Recently, Tech Crunch explored ways of exposing every student to STEM in an  article that touched upon every level of education. The successful implementation of STEM on a K-12 level, as it relates to helping students understand how STEM and 21st century skills are related, was one of the major topics discussed.

“As part of AdvancED STEM Certification, we have reviewed and certified schools that have the qualities and components vital to creating and sustaining superior, student-centered K-12 STEM teaching and learning programs,” according to the Tech Crunch article.

The ASC also found that the schools that were able to weave technology into other subject areas in authentic ways helped bridge the gap between STEM and 21^st century skills.

“At Logan High School in Ohio, for example, students in advanced biomedicine classes investigate real-world medical problems by using data acquisition software to monitor body functions, including respiration and blood pressure, in a variety of settings,” according to Tech Crunch.

“Along with getting hands-on biology experience, these students quickly learn the value of technology in what can literally be life-or-death situations.”

The hands on approach seems to create a greater connection of STEM and the 21st Century because it allows the students to discover them on their own. It’s essentially the same idea with almost any lesson ever taught. Example: You are taught what steps you need to go through to complete a division problem, skip a step and you’ll run into the wrong answer. If you go back to complete the problem the right way, you will find the error. Students need to figure out why STEM is important in the 21st century by doing authentic activities geared towards real world problems that can be fixed with STEM technology. 

“Quality STEM programs like the one at Logan High School provide important  benefits,” according to the article.

“They expose students to real-world science while encouraging students to think and work with the mindset of a STEM professional—solving interdisciplinary problems that require problem identification, investigation and analysis.”

Read the full story and comment below.

Article by Navindra Persaud, Education World Contributor