STEM
STEM EducationScienceTechnologyEngineeringMathematics
IntroductionSTEM education is influential in driving national
economic growth & innovationEvery person depends on elements of
STEM daily Those who pursue careers in STEM are shaped as early as
elementary schoolHistoryVocational Education Act of 1917- The
government financially supported technical educationAfter Sputnik
launched physics, chemistry, biology, and mathematics curriculum
were more properly fundedBefore the1960s Elementary schools had
little, if any, science taughtHistory1950s and 1960s - High school
science courses were developed by leading scientistsThese courses
created hands on experiments and ways to ask questionsEarly 2000s
Assistant Director for Education and Human Resources created the
acronym STEM to replace SMET
History1990s NSF funded course materials to integrate science,
mathematics, and technology and the middle and elementary school
levelsCurrent ShortfallsInconsistent standards to work towards in
math and science Lack of qualified math and science
teachersStudents are unmotivated to learn STEM subjects
ShortfallsReal world connections, for example: field trips to
museums, are held only once a yearIn 2006 U.S. 15-year-olds were
ranked 24th in math and 19th in science out of 29 OECD nations by
PISA
Goals for STEM Education Increase the number of students
prepared to have careers in science, technology, engineering, and
mathematicsHigh school graduates have basic STEM skills to study in
STEM and non-STEM fieldsImprove the U.S. economy and individual
economic securityNew StandardsCommon Core State Standards
InitiativeStandards created that internationally benchmark math and
English language arts By end of 2011, as many as 46 states and
territories adopted theses standardsIt will take 2 to 4 years to
fully implement them into the classroomStandards (Cont.)Elementary
standards help students gain knowledge of the foundations of
mathematics with a conceptual understandingHigh school standards
help students understand what will be expected of them as college
students and employeesThey learn to apply STEM education to
multiple situations
Standards (Cont.)There is a need for a stronger role of
technology and engineering in science educationA greater emphasis
will be put on teaching students and rather than just the content
of the curriculum
EducationNew way to teach current curriculumChildren need
real-world and hands-on learning to stay engagedStudents learn to
use, manage, understand, and assess technologyIf students use STEM
early they will be able to contribute more in the future
EducationEvaluation is based on projects or performance instead
of examsAllows students to connect to real-life eventsTeachers
focus on teaching students how to think rather than what to
think
EducationStudents need to understand the connection between
school/lifeGetting the students involved is a top priority in STEM
educationTeach the skills needed in the technologically advanced
society of today and prepare for the future
Personal Benefits for StudentsSTEM-related careers among the
highest paying and the fastest growing positions
From 2008 to 2018 STEM jobs are projected to grow twice as fast
as non-STEM jobs
Student BenefitsSTEM employees get an 11 percent higher pay wage
than those with the same degree in a different occupation
STEM educated employees also receive a higher wage even if they
do not have a STEM occupation
U.S. BenefitsMore than half of economic growth has come from
technological innovation since World War IISTEM employees greatly
impact the culture of innovation in business models and
strategiesThe groundwork for economic development will start with
STEM educationFutureIf the U.S. can out innovate other countries
competing in STEM education we will continue to grow our economy as
well as the global economy
