NATIONAL ACADEMY OF ENGINEERING Cell Cultures and Plant Parts: What is STEM Anyway? Presentation to Triangle Coalition Annual STEM Education Conference October 3, 2011 Greg Pearson National Academy of Engineering

NATIONAL ACADEMY OF ENGINEERING Seriously! In a recent survey of 5,000 people working in the aerospace industry, 85 percent said they did not know what STEM education is. Most associated the acronym with either plants or stem-cell research.

NATIONAL ACADEMY OF ENGINEERING But More Seriously STEM has become ubiquitous in education policy discussions, for good reason. Science, technology, engineering and mathematics: » Are key to the U.S. innovation engine » Support quality of life » Create economic value » Tie to broader scientific and technological literacy

NATIONAL ACADEMY OF ENGINEERING Reality Check on An Accidental Acronym S T E M +++ = ?

NATIONAL ACADEMY OF ENGINEERING Or is it Perhaps... ? S T E M +++ = ?

NATIONAL ACADEMY OF ENGINEERING Or Maybe Some Version of This... ? ST ME

NATIONAL ACADEMY OF ENGINEERING And is the “T” This?

NATIONAL ACADEMY OF ENGINEERING Or This?

NATIONAL ACADEMY OF ENGINEERING Back to the Future... “By ‘science,’ Project 2061 means basic and applied natural and social science, basic and applied mathematics, and engineering and technology, and their interconnections—which is to say the scientific enterprise as a whole. The basic point is that the ideas and practice of science, mathematics, and technology are so closely intertwined that we do not see how education in any one of them can be undertaken well in isolation from the others.” - Benchmarks for Science Literacy (1993)

NATIONAL ACADEMY OF ENGINEERING Typical Education Practice vs. the “Real World” “Although the term ‘STEM education’ is used in national education policy, it is not implemented in a way that reflects the interdependence of the four STEM subjects.” -NAE/NRC Committee on K-12 Engineering Education (2009)

NATIONAL ACADEMY OF ENGINEERING What Some (Would Like to) Believe Making connections between math and science can improve student learning and interest in both And/or... Science inquiry provides motivation to learn science and provides a way to make math more relevant And/or... Engineering and technological design provide concrete application opportunities for math and science

NATIONAL ACADEMY OF ENGINEERING National Academies Study of K-12 Integrated STEM Education Addresses the uncertainty about what STEM means or should mean and its value or potential value in terms of student learning, achievement, and motivation and interest in STEM subjects and careers.

NATIONAL ACADEMY OF ENGINEERING More on the iSTEM Study Objectives: 1) Create a taxonomy of integrated K-12 STEM education and 2) Propose a research agenda for determining its benefits Committee: 15 diverse experts across the disciplines, including leaders of statewide STEM reform, district-level administrators, teachers, curriculum developers, cognitive scientists, education reseachers Funders: S.D Bechtel, Jr. Foundation, NSF, Samueli Foundation, PTC Inc.

NATIONAL ACADEMY OF ENGINEERING Thank You!