STEM presentation
Transcript: Is the answer found in the S.T.E.M LAb? A closer look at S.T.E.M schools presented by: Sara Wycinsky S.T.E.M:ScienceTechnology Engineering Mathematics STEM schools are emerging across the nation, state by state. One is just a hop, skip, and a jump away. - Adams 12 School District already has a STEM Lab school in Thornton but plans on opening another Fall 2012 - Niver Creek Middle School will close at the end of the school year and will re-open as the second STEM Lab K-8 School. Why was Niver River Middle School targeted? It was under NCLB law for five years under "corrective-action" “Schools not achieving adequate yearly progress are given a time line. After two years they are provided with technical assistance for improvement and parents are given the choice of another public school within the same district” Spring, p.158 Who has the chance to go?There are no admissions tests or requirements for attendance. Any student living within the districts boundaries are eligible to apply.There are over 450 students already on the wait list. All current 6th and 7th graders at Niver Creek are guaranteed a spot. With no requirements the school becomes very diverse "34% of STEM students in Thornton qualified for free and reduced lunch, and some came in not speaking a word of English"- Monte Whaley, Denver Post The New Transition for Niver: Teachers will have to reapply towards the end of the school year. STEM will be known as a magnet school instead of a charter school. President Obama supporting STEM says, "Technology and science innovations continue to grow in today’s world, thus it is imperative that American students stay aware of the new developments". Results from STEM schools: -“In 2010 STEM lab hit 100% of the States Adequate Yearly Progress targets” Denise Gliwa, school spokeswoman. -Charter schools and a district middle school only outperformed the school, where only 11% of students were on free and reduced lunch. Criticisms about STEM education: the issues concerning the current job market. shortages for engineering and technical jobs in recent years, there is not a reason to invest more funding in STEM education. Though there are some negative criticisms about STEM education, I personally feel that STEM education is very beneficial to children. "Since it is impossible to teach all things to elementary and secondary students some selection of content must be made"- Spring, p.232 In another article USA Today published it states "in order to give young viewers a leg up in math and science, the producers...want to help the very young think like scientists...using STEM skills" Greg Toppo, USA Today Final Questions: 1.If STEM schools continue to show great progress, will all struggling schools eventually turn to the STEM Lab methods?2.Will there be a specific program for teachers to train through to teach in these schools?3.What will happen to the importance of Arts and Language, if the schools continue to bring success? Works Cited: Williams, Ashely . "The emphasis on stem education ." Stemeducation. Com. July 26th 2011 . , Web. November 6th 2011 . <stemeducation.com >. Whaley , Monte . "Stem Growing in Adams 12 ." USA Today 09/26/2011 , . 19A.Print. Toppo, Greg. "'Sesame Street' as Science Primer." USA Today 09/26/2011, . 19C.Print. Douglas County Public Schools. November 6th 2011. https://www.dcsdk12.org/schools/index.htm Toppo, Greg. "'Sesame Street' law of gravity: Keep it funny." USA Today 09/27/2011, . 3A.Print.Spring, Joel. (2009). American Education 14th Edition. New York, NY. McGraw Hill Higher Education. Spring, Joel. (2009). American Education 14th Edition. New York, NY. McGraw Hill Higher Education. STEM education is very beneficial to children. In a national study, American students were ranked ninth in out of thirty-six countries in the field of science. Emphases on STEM education could help improved this ranking, and make these four domains not only essential for American students but also very interesting. -USA Today Sept 27th, 2011 "STEM schools focus on these subjects to help our nations youth gain the skills required to succeed in today's challenging world. This includes the ability to think critically, solve complex problems, and drive advancements in science and technology"- stemschool.com Even Sesame Street thinks it is important…