Science,
Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) in the Adult Basic Education Classroom
By Diana
McIntyre, Nevada State Leadership Professional Development Coordinator
Now, more than ever, Science, Technology,
Engineering, and Math (STEM) should be integrated in the Adult Basic Education
(ABE) classroom. After all, numerous
careers require scientific and mathematical thinking: scientists, geologists, ecologists,
biologists, physicists, chemists, statisticians, research analysts, software
designers, civil engineers, and architects to name a few. It is the responsibility of ABE educators to
understand student goals when creating curriculum. Employees in STEM occupations use technology and
engineering in the workplace to obtain solutions to quandaries important to the
world. Curriculum that integrates STEM
supports the state of our global economy and growing concerns over the
competitiveness of the United States (U.S.) in STEM fields. What’s more, integration of math and science
concepts with technical disciplines target essential 21st Century
learning skills, and STEM is endorsed by the U.S. Department of
Education-Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education (OCTAE).
Importantly, the College and Career
Readiness Standards (CCRS) call for students to be proficient in reading
complex informational text and its academic vocabulary in a variety of content
areas. What better way to impart science
and technical curriculum to ABE students than by integrating subjects through
purposeful STEM activities. Teachers
trust students to be more responsible for their learning through STEM problem
solving and extension activities.
Providing hands-on, high interest
experiences for ABE students, and more deeply involving them in the curriculum,
will in turn increase program retention.
When students are engaged in the learning process, coming to class
becomes more meaningful because it connects to the real world. Best practices of differentiating the
curriculum through STEM activities allow for all students to be successful
because it naturally appeals to all learning styles. Purposeful student groupings increase student
academic conversation as well as needed socialization connections, further
intensifying the educational experience.
When students are engaged and excited about their learning, they share
their experiences with family and friends, and persevere in the community college
education process.
Consider for example the impact of a STEM
project that involves students with authentic opportunities to apply science,
math concepts and language arts when constructing a catapult. Students would first recall what a catapult
is and how it is useful. Students would
then be provided with various supplies to choose from to construct the most
efficient functioning catapult to thrust a large marshmallow a specified
distance. Supplies might include
different sized rubber bands, tongue depressors, plastic spoon, straws, string,
large paper clips, glue, index card, ruler, small pieces of wood, hammer, and
nails. In collaborative learning groups,
students would calculate distance, speed, length of lever, tension, height,
angle, weight, transfer of energy, accuracy, and other variables associated
with the accuracy of hitting a target, predict, launch and collect data, graph,
analyze, discuss, journal trials and errors, research, adjust, practice,
question, share successes and failures, and present. Students have implicit ownership in their
learning because they have choices in how they design the most efficient
catapult and no two catapults are engineered the same. Think about how a lesson would be significantly
different if students do not have the opportunity to design and learn through
experimentation.
For further information regarding STEM,
visit www.stemtransitions.org.
