Innovating the Future of STEMTakes Practices

Louis S. Nadelson, Utah State UniversityAnne L. Seifert, Idaho National Lab

TitleThe potential for students to be performance oriented (focused on grades and getting the correct answer) rather than mastery oriented (focused on developing deep conceptual understanding) in their mathematics and science may hinder deep student engagement and enhanced learning through core STEM practices.

Why the practices?

An Activity• You are to create a holder for your tablet such that it:

– Keeps your tablet 2 cm off the table– Holds the tablet in portrait mode– Is adjustable to three angle settings - 30°, 45° and 60°– Is free standing – will meet criteria without someone holding on

to the device or holder

• Materials limited to 30cm of tape and one file folder• Have 10 minutes• Must work on groups – be all have their own holder

SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING MATH

How deeply did you engage in these practices?

TitleGiven the potential for gains in student knowledge of the work of STEM professionals, particularly in engineering through engagement in the core STEM practices, there is justification for assuring that K-12 teachers are prepared to and are supported in teaching in ways that engage students in core STEM practices.

Justification

TitleCore STEM Rubric

Can identify multiple problems that are not obvious and additional applications of the prototype

Engaged in the process until the model worked effectively – meets criteria

More than one iteration, more choice, met some of the criteria – but not all

Copying others, following step, No modification

Activity

• Consider the Core STEM Practices– Develop the descriptions for:

• Exemplary• Proficient• Developing

– You have 10 minutes

TitleCore STEM Rubric

The Context of STEM

Defining STEM

STEM Continuum

• Shorthand S-T-E-M• Foundational

• Knowledge Level• Direct Instruction

• Content Level• Top Down

• Highly Structured• Lower Order

Thinking• Literacy

•Integrated STEM•Synthesis

•Project Level•Discovery Based

•Bottom Up•Open End

•Ill Structured•Higher Order

Thinking•Proficiency

• Mixed S-T-E-M• Applications

• Problem Level• Guided or

Modeled• Mix of Top Down

and Bottom Up• Some Structured• Mixture of Order

Thinking• Competency

ContextualizedProblem Based

Lesson

Creativity &

Innovation

Critical Thinking

& Problem Solving

Collaboration

Computational Thinking

Computing/ &

Technology

Communication

Commitment

Confidence

Cross-Cultural Sense

Capacityto Lead

Key:No Utilization NO ARROW

Low Utilization

Moderate Utilization

High Utilization

21st Century Skills

Why STEM in context?

CONTENT(Level of STEM Content Knowledge)

CO

NT

EX

T(L

eve

l of

Co

mp

lexi

ty)

Zone of Optim

al Learning

Applicatio

n of 21st C

entury

Practice

s

Identify/Recognize/Classify

Modeling /Simulation

Design/Experimentation

Repurposing/Restructuring

Inventing/Creating

Theorizing/Critiquing/Validating

Innovation

TitleThe focus on core STEM practices in the NGSS and CCSS-Math shifts the goals in STEM education from getting the correct answer when given a problem, to developing an approach to problem solving applying the practices used by STEM professionals in the workplace.

Why the practices?

Thank you!

• Louis Nadelson – – louis.Nadelson@usu.edu