STEM ThinkTank Top 10 Take-Aways
Harpeth Hall, January 2008
The STEM ThinkTank has become an annual event. It will be hosted, once again, by Harpeth Hall in November, 2008. Below are some of the key concepts that emerged from this gathering by the thoughtful, forward thinking STEM faculty from NCGS schools.
What do NCGS STEM faculty think are most important in successfully delivering STEM-related subjects and encouraging interest in those subjects?
1. EXAMINE THE FOUR 'PILLARS' of STEM - science, technology, engineering, math - in your curriculums at all levels with a particular eye to identifying the building blocks of engineering in place and to be put in place.
2. ENCOURAGE A DEVELOPMENT AND USE OF COMMON LANGUAGE among the STEM disciplines that will contribute to effective communication between faculty across the 'pillars' and among students.
3. MAKE STEM TRULY INTERDISCIPLINARY through cooperating not competing approaches to curriculum; ensure that STEM courses and initiatives are not 'personnel dependent.'
4. IDENTIFY FUNDRAISING STRATEGIES AND FUNDING for STEM-related activities and programming.
5. DEVELOP PARTNERSHIPS with colleges, universities, and STEM-related organizations, research centers, and corporations.
6. WORK WITH COLLEGE COUNSELORS to increase their awareness of courses that provide students with greater opportunity to STEM majors, and careers in STEM fields.
7. START STEM EDUCATION EARLY - in lower school - focusing on practical, cooperative, and problem-solving skills.
8. MAKE PROBLEM SOLVING A CENTRAL ELEMENT of STEM curriculum - and all curriculum - given that it is a critical 21st century skill.
9. USE ISSUES RELATING TO GLOBAL SUSTAINABILITY AND 'GREEN' INITIATIVES to provide a platform for STEM learning lessons and to increase environmental awareness school-wide.
10. INCREASE A STEM CULTURE THROUGH SCHOOL CO-CURRICULAR PROGRAMS and/or alongside nationally-known programs (NASA, JETS, F.I.R.S.T. Robotics, etc.).
