Shannon Johnson’s Post

We are excited to share an insightful journey into the transformative world of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education, a realm where innovation meets imagination. We at Boutique Education have crafted a blog post that delves deep into the essence of STEM education and its pivotal role in preparing your child for a future brimming with opportunities. In a rapidly evolving world, STEM education is more than just an academic choice; it's a gateway to nurturing tomorrow's problem solvers, innovators, and leaders. Our blog post, "STEM Education: Preparing Your Child for the Future" offers a comprehensive look at how STEM disciplines shape young minds to tackle real-world challenges. It's not just about learning; it's about experiencing and understanding the world in a way that fuels curiosity and creativity. Here's a glimpse of what you'll discover: The integral components of STEM education and how they empower children. Real-life applications of STEM learning and its impact on a child's cognitive development. Tips and strategies for parents to foster a STEM-friendly environment at home. Whether you're a parent, educator, or simply someone interested in the future of education, this blog post is a must-read. It invites exploring how STEM can be a transformative element in your child's education journey. Click here to read our Blog https://lnkd.in/eGsYEKFf

Great article about the ways in which out-of-school STEM spaces can facilitate positive STEM identity development for those historically excluded in formal STEM spaces. And I found this just in time for my preliminary exam oral defense! I think the article provides some great recommendations for practical approaches to ensure students feel a sense of belonging, achieve competence and performance of STEM skills, and develop agency in their learning trajectories. Based on their practical approach recommendations in Table 2, I am wondering what is limiting us from enacting these principles in formal, K-12 STEM spaces? As a former secondary science teacher and now science methods instructor, I know time and resources are always finite, but we have SO MANY great organizations to tap into now... Check out the article here: https://lnkd.in/gxJ4iibi

In our K-5 STEM outreach programs, JMU undergraduates who are members of STEM Corps engage as learning facilitators and role models. A feature that helps make this volunteer community unique and always growing is- we don't just "accept" majors outside of STEM and Education, we recruit them because we need them. Why? Here are the top 4 reasons: 1. It allows us to model how Big Challenges often used in problem-based STEM educ. aren't simply just “solved", but are understood, managed, communicated, perceived, mediated, and addressed. 2. It provides more opportunities for the children in our programs to identify with one of their learning facilitators based on their "when I grow up, I want to be a..." interest or the perspectives that often come with that interest. 3. It lowers the "I'm not good enough at Science & Math" or "I don't know how to teach kids" barrier to joining because our coaching materials must assume anyone reading them has limited STEM background and no prior experience working with children in a learning environment. 4. College students naturally benefit from multidisciplinary collaborations, especially when they know that the perspective and experience they bring to the project are needed. See the 22 majors that currently make up JMU STEM Corps:

At Raising a Reader, promoting early literacy and STEM education through diverse and inclusive literature is a critical part of our work. Our recent webinar, “Advancing Early STEM Learning with Diverse Books,” and in partnership with the Diverse Books for All Coalition, offered valuable insights and practical strategies for integrating diverse books into early STEM learning. Below, we share some of the key takeaways and resources to help educators, parents, and caregivers foster a love for STEM in young learners. +Add your tips and resources in the comments!

A recent a Gallup and Walton Family Foundation survey showed that 75% of Gen Z youth are interested in at least one type of STEM career, only 29% want to pursue specific STEM-related jobs in the future. A majority of middle school and high school students said their classes taught them real-world applications for math and science but didn’t have hands-on STEM activities.  The same report found exposure to STEM content in schools may be driving Gen Zers to pursue a career in the field, the study added. However, this year, a separate report released by the Education Department found public schools with high Black and Latino student enrollments offered fewer math, science and computer science courses than schools with low enrollments of those racial groups — meaning Black and Latino access to certain STEM courses remains inequitable. Arizona Educational Foundation aims to address these concerns with our teachSTEM initiative, a groundbreaking program designed to address Arizona's critical STEM teacher shortage by motivating junior high and high school students to pursue teaching degrees in STEM.    Did you know that the first time most students hear the term "STEM" or learn about STEM careers is usually from a teacher? teachSTEM is an early intervention, that not only provides access to STEM learning for students, but also builds awareness about the need for STEM teachers and job opportunities within mainstream STEM fields.  According to Educators Rising research, 60% of all high school teachers work less than 20 miles from where they attended high school. teachSTEM has the potential to not only inspire students to become STEM teachers, but to return home to their own communities as educators. Learn more at: https://lnkd.in/gnfQ3qRY

Transforming STEM by Focusing on Justice via bit.ly/3U1mmCa #eme2040 This article discusses social justice-centered STEM education that prioritizes all students, especially minority learners. It aims to broaden traditional STEM education by embracing multiple ways of understanding and expressing knowledge, enabling all students to explore a variety of resources to demonstrate their understanding. Justice-centered STEM education aims for inclusive participation, encouraging students to participate in STEM and use their learning for the benefit of society. Overall, it is an interesting twist on STEM education - make sure to check it out!

DEIB: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Belonging. It’s what drives our work here at Project Lead The Way and it’s at the heart of what it means to be in a PLTW classroom. When ALL students feel like they belong in #STEM, the sky’s the limit! Check out the latest webinar in our STEM Ally Series below. #stemeducation #diversityandinclusion

This 💯 “Educators cannot be expected to make the necessary changes to instruction on their own. They need high quality, ongoing professional learning opportunities related to equity in STEM. To enact instruction that advances equity in STEM requires understanding how to interweave pedagogy that supports the development of competencies in the concepts and practices of the disciplines with pedagogy that promotes learners’ agency, leverages their cultural and linguistic assets and centers their competence as sense-makers. There are research-based models for advancing this kind of instruction that can be leveraged to support educators as they reflect on and transform their own practice.” https://lnkd.in/gs2SjxV8 Equity in K-12 STEM Education NAP 2024

Reimagining STEM Education: Learning on the Go 🚐 🚐 At ibrick, One of our main goals was making STEM education more flexible and accessible. Recently, we saw the fruition of our dream A homeschooling family who integrated our subscription into their RV trip across the country, showcasing the potential of mobile learning! - Kids accessed STEM projects when it fit their travel schedule⏲ - Hands-on experiences brought STEM concepts to life on the road 🛣 - The whole family is engaged in learning together 👨👩👧 - Educational momentum continued throughout the journey 📚 This real-world example shows how portable education can open new possibilities for how and where children learn. By making STEM accessible outside traditional classrooms, we're seeing exciting new ways for families to engage with these important subjects. The future of education isn't confined to classrooms or to the home – it's wherever curiosity leads us. Learn more at ibrick.online. #STEMEducation #EdTech #LearningAnywhere

My blog on King's Think Tank looks at the UK government's push to align STEM education with the future demands of the UK workforce, aiming to become a science and technology leader by 2030. We zoom in on the "Maths to 18" initiative to see why it's important to weave STEM into early education. We also look at the most important hurdle the program faces: a scarcity of qualified STEM teachers. We also assess some of the potential solutions to the problem, including improved pay and ongoing professional growth. https://lnkd.in/dRzKWTzX