ST(EM)POWERED

For educators, transparency can mean telling students what material will be covered on a test, or telling them when you have made a mistake. It can mean the difference between building relationships or alienation. What if it also meant telling them WHY you were using a particular technique, or what the PURPOSE of a set of lessons was? Some teachers do this well, some without even understanding why or when they are doing it, and others consciously make an effort to help students make connections - they are studying personal finance because they will be in charge of their finances for example. In STEM education, we often hear teachers explaining that why we focus on those areas is connected to the future job market, which is true, careers in STEM fields are booming. At STEM School, we are also transparent in explaining why we focus on collaboration, critical thinking, and innovation. These skills will not only help them in any career field, but they will also help them in college, in the

This is not an easy question to answer, or a simple topic to tackle. As educators, we often find our hands tied by the number and sequence of courses are students are required to take. Sometimes educators are limited even further by what programs or texts they must use. It is virtually ingrained in most adults that the way to do things is a K-12 education with high school being comprised of 22 (give or take) credits, often referred to as  Carnegie Units , which are aimed at one target - being translatable to colleges and universities. So we see students taking the same required courses in high schools all over the country. This should be great for consistency right? It should mean that all high school graduates are prepared for the world that awaits them right? I would love to trace the question of WHY that is the case back to it's source and then convince that person or persons that surely after 150 years it must be time to revisit that system. It in no way ensures that students