How early can we introduce STEM education?
BY LAURA DEVANEY
“Despite the evidence that introducing STEM during the pre-kindergarten years supports children’s cognitive development and positive attitudes toward learning and inquiry, there is very little STEM instruction in pre-kindergarten classrooms,”said Martha Cyr, principal investigator of Seeds of STEM: The Development of an Innovative Pre-Kindergarten STEM Curriculum.
Why better STEM programs are the key to creating global citizens
BY ERIKA EBBEL ANGLE
Overworked teachers and overburdened curriculum makes improving STEM programs a challenge, but there are solutions.
Knowledge has become a commodity. We live in a society today were facts are at our fingertips through ready access to the internet and search engines. To keep pace, our educational system needs to focus less on memorization of facts and more on how to use facts and how to ask the right questions.
Diversifying STEM
As one of the first community colleges in Maryland to become a Pathways in Technology Early College High School (P-TECH) partner, Baltimore City Community College (BCCC) is poised to prepare and train high school students for careers in cutting-edge Science, Technology, Engineering and Math fields with high earnings potential.
Girls Trump Boys on Engineering and Technology Test
By Lauren Camera | Staff Writer | US News
In nearly every category, female students outperformed male students on a national technology and engineering test – the first of its kind administered under the purview of the National Assessment of Educational Progress.
Overall, female students outscored their male counterparts by 3 points. But on questions dealing with communication and collaboration, they outscored male students by 5 points, and on questions about information and communication technology, they outscored them by 6 points.
How Do I Recognize a Quality Math or Science Classroom?
A math and science classroom should provide practical experience in mathematical and science skills that are a bridge to the real world of jobs and adult responsibilities. This means going beyond memorization into a world of reasoning, inquiry and problem solving.
Ten Year Study Maps Route to Quality Mathematics and Science Teaching
Good teaching requires well-prepared teachers. With the nation poised to reinvigorate US achievement in mathematics and science, findings released by Horizon Research, Inc. of Chapel Hill, NC demonstrate that what makes a difference in mathematics and science teaching is ongoing, content-focused professional development. To learn more
Introducing the Minnesota STEM Network
STEM stands for Science—Technology—Engineering—Mathematics, the disciplines that are essential to new scientific knowledge, innovation, and technological advancement. These fields will become increasingly important in the coming decades, as Minnesota competes with world economies and our daily lives are increasingly dependent on technology.
STEM isn’t just white lab coats and working alone at computers. STEM is teamwork. STEM is is cutting-edge collaboration toward solving important local, regional and worldwide challenges.
SciMathMN is leading the development of the Minnesota STEM Network to increase our effectiveness in providing science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education to the students and citizens of Minnesota. We envision all Minnesotans actively engaging in STEM as a means toward lifelong learning, informed civic engagement, and a vibrant economy.
A major goal of this network is to increase the appeal of scientific and technical careers, conveying the important and exciting work done by scientists, engineers and technology specialists. STEM Day at the State Fair on August 26th is one example of these efforts to build interest in STEM. For more examples of important and exciting STEM careers today, visit websites in the Resources section.
Through the Minnesota STEM Network, parents and students will be able to locate programs that connect to pathways toward STEM careers suitable to their children’s ability and interests. For example, if a middle school girl is interested in engineering, a series of schools, programs, camps and classes in a region could be identified that will engage and sustain her interest into her college years.
If you are interested in hearing more about the Minnesota STEM Network, sign up to receive updates, or send us an e-mail.
Why is Algebra in Eighth Grade and Three Years of High School Math Now Required of All Students?
The more math a student takes, the more options there will be for that student’s career choices and the more likely the student is to graduate on time from college. Algebra is a gateway course; students who are successful in learning concepts of Algebra are more likely to take and be successful in additional math courses in high school. Students who take mathematics every year during high school are less likely to need remedial math in any post-secondary option. But WHAT mathematics is essential for a high quality education?
To learn more