Making Connections to the Real World STEM Education In Maryland STEM Education 101 What? Why? How? Making Connections to the Real World

Today’s Outcomes Participants will: Review the concepts that support STEM Education in Maryland. Identify connections between the STEM Standards of Practice and the skills needed in the 21st Century workforce. Develop a plan of action to begin or continue implementing STEM Education at your school and/or in your district.

Multiple Perspectives Merged into One What is STEM? The purposes of this activity are as follows: To express multiple perspectives about STEM Education To relate individual understandings of STEM Education to the perspective maintained by MSDE To expand the general understanding of STEM Education through interpretation and communication of information “Build To Express” Multiple Perspectives Merged into One

“Build To Express” You will have only one (1) minute to explore the items in your Lego Kit, and only three (3) minutes to work with your team to build a model that communicates your group’s understanding of STEM Education.

Here are the Rules Questions? Ready … Set … Go STEM In Maryland Here are the Rules All team members take part in the activity Everyone shares Everyone listens Please defer judgment Build on the ideas of others Questions? Ready … Set … Go 12min

STEM In Maryland Sharing Out As you share out, explain the group’s understanding of STEM Education. Explain the group process used in completing this activity.

STEM In Maryland STEM Education is an approach to teaching and learning that integrates the content and skills of the STEM disciplines and other disciplines to answer complex questions, investigate global issues, and solve real-world problems and challenges to prepare students for post-secondary study and the 21st century workforce. STEM Standards of Practice define STEM instruction by defining the combination of behaviors, integrated with STEM content, which are expected of STEM-proficient students. STEM Standards of Practice Frameworks identify what students must know and be able to do to demonstrate STEM proficiency.

STEM-Centric Pedagogy STEM In Maryland STEM-Centric Pedagogy STEM-Centric Pedagogy Challenge Based Learning Problem Based Learning Project Based Learning

should always include a connection to a career field STEM In Maryland STEM Education should always include a connection to a career field so that students recognize the practical application of knowledge and skills in everyday life.

The Basics STEM In Maryland What STEM Is… What STEM Is Not… An approach to teaching and learning How you teach Integration of content Transdisciplinary Student-Centered A complement to curricular pacing and daily instruction FOR ALL STUDENTS! Just science A curriculum or content area What you teach Teacher-Centered Just a project An add-on or diversion Just for special populations

One Company’s Secret Weapon for Innovation Why STEM? The purpose of this activity is to Identify connections between the STEM Standards of Practice and the skills needed in the 21st Century workforce. The Deep Dive One Company’s Secret Weapon for Innovation

STEM In Maryland Deep Dive Task #1 Individually, as you watch the video, make a list of the skills and knowledge students will need to be successful in the environment of the 21st Century workforce.

Deep Dive Task #2 STEM In Maryland Working as a group, compare your list of skills and knowledge with those written down by others in your group. Record your group’s responses on chart paper. Place a star next to skills and knowledge that you think are STEM-related.

Deep Dive Task #3 STEM In Maryland Each bag contains one puzzle. The puzzle represents one of the seven STEM Standards of Practice (SOPs). Work with your team to connect the pieces of the puzzle to uncover how the SOP is operationalized in the classroom. Make a quick circuit around the classroom to look at all seven SOPs.

STEM Standards of Practice STEM In Maryland STEM Standards of Practice Engage in Inquiry STEM proficient students will engage in inquiry to investigate global issues, challenges, and real world problems. Ask questions to identify and define global issues, challenges, and real world problems. Conduct research to refine questions and develop new questions. Standard STEM Proficient Student Statement Student Proficiencies

Deep Dive Task #4 STEM In Maryland Now, compare the STEM Standards of Practice to the list of skills you created as you watched the video. Write the number of the STEM Standard of Practice that matches each skill on your group’s list (or would be needed to develop that skill).

Deep Dive Task #5 STEM In Maryland Examine the PARCC Assessment Items included in your bag. In your group discuss how the STEM Standards of Practice support the knowledge and skills students will need to answer the PARCC Assessment Items. Think conceptually as well as instructionally.

Group Share Out STEM In Maryland Take a few moments to reflect on the questions below. Jot down your thoughts and ideas and be ready to share with others. What are the instructional implications of the skills needed for the 21st century workforce? How do the STEM Standards of Practice support acquisition of this knowledge?

Why STEM? STEM In Maryland To inspire and prepare Maryland’s students to be both college and career ready and STEM-proficient members of society in order to prepare generations of learners to meet the challenges of the global society through innovation, collaboration, and creative problem solving.

