Iowa Department of Education’s Post

The United States needs a STEM education strategy that nurtures the talents of our youth. There is a growing consensus that our students are falling behind in math and sciences and that we, as a nation, are investing insufficiently. This has implications on many levels, including national security and economic prosperity. Xavier performs remarkably in preparing STEM graduates for the nation, but we must cultivate talent well before it reaches institutions like ours. “It is clear that the United States will fall behind other countries in scientific advancement and discovery if it chooses not to invest in its future and the talents of its children.” Read more of my thoughts on building a national STEM strategy in Fortune in this most recent opinion piece.

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine have released a new report that highlights the need for better ways to expand the use of promising STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) education innovations in U.S. schools. While the federal government has invested in STEM education for decades, many of the innovations that have been developed remain underused. These innovations, including programs and tools designed to enhance learning, have the potential to reach a broader audience, but only a few students currently benefit from them. The report calls for a systematic approach to ensure that these programs are scaled up and reach more students. The report also identifies key factors that could help or hinder the successful scaling of these STEM innovations. It points out that some programs are better able to expand if they have a clear, adaptable structure and provide professional development for teachers. However, challenges such as varying educational contexts and a lack of collaboration between different sites make it difficult to spread these innovations widely. To overcome these issues, the report suggests that systemic changes are needed within the education system, including more support for educators and better research infrastructure to help identify and implement successful innovations on a larger scale. STEM NOLA | STEM Global Action’s mission aligns closely with the report’s call for expanding access to STEM education. By providing K-12 students with opportunities to explore STEM through hands-on activities, STEM NOLA | SGA helps inspire and engage the next generation of innovators, creators, and problem solvers. This kind of exposure and support is critical for helping students develop skills that can make them successful in a future where STEM knowledge is increasingly important. Like the report recommends, STEM NOLA | SGA works to create an environment where students can thrive, ensuring that innovations in STEM education are not only accessible but also sustainable and impactful. #STEMeducation #InnovativeLearning #FutureLeaders #STEMopportunities #STEMforAll #DiversityInSTEM #CradleToCareer Hannah Fuller

The Federation of American Scientists has released a robust publication describing the current and historical state of K-12 STEM education in the U.S., current and historical federal funding for STEM education, and policy suggestions for the next 5 years. While they focus on the workforce need, they also state the following: "STEM education improves the lives of individuals irrespective of their occupation. And in so doing, STEM education improves communities and the country at large. Learners fortunate to enjoy quality STEM education develop creativity through imaginative design, interpretation, and representation of investigations. The tools they use strengthen technology literacy. The mode of discovery is highly social, honing communication and cooperation skills. With no sage-on-the-stage they develop independence of thought. Failure happens, forging perseverance and resilience in its wake. Asking and answering questions nurtures curiosity. Defending and refuting ideas cultivates critical thinking. Truth and facts are evidence-based yet always tentative. Empathy is cultivated through alternative interpretations or points of view. And confidence to pursue STEM as a career comes from doing STEM." Read more at the link below: https://lnkd.in/eXsH6yU4

Insightful and actionable suggestions by authors Ajmera and Alper at Federation of American Scientists to bolster the STEM talent pipeline by focusing on K12 research programming. Very much needed. However, the long-term strategy MUST be to prepare more STEM teachers who enter classrooms with strong skillsets in designing and supporting inquiry/research-based learning. It will require rethinking our approach to STEM teacher preparation. There are models and, more importantly, there exists tremendous untapped potential across the U.S. higher education system to prepare many more excellent STEM teachers.

In June we were thrilled to open our new STEM provision here at Tranby: The STEM Loft 🙌 This new provision allows us to expand on our classroom learning, giving Tranby children the opportunity to apply practical learnings to classroom principles. If you'd like to know more about the importance of early STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) education, have a read of our blog that tells you all you need to know! https://lnkd.in/eFtVqTxh

High quality instruction, learning, and engagement in STEM should be a key priority for colleges and universities across the United States. Achieving equitable and effective teaching for all students will require concerted and consistent action by multiple stakeholders, within and beyond the higher education system. This challenge does not present a one-time goal that can be checked off, it is a long-term journey of continuous improvement. I"m happy to let you all know about release of this report from the National Academies. It offers guidance for undergraduate STEM educators and institutions on improving instruction and addressing existing disparities in STEM education. "Transforming Undergraduate STEM Education" is available now.   Explore the report: https://lnkd.in/gNNsAyVt

There is increasing recognition that there needs to be enhanced alignment between afterschool STEM programs and school-day learning. The National Academies recently released their Congressionally mandated report, Scaling and Sustaining PreK-12 STEM Education Innovations. It states, "Out-of-school spaces not only provide opportunities for learners to engage in Pre-K–12 STEM education innovations but are important spaces for innovation development. These settings can support experimentation as well as the development of resources that can translate into formal Pre-K–12 educational settings. Yet, these settings are often entirely disconnected from the formal education system." But they don't have to be entirely disconnected! We can leverage policy and funding pathways to enable afterschool STEM learning to be a true complement to school-day learning, even helping to take much of the burden off of school-day teachers. You can read more and learn of some of the innovations in afterschool STEM at the following link: https://lnkd.in/exXFqns8

The Many Benefits of STEM Education

This progress report not only can serve as a report on how federal entities have approached the goals of STEM education strategic plan since 2018 but if you read line by line you can truly get a sense of the importance of leveraging partnerships for the advancement of STEM. Partnerships and collaboration not only help reduce duplication of efforts but allow for a larger impact. Through the years we have done a fantastic job of creating STEM awareness and gaining buy in from all stakeholders whether at the federal, state or local level. Now we utilize the mantra “it takes a village” and work toward saturation of high quality STEM programs and opportunities as well as authentic learning for ALL students.

This article delves into three key components of STEM education for college readiness. It's unsurprising that rigor is one, but the other two, joy and a sense of belonging seem sorely lacking in most programs. Where is the joy in learning? What needs to happen to make STEM/STEAM more accessible and welcoming? https://lnkd.in/e5UEZi44