STEM training offers educators tools to use in their classrooms

Shari Weaver from the Worcester Polytechnic Institute STEM Education Center presented engineering design processes for teachers to introduce to students at all stages of development at a three-day instruction held on June 6-8 at St. Pius X School.
 
STEM/STREAM is an interdisciplinary approach to learning that connects academic concepts with "real-world" lessons. Students use science, technology, engineering and mathematics in problem solving.
 
"It's so different then to say, 'open up your workbook and do question 8.' It's project based, it's problem solving, it's creating a prototype to solve a particular issue and across the disciplines and to help students make a connection with their life in the real world," Dr. Rosemary Henry, superintendent of Catholic Schools, said.
 
The acronym STEM stands for: science, technology, engineering and mathematics, STREAM–adds art and religion in the mix of disciplines.
 
Teachers were asked to problem solve by using real world problems using the STREAM platform. Given only a handful of materials, teachers were asked to design a recycling sorter on June 7 by following an engineering design process: state the problem; generate ideas; select a solution; build the item; evaluate it; and present the results.
 
"We are assuring students are learning the concepts at every level of the curriculum. We all know the job market today–and tomorrow–is really wanting problem solvers, creative out of the box thinkers, people that are tech savvy, people that can work collaboratively and be excellent communicators. And that’s what this is all about," Henry said.