ST(EM)POWERED

It is time to rethink time, in schools in particular. So many uses of time are ingrained in our educational traditions that we seldom question their validity or purpose. We start at the same times even when report after report demonstrates it is not best for our kids. We require a certain length of seat time, in a day, and in a school year, even when it takes many students shorter or longer than that to learn. We assign (or are assigned by higher authorities) testing windows that take away from instructional time, and often cause high stress levels in students, despite serving no learning purpose. (We can argue about whether they serve other purposes another time, no pun intended.) So let's break some of these down. Many people incorrectly assume the reason for summer breaks is based on farming, check here for an explanation from PBS about the more accurate origins of that decision. Part of the issue was the lack of air conditioning in cities and affluent families leaving those ...

Most everyone agrees this is a crucial component of engaging students and helping them learn, but HOW exactly do we as educators build relationships that empower students? Compliance ---------> Engagement ----------> Empowerment For some of us, this comes easily and/or naturally. These are the "people" people, those with well developed senses of empathy, or other personality types that relate well to others. These might be the popular teachers, the charismatic leaders, the beloved coach, the ones that just seem to get it. I know we can all think of one or more people that fit that category. These people are lucky. For them, student engagement is often not as difficult. But engagement isn't the be all end all . Students can be engaged but not learn or become better at something. It makes it easier to connect with students, and  might make it more likely that they will learn, but it is not a guarantee. We have to move a few steps further and promote empowerment ...

The Real World was a much loved MTV reality show before reality TV all but took over television. But it is also a phrase adults and educators love to use with teenagers, typically in a punitive sense. We tell them that "in the real world" somebody is not going to tolerate their lack of punctuality, or their bad attitude, or their lack of writing skills, or their excuses...and so on. And we have a point, excuses for those behaviors, choices, and lack of skills are not likely to be tolerated in the workplace, or in higher education. But what if we treated school like it was the real world? What if school actually IS the real world? I would contend that it is. Every day, in every school district in this country, there are students who walk through school doors with far more real world experience than some of the staff and students in those buildings. Access to social media means that the very real world is incredibly present and vivid to our children on a daily basis. We will ...

I've touched on this in previous posts, but a lot of people ask questions about HOW to implement what we do at STEM in their own settings. The struggle is often an offshoot of a "yeah, but" statement. "Yeah, it's awesome your upperclassmen have individualized schedules, but we can't replicate that with our block schedule." "Yeah it's great that your students are dual-enrolled, but we aren't located on a college campus." "Yeah, PBL is great but our teachers are too busy writing and posting clear learning targets."  Those concerns are valid...to a degree. Not everyone has access to those options, or a FabLab, or maker spaces, or drones, or robotics teams. That is ok. Those are the bells and whistles, they are HOW we do what we do, not WHAT we do. Instead of a "yeah, but" try a "Yes! How?" The short answer is, match the purpose, not the products . Then embed it in something you already do. This reminds me...

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...

Most schools teach Science and Math, and employ technology, so what makes a STEM school any different? Many schools have added the engineering design process , in creative ways, to multiple content areas. Some people think of places with high tech offerings such as robotics or FabLabs or Maker Spaces with 3-D printers. Does all of this make a STEM School?  While all of these are excellent examples of methods of engaging and teaching students, these elements don't stand alone to make a school. For STEM models to power a school, and to empower students, there needs to be an underlying structure, a belief system, processes by which content is given a purpose. At STEM School Chattanooga this is exemplified by the tenets "Collaboration, Critical Thinking, and Innovation." These skills are outlined not only in the school mission statement, but also by being the driving force behind all of the decisions that propel the school, and its amazing students, into the future.  Sch...