STEMinar: Exploring STEM Education

Monash University published a STEMinar in August of 2018 discussing STEM education and how educators can make it both personal and social.

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Considering Provocations:

Mandy Berry, a professor in STEM education at Monash University, starts the session out by discussing the components of making  personal and social capability curriculum in STEM. This  involves provocations that enable educators to reflect on the importance of STEM education and how it sets young learners up for success.

Dr. Rebecca Cooper, who is also a STEM education professor, continues this session by discussing the importance of contemplating these provocations in order to improve how we as educators look at and teach STEM in our classrooms. By frequently learning about the new discoveries and advances within the field of STEM, educators enable themselves to constantly improve how they think and teach in the classroom. This STEMinar reinforced how important it is for me as an educator to have discussions about relevant pedagogy within my field with colleagues, friends, and other experts. Considering these provocations and listening what the speakers had to say allowed me to gain new insight and consider topics in new ways.

Development and the 4 C’s:

The second half of the STEMinar discussed the importance of integrating the 4 C’s into STEM curriculum in order to promote the development of our students’ personal and social capabilities.

This blog explains what each of the 4 Cs are in education and ideas to implement them in your l… | 21st century skills, 21st century learning, 21st century teaching

Focusing curriculum and activities around these skills allows us as educators to provide effective and efficient experiences for our students so that they can grow upon their capabilities in terms of communication, initiative, assessing risk, imagination, resilience, and planning.

This particular section of the STEMinar allowed me to reflect on how essential inquiry and self-awareness is, because if we as educators do not provide scaffolds and effective environments for our students, they will not be able to learn and grow.

 

Thanks for reading!

Gabby Versace