Create Beautiful DesignsSection #3: Student Centered Learning and (STEM)2
As you continue through this course, we hope that you are beginning to see STEM and SEEd as an educational field and learning process that can easily be integrated across the curriculum. In this section we are going to look at ways to bring in the arts and social sciences into your elementary classroom through STEAM and citizen-based science learning. student centered learning, First, however, we need to explore student centered learning in STEM. Just as scientists, mathematicians and engineers work individually and in teams in the real world, it is important to provide opportunities for your students to have choices in their education. While, at first, having 20 to 30 students studying widely different science projects may seem chaotic, educators often find that student centered learning often results in greater student engagement and understanding of the topic/s they are learning about. The video below explores the value of student choice and problem-based learning as a foundation. STEAM + Project-Based Learning: Real Solutions From Driving Questions (Links to an external site.) Problem-based learning is particularly important in STEM and SEEd as it acknowledges that there is often failure and repetition in science and engineering. Students, like scientists and engineers, should have opportunities to generate their own questions about science and nature. The repetitive and data driven challenge of solving scientific and engineering problems is also good practice within the process of STEM and SEEd. In addition to student centered and problem-based learning, it is important to include the arts in STEM and SEEd. The use of drawing, photography, music, and storytelling engages K-8 students in new ways sparking creative processes that may be missed in typical "cookbook" science experiences and teacher demonstrations. One model that blends the arts is STEAM as presented in the next video. STEAM - The Importance of Arts in Education (Links to an external site.) Citizen-based STEM and SEEd is a very effective way to combine science with social studies. In citizen-based learning, K-8 grade students and STEM organizations work together to study a community issue or topic. For example, some elementary classrooms may raise endangered fish for release in local streams or share data about local climate/weather through the use of school weather stations. Others may work on an engineering issue, create educational exhibits or clean trash out of a local nature parks in order to educate the public. A key difference in citizen-based science is that it is more authentically engaged that traditional science themes and also has the benefit of linking STEM concepts within your K-8 grade students' community. Below is a video describing citizen-based science partnerships in schools. Ignite Youth STEM Learning with Citizen Science (Links to an external site.) (Links to an external site.) Reflection QuestionsAfter reading the above section and viewing the videos, consider these reflection questions:
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See Some Examples
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