabrication technologies, such as 3D printers and computer-controlled die cutters, to create educational toys (Portz and Bull, 2014, p. 35). These tools would allow for students to build these mechanisms as well as room for educational innovation. Our students would be honing their skills as inventors! The author's have some suggestions to get started with while we're waiting for the mass distribution of 3D printers in the classroom. Rob Ives, a math teacher, demonstrated how crank mechanisms work by creating a mechanical toy out of simple paper and card stock. His templates for many similar projects can be found on his website. Teachers can also add electronic extensions such as LED lights to the above project and have a crank turn them on. I'll let the authors explain: "...brush contact light up the eyes alternately at different points in the cycle, which could illustrate parallel and serial circuits in a unit on electricity and magnetism" (Portz and Bull, 2014, p. 36). This activity demonstrates all elements in STEM and encourages student innovation.
Incorporating STEAM into the classroom is very exciting and worthwhile. Saturation of math and science in the classroom can only improve education. It's equally important to keep art in student's lives as well. I know it's dismal in California that we don't have funding for art programs in school. It gives me hope that STEAM is an additional way to bring that outlet for creativity back into the classroom (and funding)! As a future ELA teaching, I'm pleased to find ways to incorporate STEM into my course work. Much like the exercise Hunter did with Sheep in a Jeep, there are elements of any story that can be observed through a practical lens. I feel confident in looking at my literature from different dispositions, but I feel overwhelmed thinking about building a mechanism in my classroom! Thankfully, the authors provide some tips and websites that provide templates so both my students and I won't be totally lost. A mathematical and scientific foundation for students to build on can only help them accelerate in other areas of school, in their careers, and in their ability to understand and parse information.
Incorporating STEAM into the classroom is very exciting and worthwhile. Saturation of math and science in the classroom can only improve education. It's equally important to keep art in student's lives as well. I know it's dismal in California that we don't have funding for art programs in school. It gives me hope that STEAM is an additional way to bring that outlet for creativity back into the classroom (and funding)! As a future ELA teaching, I'm pleased to find ways to incorporate STEM into my course work. Much like the exercise Hunter did with Sheep in a Jeep, there are elements of any story that can be observed through a practical lens. I feel confident in looking at my literature from different dispositions, but I feel overwhelmed thinking about building a mechanism in my classroom! Thankfully, the authors provide some tips and websites that provide templates so both my students and I won't be totally lost. A mathematical and scientific foundation for students to build on can only help them accelerate in other areas of school, in their careers, and in their ability to understand and parse information.
Nelson, S. (February 2014). You don't have to be a scientist to incorporate STEM. Learning and Leading with Technology. (41)6. Retrieved from http://www.learningandleading-digital.com/learning_leading/february_2014#pg11
Portz, S. and Bull, G. (February 2014). Teach STEAM with toys. Learning and Leading with Technology. (41)6. Retrieved from http://www.learningandleading-digital.com/learning_leading/february_2014#pg37
Portz, S. and Bull, G. (February 2014). Teach STEAM with toys. Learning and Leading with Technology. (41)6. Retrieved from http://www.learningandleading-digital.com/learning_leading/february_2014#pg37
Hey! Wow, this is amazing! I love the website you linked. I really enjoy making those paper models and didn't even consider them as an option for teaching math and science, very cool! I'm inspired :) I agree with the concept of removing the teacher as the expert. I feel like half the battle with math and science is that it is intimidating to students and teachers forget that they have had extensive experiences with the material making it almost second nature to them but foreign material to the students. By placing the teacher in a position where they are learning alongside the students, I can see how math and science could become more palatable and less intimidating, because the teacher is teaching with the intention of learning and not lecturing. I will have to take a look into the Sheep in a Jeep and the Mars Rover Curiosity. They sound like interesting resources to use in the class. Sheep in a Jeep just sounds super cute haha! With the added benefit of announcing to students that they will be making toys in school I believe we have a winner with STEM and ROBVIES. Thank you Gina!!
ReplyDeleteI used to think that you had to be a science or math teacher to incorporate STEM, it is amazing to find out that you don’t. I feel that using educational toys in order to teach STEM is an incredible idea. I especially like the idea of having 3D printers in the classroom, the possibilities are endless and there are so many objects to create. Students will be amazed by creating their own toys and teachers will benefit by relying on input from students. We need to continue to provide students with tools that allows them to be creative.
ReplyDeleteThat way I would like to use 3D printer in the classroom is by having students create models of buildings or cars. I think that this tool will increase student interest in any subject, students are no longer limited to a pen and paper. Throughout my experience as a substitute teacher I noticed that students were no longer exited about creating posters or using powerpoint , 3D printers will be welcome by both teachers and students. I hope to be able to learn how to use a 3D printer to start thinking about all the ways I can utilize this tool for special projects.
Gina I really like your idea of using technology and other areas of learning to facilitate student creativity in an artistic manner. And using 3D printers to create interactive models for students is so beneficial because they can see it happen in an real world experience without having to rely on just pictures or a video. I have a friend who works in a 3D printer lab at a local CC and he says many students use these printers in creative ways across all academic subjects. So I can't wait for 3D printers to become more available in the classroom and see what students come up with.
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