Comments on: Is Your STEM the Real Deal? http://www.middleweb.com/6929/is-your-stem-the-real-deal/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=is-your-stem-the-real-deal All About the Middle Grades Thu, 06 Jun 2013 18:19:42 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 By: Alan Deisher http://www.middleweb.com/6929/is-your-stem-the-real-deal/#comment-3046 Alan Deisher Tue, 14 May 2013 15:11:18 +0000 http://www.middleweb.com/?p=6929#comment-3046 This is a very timely article and I appreciate the fact that identified elements of a STEM program are presented. Too often this becomes another glorified science course without any real systematic change. As a Technology & Engineering instructor, I have a passion and need to be included….(kind of an important component).

The NC resources are wonderful also – thanks for sharing

]]> By: Liz Parry http://www.middleweb.com/6929/is-your-stem-the-real-deal/#comment-3025 Liz Parry Mon, 13 May 2013 20:55:46 +0000 http://www.middleweb.com/?p=6929#comment-3025 What a great article, Ann! You hit the nail on the head. North Carolina is doing some great work in integrated STEM. Our state’s STEM school certification process will be based on not only the “general” STEM rubric but also recently released “Engineering Connections to the STEM Rubric”. These focus on putting engineering front and center for schools assessing their implementation of STEM and it means that you will not obtain certification without including engineering in a meaningful way. There are four areas described: Engineering Habits of Mind, Engineering Design Process, Systems thinking and Problem solving. The NC STEM rubric can be found at https://www.ncstem.org/stem-strategy/attributes-rubric.html. The Engineering Connections to the STEM Rubric can be found at: http://www.ncpublicschools.org/docs/stem/resources/engineering-connections/gradesk-12.pdf. Again, well done.

]]> By: Anne Jolly http://www.middleweb.com/6929/is-your-stem-the-real-deal/#comment-2281 Anne Jolly Wed, 10 Apr 2013 03:45:53 +0000 http://www.middleweb.com/?p=6929#comment-2281 One additional thing I want to mention – the STEM watering down process can come from many sources: for example, teachers who feel too unsupported to risk change. It may come from an attitude of ‘benign neglect’ on the part of district leaders who lack resources to fully support authentic STEM instruction, It may come from principals who don’t fully understand the STEM initiative and who simply pay lip service to it so they can check it off their overcrowded “to do” list. STEM is the real deal. To be fully successful everyone must pitch in and work to make STEM work.

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