Your guide to designing a STEM Classroom
STEM, it seems simple enough…Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. We have been teaching these subjects since we can remember. So, why is STEM so important in the classroom these days? What strategies do we need to include in our STEM classroom to make them true STEM lessons?
How can your Promethean solution take STEM instruction to the next level?
We have taken the guesswork out of designing an immersive STEM learning experience for your classroom. Our professional development team, with over 140 years of combined teaching experience, has researched and tested the best STEM products to use with Promethean products.
At the core of our STEM classroom solution is our ActivPanel, which allows you to connect devices and content, making engagement easy for both teachers and students.
What teaching strategies should I include in my STEM classroom?
STEM lessons should feel similar to science lessons and experiments. After all, genuine science experiences are hands-on and inquiry-based. But here are some strategies to keep in mind that make a lesson a true STEM lesson.
- The teacher should be the facilitator.
How does this happen? Ask for your students’ observations, guide them to elaborate on the information, give tips and pointers along the way; and most importantly, allow them to fix their own mistakes together rather than handing them the answer on a silver platter.
- Keep the lesson all about real-world problem-based learning.
Problem-solving is really the heart of STEM curriculum. Giving students the opportunity to solve real-world problems fuels their curiosity and investigative interests, keeping them engaged and eager to work collaboratively to find the solution. Having trouble coming up with ideas? Think of oil spills, air quality, endangered species, and environmental health. Or it could be as simple as looking around the school and finding problems right in front of your eyes.
- Allow students to solve using the Engineering Design Process.
One of the main ways to be sure your lesson is truly a STEM lesson is by having your students use the Engineering Design Process to come up with solutions for their real-world problems. This process allows for multiple correct answers, with many different creative approaches. And if they fail? That is completely okay. Teach your students that failing is considered a positive step toward discovering the right answer.
- The instruction should be hands-on.
Stem lessons require you to put away the note-taking and video watching and have worthwhile, purposeful hands-on activities for your students. Whether it be through building, tinkering, creating, designing, or any other inventive process. The more students create with their hands, the more they will be required to use teamwork, collaborate and use higher-level thinking skills. Isn’t this what we’ve always wanted for our classroom?