Page County Public Schools S T E M in the elementary classroom Page County Public Schools

So what is… S T E M Science Technology Engineering Math

STEM facts By 4th grade, one-third of the students have lost interest in STEM-related classes By 8th grade, one-half of the students have lost interest in STEM-related classes By 2018, 8 million jobs will require a degree or background in STEM (Georgetown University Center on Education and Workplace) 8 out of 10 of the most wanted “jobs” involve a background in STEM (US Dept. of Labor) The starting salary for an engineer is $47, 500 STEM fields earn 26% more in salary than other jobs. Not enough students are graduating from high school trained for the jobs the US needs!!!

So What Can You Tell Me About STEM in Schools? STEM lessons focus on “real world” problems. How many times have you grown-ups said, “I just made it through a whole day without using algebra!” STEM teaches students things that are needed and useful in their lives. Students designed a playground for ALL to use, regardless of ability.

So What Can You Tell Me About STEM in Schools? Students use the “engineering design process.” Every day, students go home with a list of “facts” that they need to memorize for the test. What happens after the test…they forget! By using the “design loop,” they are actually working through a problem using their creative mind. They begin with a real problem, brainstorm several solutions, choose the best solution, test that solution, decide if it was successful, then start again if needed. Students sketch out their ideas and collect supplies before building their projects.

So What Can You Tell Me About STEM in Schools? STEM lessons are hands-on and open-ended. Teachers learned in college that students learn best by doing things with their hands. Yet, with all the stress on data and testing, schools have moved away from this strategy and spend most of their time giving lectures, worksheets, and tests. STEM lessons are all about creating something with your own 2 hands…to actually “use” the knowledge you gain in class to create something. Students had to design a marble maze that took the marble the longest to travel from start to finish.

So What Can You Tell Me About STEM in Schools? It’s all about teamwork!!! Grades are based on what each student makes on a worksheet or test. Then they are thrown into a job that requires them to work on a team…and the students are unprepared. STEM lessons often center around working with team mates. They can bounce ideas off team mates, try multiple ways to solve a problem, and learn from each other! Sometimes they learn better from their friends than their teacher. Students each held a string attached to a pen and had to write their team name together.

So What Can You Tell Me About STEM in Schools? There is NO “right” answer! What? Did a teacher just say there is no correct answer??? Oh yes, it is true! Many teachers tell students, “This is the way you need to do this.” But in reality, often times there is more than one way to “get to” the right answer. STEM focuses on: *The process not the product *Failure is OK and IS necessary *Students learn more from what went wrong and then trying again Students had to make a sign with their name and 2 facts about themselves. No two looked alike but ALL were correct! One made a hat and one made a car!

So Page County decided to bring the excitement of STEM to our elementary schools

Page County Schools now has a Division-Wide STEM Teacher Miss Kelley Davis

Miss Davis will work with ALL students preschool through 5th grade. Miss Davis will follow a weekly schedule: Mondays = Springfield Elementary Tuesdays = Stanley Elementary Wednesdays = Luray Elementary Thursdays = Shenandoah Elementary The goal of Page County Schools is that ALL teachers will learn how to use STEM in their classrooms. All teachers will not only take their classes to work in their school’s STEM Lab with Miss Davis BUT also try projects on their own as well.

Now it’s your turn to try a quick STEM project!!!