Building an Integrative STEM Learning Journey
To build an integrated STEM learning journey plan that will deepen educators' conceptual understanding of why we do this and how it is to be accomplished, the learning journey for all shareholders starts by understanding conceptually NGSS and how to differentiate between Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCI), phenomena, design challenges, what essential skills are needed, and in-unit assessments that will measure student progress in all areas.
The Framework for Teaching sits at the heart of the instructional core. Schools purchase prefabricated curricula, but teachers need to be able to connect and extrapolate by developing integrated STEM units that lead to incremental lesson planning that assesses students’ progress. That is where time and energy should be spent. This is hard work, but if it is done with the utmost fidelity, students will be engaged and will be inquisitive learners. Developing the capacity of shareholders in understanding the importance of this tool so it can be used to develop our teachers and to support administrators in this process is crucial. The process to expose shareholders is to start by differentiating the learning plan so each cadre of shareholders can be exposed to the tool and deepen the learning for the practitioners by deconstructing the rubric and examining models of different level examples. As a result, and deepen the learning for the practitioners by deconstructing the rubric and examining models of different level examples. As a result, teachers can connect with and understand it more comfortably. It is imperative for them to understand the importance of becoming familiar with the tools and how it improves their practice. Supervisors need to also understand how to use tools to provide support and guidance for their teachers. Supervisors are trained on how to use “Classroom Observation Guide for Supervisors”; they are shown what to look for in a well-designed integrated STEM lesson using the components of the Framework for Teaching Model.
This is significant because The STEM Leadership Alliance is an opportunity to engage STEM leaders to support classroom instruction that connects the content across the disciplines. Integrating STEM across the content areas creates a learning experience for students that connects the classroom to the real world. Integrated STEM re-engineers education from a siloed approach, where subjects are taught in isolation, to a hands-on learning environment that inspires creativity, innovation, and problem solvers, the skills that are necessary for today and tomorrow.
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