STEM: How to Begin?

What teacher does not want to develop student thinking and improve their problem solving skills? What employer does not want an employee who can resolve real world issues? Through STEM education, both of these goals can be met.

What is STEM?

Envision a nation where the highest paying jobs are left unfilled and poverty and unemployment are on the rise. Envision a world where the economic tides have turned and Asia is the new forerunner for economic growth and innovation. Envision a world where the United States is no longer a thought leader and must rely on other nations for problem solving and global assistance. Your vision will not be that far-fetched. In India, there are more honor students than the United States has students, and those students are cashing in on STEM careers.

STEM stands for science, technology, engineering, and math. The Bureau of Labor Statistics stated that STEM careers grew nearly 700% between 1950 and 2000, mostly in the field of computing. In that time, other nations have rallied support for math and science training with young employees already feeding into the employment pipeline in the areas of physical science, engineering, mathematics, life science, and computing. The United States has finally heard the call, but more needs to be done.

The United States relies on the STEM initiative to develop competent employees to meet both today's and tomorrow's needs. STEM focuses on a foundational understanding of how the world works and innovative problem solving to make life better. STEM careers change rapidly and new skill sets are needed continually. Education in these fields needs to start early and needs to continue through professional development and advanced career options. Not all STEM careers need advanced degrees. In fact, many STEM careers require only associate degrees. The focus with K-12 STEM education should not be to produce only scientists and engineers. It should focus on developing creative problem solvers and helping the general population feel comfortable in their understanding with how things work along with an interest in how to make things better.

While the United States has made strides toward advancing STEM education, problems still exist. STEM education is still not geographically consistent and some fields still have significantly large deficits in skilled workers. There is still a lack of STEM trained teachers in the field, and less opportunities and mentors for women, minorities, and those with a low socioeconomic status.

Why is STEM important?

The driving force behind the STEM initiative is to move the United States back into the forefront of the global economy. Currently for every one engineering graduate in the United States, there are three engineering graduates in Europe and five engineering graduates in Asia. If current trends continue, 90% of all scientists and engineers will soon be found in Asia. Since 21 of the top 25 paying jobs are in STEM careers, the strong economy will follow the employment. Additionally, nearly 50% of doctorate graduates in STEM fields who are granted degrees in the United States are foreign nationals who leave once the degree is complete and take their knowledge and skills back to their home countries.

This leaves the United States with a workforce shortage in STEM fields. The supply of qualified workers is not able to keep up with the demands of ever changing research and development in science and technology. The shortages start with qualified STEM educators in the K-12 environment and inequitable STEM education opportunities and interests in lower socioeconomic areas. This discrepancy also falls along cultural and gender lines. Few African-American and Hispanic males pursue STEM careers, and women, who despite making up the majority of college students, remains low in STEM careers.

More importantly, STEM education promotes creative, divergent thinking. Innovation is the product of creative problem solving. STEM education is a collaborative hands-on, multidisciplinary experience. The fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics are highly related and should be taught in conjunction with one another. Historically, education in the United States promotes objective, convergent thinking, yet these are in opposition with the skills that are needed of today's workers.

How To Begin

The first step in improving STEM education involves improved teacher recruitment and training. One issue is the lack of a strong candidate pool. Many STEM majors enter the workforce seeking higher paying jobs. The pay scale for a classroom teacher cannot compete with salaries in other STEM industries. Current incentives to encourage women and minorities into STEM fields has not been successful. Incentives to draw STEM teachers to lower income schools has also shown less than desirable results.

More emphasis must be placed on STEM careers that do not require advanced degrees. Community colleges play a big role in the training of these types careers. Community colleges and K-12 systems need to work together to emphasize STEM education. More promotion of STEM education needs to take place in geographic locations with low math and science scores. Career choices are correlated to parental dreams and the community's return on investment. The parents and the community need to see the local impact of STEM careers.

Teachers in STEM classrooms should begin by selecting a standard from one of the STEM content areas. Once the standards have been identified, consider a problem in society that aligns with the standard. Examine the problem and align standards from other content areas. Now, create objectives for the unit and begin locating or creating learning experiences that align with the objectives.

STEM Resources

There are many resources available for K-12 educators who want to get started. Here are a few to investigate.

Exploratorium: offers professional development and activities and events for K-12 teachers and their students.

NASA – Educators: offers lesson plans, teachers guides, and resources for teachers and students.

eGFI: Dream Up the Future: promotes engineering education for K-12 with lesson plans, programs, and activities.

Kinetic City: offers science games for grades 3-5.

Rachel E Kovacs, 10/2013

References

Basham, J., & Marino, M. (2013). Understanding STEM Education and Supporting Students Through Universal Design for Learning. Teaching Exceptional Children, 45(4), 8-15.

Hagedorn, L., & Purnamasari, A. (2012). A Realistic Look at STEM and the Role of Community Colleges. Community College Review, 40(2), 145-164.

Herman, K. J., & McClellan, M. D. (2013). INCREASING MINORITY INVOLVEMENT IN STEM COURSES. Techniques: Connecting Education & Careers, 88(6), 48-51.

Israel, M., Maynard, K., & Williamson, P. (2013). Promoting Literacy- Embedded, Authentic STEM Instruction for Students With Disabilities and Other Struggling Learners. Teaching Exceptional Children, 45(4), 18-25.

Packard, B., Tuladhar, C., & Lee, J. (2013). Advising in the Classroom: How Community College STEM Faculty Support Transfer-Bound Students. Journal Of College Science Teaching, 42(4), 14-20.

ROBERTS, A. (2013). STEM IS HERE. NOW WHAT?. Technology & Engineering Teacher, 73(1), 22-27.

VANN IV, C. B. (2013). Pioneering a new path for STEM education. Industrial Engineer: IE, 45(5), 30-33.

WHITE, D. W. (2013). URBAN STEM EDUCATION: a unique summer program. Technology & Engineering Teacher, 72(5), 8-13.