The Power of STEM Education: My Journey from Apathy to Advocacy
For starters, this is not the type of post that preaches the praises of STEM from start to finish. I was that girl who shied away from STEM topics. Actually, it was more of an eye-rolling, aggravated disgust with the topic. I perceived STEM as boring, stiff, and boyish. Where did a Language Arts loving girl like me fit into the STEM world anyway?
It wasn't until I began my college career at North Carolina State University that I was forced to come face-to-face with STEM. If I wanted to have my dream major (Elementary Education) at my dream school, I would have to accept the required Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math concentration. As you can possibly tell, I was less than thrilled; the same way I felt during one particular day in my Spring 2014 Children Design, Create and Invent course.
That day, our group task was to create paper sailboats from a pile of scrap materials and other technological equipment. The sailboat was to be designed in such a way that the air from a blowing fan would transport it across a passageway made of fishing line. I believe we also needed to measure a few things. My table jumped right into brainstorming, which I also would have done if I’d had any worthwhile ideas. I was not at all enthused by the project and had decided to take a more constructively critical role of my teammates’ contributions. I wasn’t particularly confident in my understanding of the science and math content my classmates were discussing, and I was not about to be that “dumb Black girl” in the group. Three of my tablemates crafted, and two of us critiqued. We eventually found a cool design, but doubted it a bit and got stumped. Then, all of a sudden, I had a hunch. Should I share this? I thought. What if it doesn't work and I embarrass myself? Though doubtful in my ability to produce a quality design, I couldn’t deny the sliver of hope that rang strong for my idea. I quietly grabbed the scissors and other tools as my table worked to justify the originally doubted idea. I'm pretty sure I just left my little experiment off to the side of the table amidst all the talk until finally I said, "What it we did something like this?"
Instantly, my table grew really excited. They examined my sailboat, complimented my thinking, and celebrated my idea. I thanked them and sat up a little straighter as I explained why I believed it would work. To my surprise, we adopted my little creation as our group's submission. My professor, Dr. Laura Bottomley, even called on me to explain my thoughts to the entire class after our presentation. It’s hard to explain how good that little paper sailboat made me feel. Honestly, it was the first time in a while that I could remember feeling so empowered in any STEM-related topic. Who knows what I would have been able to accomplish if this experience was given to me in my younger days?
Against my will, I learned that STEM is actually kind of fun. STEM content coupled with inquiry based methods* allows children to create, play, and figure things out on their own. It allows the opportunity for students to question things and perhaps learn through a struggle. In case you haven’t heard, STEM is great for teaching kids critical thinking skills, not to mention some pretty cool character traits such as perseverance, open-mindedness, teamwork, and the understanding that we always have room to improve. It is important to gauge our students early in STEM. In doing so, we could potentially build their confidence towards these topics both individually and as an integrated unit. As a side note for teachers, STEM is in itself a form of integration; however, it can also be flawlessly connected with other subjects such as English/Language Arts. Have you heard of A Balloon for Isabel by Deborah Underwood? A classmate of mine recommended this book to me based on the STEM applications she observed at Brentwood Magnet Elementary School of Engineering in Raleigh. Imagine the possibilities!
I challenge you to spark the interest that I didn't receive until college. For all you aspiring teachers, consider STEM Education. Be the inspiration that causes a mind to love this wonderful and important topic. Not only can you develop your students’ character by incorporating STEM into your school day, but you also have the potential to develop an intrinsic motivation towards STEM topics. Be a change agent in somebody’s attitude towards this important topic, like Dr. Bottomley was for me.
For anyone interested in learning more about STEM Education, please see the following links:
Undergraduate level http://ced.ncsu.edu/admissions/undergraduate
Graduate level http://ced.ncsu.edu/stem
Elementary Education (STEM Concentration) at NC State http://ced.ncsu.edu/elm/undergraduate
For resources on STEM lesson plans, please see the following websites:
Engineering is Elementary http://www.eie.org/
Try Engineering http://tryengineering.org/lesson-plans
Teach Engineering https://www.teachengineering.org/
A Balloon for Isabel Lesson Plan Resources http://www.rif.org/documents/us/A-Balloon-for-Isabel.pdf
Science Buddies http://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project_ideas.shtml
For more of Dr. Bottomley’s resources, please visit the following websites:
About Dr. Bottomley: http://www.engr.ncsu.edu/theengineeringplace/about/bio-bottomley.php
NC State's Laura Bottomley on engineering education https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XRooR93RaE
The Engineering Place http://www.engr.ncsu.edu/theengineeringplace/index.php
The Women in Engineering program at NC State http://www.engr.ncsu.edu/womeninengineering/
*Inquiry-based methods allow students to explore with materials before explicit instruction. It is a hands-on experience that also supports their thinking about science content.
Works Cited
Apple Emoji. Side eye. (n.d.). Teen. Web. 26 January 2015.
http://www.teen.com/2014/09/01/random-stuff/what-your-favorite-emoji-says-about-your-
personality/attachment/favorite-emoji-choice-side-eye/
Boston Museum of Science's Engineering is Elementary Program. The Engineering Design Process. n.d.
Boston, New York. The Engineering Place. Web. 26 January 2015.
Rankin, Laura. A Balloon for Isabel. (n.d.) Amazon. Web. 26 January 2015.
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51dPoOEzDYL._SY344_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg
