Moonpreneur
STEM Education is a popular and rising concept of the time in the educational sphere. However, the true meaning of STEM Education is still lost on people, especially parents. STEM is an acronym for studies in the fields of Science, Technological, Engineering, and Mathematics.
However, it does not simply refer to education in these four aspects. It follows a wider approach than that. It is an interdisciplinary approach where all the students are taught meaningful skills and learning is student-centric.
National Science Foundation (NSF) speculates that 80% of the jobs in the future would require information on the basics of STEM Education.
Example of the STEM Approach
- STEM Learning is facilitated through Inquiry or Project Based Learning. In this approach, the teacher assigns a real-world problem or an issue to the learners. The learners engage in finding innovative solutions for their problems. These learners then learn team-building skills and develop soft skills. A project involving math, science, and technology, for example, will be more engaging, and meaningful, and result in deeper learning. Such project-based learning approaches will further help with team collaboration and also help to engage in practical skills.
- Another approach to facilitate STEM Learning is an integrated educational approach. In this approach, the traditional method of educational approach is combined with the STEM educational approach. This balances out the retention level and memory along with practical skills. This approach is a great way to integrate STEM because it takes no extra time out of the schedule and is usually much more engaging and delightful. This approach is more likely to help the learning retain through discovery and cross-curricular connections.