WHAT IS STEM?
The United States has developed as a global leader, in large part, through the genius and hard work of its scientists, engineers, and innovators. In a world that’s becoming increasingly complex, where success is driven not only by what you know, but by what you can do with what you know, it’s more important than ever for our youth to be equipped with the knowledge and skills to solve tough problems, gather and evaluate evidence, and make sense of information. These are the types of skills that students learn by studying science, technology, engineering, and math—subjects collectively known as STEM. It is a curriculum based on the idea of educating students in four specific disciplines; science, technology, engineering and mathematics, in an interdisciplinary and applied approach. Rather than teach the four disciplines as separate and discrete subjects, STEM integrates them into a cohesive learning paradigm based on real-world applications.
STEM is a program
focuses on the application of the subjects in a challenging and rigorous
manner. Courses and pathways are now available in STEM fields and occupations,
as well as preparation for post-secondary education and employment. More
emphasis is placed on bridging in-school and out-of-school STEM opportunities.
WHY WE SHOULD CARE ABOUT STEM?
Success starts with critical thinking and
problem-solving skills. Our education system is tasked with preparing the
next-generation to succeed in life. That’s a tall order and it will
substantially fail if it doesn’t teach children how to think critically and
solve problems. STEM program prepares students for life, regardless of the
profession they choose to follow. Those subjects teach students how to think
critically and how to solve problems — skills that can be used throughout life
to help them get through tough times and take advantage of opportunities
whenever they appear. The lesson that needs to be learned here is that, if you
want your child to succeed in life, teach him or her how to think critically
and solve problems. The best way to do that is to provide them with a good
foundation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). As I
noted at the beginning of this article, grounding student in STEM subjects
doesn’t mean that other social or liberal arts subjects aren’t important, only
that STEM subjects teach life-skills that other disciplines don’t. We are all
familiar with the adage “give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a
man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” Too often we are feeding our
students instead of teaching them how to feed themselves. The disciplines that
do that best are STEM-related.
STEM helps us to pervade every part of our lives. Technology is continuously expanding into
every aspect of our lives. Engineering is the basic designs of roads and
bridges, but also tackles the challenges of changing global weather and
environmentally-friendly changes to our home. By exposing students to STEM and
giving them opportunities to explore STEM-related concepts, they will develop a
passion for it and hopefully pursue a job in a STEM field. A curriculum that is
STEM-based has real-life situations to help the student learn. STEM activities
provide hands-on and minds-on lessons for the student. Making math and science
both fun and interesting helps the student to do much more than just learn. STEM education
helps to bridge the ethnic and gender gaps sometimes found in math and science
fields. Initiatives have been established to increase the roles of women and
minorities in STEM-related fields. STEM education breaks the traditional gender
roles. In order to compete in a global economy, STEM education and careers must
be a national priority. Each and every decision made uses an aspect of STEM to
understand the implications.
In conclusion, we should care about STEM because it is vital to our future —the future of our country, the future of our region and the future of our children. STEM is so important for our us especially for our children, because our region and our country, we need to encourage the students currently in our educational systems, as well as future generations of students, to understand and embrace the technology that affects them every day of their lives. Students should be advised on the merits of taking as many math and science courses in middle and high school as possible. And these courses need to be taught by engaged and enthusiastic teachers using hands-on and minds-on activities. Making science and math courses fun and interesting will not only help students to learn, but might also plant the “seed of interest” that could grow into an exciting and rewarding STEM career.
No comments:
Post a Comment