Units, Lessons, Environments, PLC’s, and the Community The How of STEM We want to help educators realize that instruction is changing, and in order for instruction to change, how we plan and how we implement instruction also has to change. This represents a paradigm shift in the way we work; and it requires a necessary change of mind-set on the part of classroom teachers and administrators. Units, Lessons, Environments, PLC’s, and the Community Ideas and Strategies to Jumpstart Your Mission

STEM In Maryland So, How Can You Make STEM Part of What Your Students Do in the Classroom Every Day? Four Essential Tasks that teachers can do in order to lead their students to successful STEM Education Dr. Shelley Green Professor of STEM Education Nova Southeastern University Ft. Lauderdale, FL "Voting Next Steps and Tips." STEM in The Early Grades. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Feb. 2014

Dr. Green’s 4 Essential Tasks STEM In Maryland Dr. Green’s 4 Essential Tasks Task I – Change Your Lens Task 2 – Enlist a Village of STEM Educators Task 3 – Integrate STEM Across Disciplines Task 4 – Give Kids More Than Just Access to Technology

STEM In Maryland How Does Each of Dr. Green’s 4 Essential Tasks Support the Implementation of STEM Education? Move to a corner of the room. In your group discuss how the Task featured there supports and enhances the creation of a STEM-centric classroom? Record your responses on chart paper.

STEM In Maryland Let’s Discuss Now, let’s look at Dr. Green’s 4 Essential Tasks one at a time and discuss how they are involved in the creation of a STEM-centric classroom.

Task #1: Change Your Lens STEM In Maryland Task #1: Change Your Lens Most teachers do not have to overhaul the way they teach in order to become strong STEM educators. “It is about changing the lens through which we view our teaching practices.”

Task #2: Enlist a Village of STEM Educators STEM In Maryland Task #2: Enlist a Village of STEM Educators Teachers should not have to carry the entire responsibility for STEM Education. We need partners. School Districts Business Partners Higher Education It Takes a Village – A Global Village! School Districts Higher Education Business Partners STEM EDUCATION

Community Connections provide real-world context for learning STEM In Maryland Community Connections provide real-world context for learning When a community partner or STEM specialist visits the classroom, he/she brings genuine experience and expertise that connects the content and skills being covered in the classroom to their use and importance in the real world. These experiences provide relevance for the learning and demonstrates authentic application of the knowledge and skills to deal with real-world problems.

Task #3: Integrate STEM Across the Curriculum STEM In Maryland Task #3: Integrate STEM Across the Curriculum The skills developed through STEM learning need to be integrated. “So much would be gained if all teachers – art, music, reading, social studies, math, and science – were able to spend some of their precious professional development time on STEM.” ~ Dr. Shelly Green

Task #4: Give Kids More Than Just Access to Technology STEM In Maryland Task #4: Give Kids More Than Just Access to Technology Mere exposure to educational technology is not sufficient for true STEM learning.

A Thoughtful Analogy STEM In Maryland Conventional System Learning System

The Traditional Traffic Signal STEM In Maryland The Traditional Traffic Signal ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

“Dear Bored of Education … so are we!” STEM In Maryland Traditional Teaching “Dear Bored of Education … so are we!”

The Round-About … A Completely Different Approach STEM In Maryland The Round-About … A Completely Different Approach

Embrace the Change. Go with the Flow! STEM In Maryland Embrace the Change. Go with the Flow!

STEM In Maryland Collaborative, Effective, Thoughtful, Problem Solving, Interactive, For Everyone, Engaging, Hands-on, Real-World Context

Take It Back! Put It into Action in Your School or District A Placemat or Your STEM Plan? Work alone or with a small group to develop a plan for yourself, your school, your department or grade level. Where Do We Go From Here?... Next Steps… Take It Back! Put It into Action in Your School or District

Key Take-Aways STEM In Maryland STEM starts with quality instruction STEM requires teachers who measure their own success by students’ success STEM requires teachers who are willing to break down the silos and work together toward a common goal Look for the natural connections among disciplines Should we change the title of the slide? Additional takeways. These take-aways should be used for handouts as well.

Key Take-Aways STEM In Maryland STEM involves a mixture of disciplines STEM requires an environment that encourages risk-taking STEM requires teachers who are willing to foster the vision and be innovative and creative STEM requires articulation with schools in the feeder pattern Should we change the title of the slide? Additional takeways. These take-aways should be used for handouts as well.

Key Take-Aways STEM In Maryland STEM requires a commitment of time as well as dedication and patience. Take the first step and PERSEVERE! Different content area teachers should form a team and plan together. Not just Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, but other content areas as well, including the arts, health, physical education – wherever the fit is natural.

Key Take-Aways STEM In Maryland STEM requires support from the administration in terms of expectations and the environment STEM starts with a vision of the outcome: What do you want to accomplish? Where do you want this to go? STEM requires community involvement

Key Take-Aways STEM In Maryland STEM team members should think out of the box. This is not “business as usual”. Both the process and the product are going to be different. Integration of different content areas should be a NATURAL FIT. Lessons/Units/Projects should involve an authentic, real-world issue, problem, challenge, scenario, situation, etc. (can be of local, national, or global scope).

STEM In Maryland Key Take-Aways STEM experiences should be hands-on and student-centered. No more “Sage on the Stage.” To assess, students should be asked to demonstrate their understanding.

ROOTS AND WINGS STEM In Maryland “There are two lasting bequests we can give our children: One is roots, the other is wings.” ~ Denis Waitley

STEM Education In Maryland Evaluation