Creative Commons Picture Walhalla Railway (Link Below)
http://freeaussiestock.com/free/Victoria/slides/walhalla_railway.htm
Welcome to a post devoted to STEM. This STEM Post is the first of a two part post covering great resources for STEM education! In this post I cover STEM research and great over all sites for resources! The next post will include some STEAM, and will then get downright STEAMIE with over twenty more resources! Don’t miss any of these posts and be sure to visit my 21centuryedtech Blog. You can also follow me on Twitter atmjgormans! Now, lets enter the world of STEM Education! Have a great week – Mike Gorman
Before STEM– Once upon a time and a very long time ago in schools across this land their lived the separate disciplines of Science, Industrial Tech, and Math. Each was contained in its only little box and kept separate from from another. Students consumed content from each box, but very seldom did the practices meet. While concepts and theories were related among the three, they each had their place, function, and time of delivery. There were moments when individual teachers would walk outside the box and even find a partner to share a box with. But the emphasis remained on distributing and testing the content found in these separate . After all, the United States was a dominate economic power in the world, students were educated to serve the work force with a life time skill, and the world was still round. Soon STEM started to show up and in the space below I have included some resources that will allow you to learn more about STEM education.
National Science Board– A clearing house for the National Science Foundation in regards to STEM education.
Purdue Libraries– Stem Education Research
AAAS Project 2061– Project devoted to increasing STEM education befor teh next return of Halley’s Comet
Ed Gov STEM Blog– Latest information on STEM efforts by US Government.
National High School Alliance on STEM– Great links and resources to learn more about STEM
STEM– The idea of STEM Education involves integrating the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math in order to provide programs that allow students to transfer knowledge across the curriculum making learning more relevant. Perhaps it was the teachings of Dewey, the determination of WWII, the launch of Sputnik, or the 1967 Cambridge Conference of the Correlation of Sciencethat first promoted STEM education. For those wanting to investigate the events that led to the advent of STEM Education since 1746, a visit to the History Of STEM Education Timelinemay be worth a trip. It may have been the 1983 study of A Nation At Risk, that first suggested that the world was loosing it roundness. While integration of content area had been debated for decades, it was 2001 research by Marlene Hurley that may have provided positive evidence for curriculum integration. The content specific TIMSSTests higher United States rating over the application basedPISA Testsconfirmed that students in the United States were not always applying content they learned. The last few years have seen a real spark in STEM education through out the United States and the World. In fact, the STEMed Caucuslists the following reasons for promotion of STEM education. They include;
1. Scientists and engineers who will continue the research and development that is central to the economic growth of our country
2. Technologically proficient workers who are capable of dealing with the demands of a science based, high technology workforce;
3. Scientifically literate voters and citizens who make intelligent decisions about public policy and who understand the world around them.
I have listed some great STEM Resources to get your students involved below. I encourage you to visit these and see how STEM not only supports Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math but will also enhance efforts in Project Based Learning, 21st Century Skills, and NETS Standards.
Siemens We Can Change The World Challenge– Great site loaded with resources, standards, and ideas. Either compete or just use the resources that are provided. Applicable to all levels of K12 education.
Kids Science Challenge– Awesome and inspiring challenges involving bio-designed scientific inventions, sports on Mars, and detective science. be sure to check out the great pod-casts listed in Pulse of the Planet.
Young Scientists Challenge– Great resource for those students in the K-8. Lessons, multimedia, and lessons that can be incorporated into PBL
National Engineer Week: Future City– Great Project Based Learning Activity incorporating STEAM along with Language Arts and Social Studies. Engage students with Sim City Software, model building, and a new curriculum designed to integrate.
The Jason Project– Wow, what an awesome set of free digital curriculum filled with multimedia, simulations, readings, class activities, and projects! Check out that roller coaster simulation just to name one!
Siemens Discover STEM Academy– Vast amount of lessons, multimedia, activities along with webinars that are some of the finest for both student learning and teacher professional development.
eGFI Dream Up The Future– A huge data base that will engage students with its colorful and students center interface. Make sure to check all the links including all the STEM resources found in the Teacher resource area.
NSF Resources For STEM Education– A great collection of teacher resources, instructional material, assessment, and up-to-date research regarding STEM.
PBS STEM Education Resources Center– Great information from PBS including engaging lessons, activities, and of course those award winning PBS videos.
NSDL– The National Science Digital Library has some outstanding resource tyhat include numerous links to some great STEM programs and organizations.
Design Squad Nation– Another great service from PBS filled with some entertaining and engaging ways to integrate STEM into any classroom.
Museum of Science– Great data base to search for lessons and ideas involving science, math, engineering from one of the finest science museums located in Boston.
Thanks for joining me! Remember the best is yet to come in the next STEM post where I will share over 20 more resources in order to create STEAM, and then get down right STEAMIE! Don’t miss any of these posts and be sure to visit my 21centuryedtech Blog and also follow me on Twitter atmjgormans. Have a great week and I hope you are enjoying a transformational journey into 21st Century Learning! Engage, Create, Innovate! – Mike Gorman
