Well, then if playing video games is not all bad, then the logic follows that designing video games must build useful skills as well.  The fact is that there are few activities that will provide more training to solve real-world problems than designing a video game.  Beginning with learning about the subject matter, developing a path to success, adding obstacles and rewards, putting it all together, and then testing to make sure it works as planned.  If critical thinking were a sport, designing a video game is the Iron-man.

The question then becomes: how can you give your students the opportunity to train for the Big Race?  There are many opportunities to teach and learn programming through game design.  When I operated Portland Wiz Kids, we offered multiple courses for kids in programming with Scratch, a very simple graphic programming language, from MIT Media Lab’s Lifelong Kindergarten Group, and Alice, a 3d programming environment from Carnegie Mellon that makes interactive game design as straight-forward as possible.  Both of these languages are available for free download, as are many others such as Logo, Squeak, Game-maker, Gamestar Mechanic and PhroGram for anyone looking for an easy way to begin to use game design to integrate technology and engineering design into any core subject.

For those of you who are ready to introduce game programming to a group of students, or even a whole class of students, here are a couple of opportunities to participate in a game design competition, this Spring.  For readers in Oregon, I highly recommend the Oregon Game Programming Challenge (OGPC).  This year’s competition is in its 5th year and as a result, the Techstart Education Foundation** is adding 2  coaching events, called Game-Jams, throughout the state with workshops for students and coaches to get them started on the challenge.  The OGPC Main Event will take place on April 28, 2012 at Chemeketa Community College in Salem, Oregon and the Game-Jam events will be held on March 10 (Portland State University) and March 17 (University of Oregon).  Registration for both events, is still open here.

The second opportunity is the National STEM Video Game Challenge that was started in 2010 as a response to President Obama’s Educate to Innovate Campaign to improve math and science education in the US.  This competition is open to students and educators and includes some very interesting prize packages.  The deadline for the STEM Video Game Challenge is March 12, 2012.

I hope some of you will take advantage of the power of adding a video game challenge to your classroom toolkit.  I can guarantee you will have an impact on the level of engagement in your class, while building much-needed problem-solving skills in your students.

**  It should be noted that I serve on the board for the Techstart Education Foundation, which means I have a vested interest in marketing the OGPC competition.  Also know that I support the organization specifically because of the great work they do in promoting STEM in Oregon schools.

This guide includes resources that support each of the 8 keys to Education Reform through STEM.   Please note that the free guide is made available to you at no cost, and is mainly made up of affordable resources that can be utilized almost immediately.  Please feel free to share with anyone you feel may benefit from the information.

DOWNLOAD FREE AUTHENTICSTEM GUIDE NOW

Who It’s For

Teachers, administrators, parents and anyone otherwise interested in better preparing our children for college or a career involving STEM. Get started immediately with the resources included and see your STEM toolkit fill with creative and useful ideas to make a difference for your students.

***

Is It Helpful? Two Simple Requests

1) Let me know. Share your feedback in the comments section or write me directly.

2) Help spread the word. Pass this along to colleagues and friend who may be involved or interested in STEM Education. Feel free to use any of the share options at the bottom of this post.

Thanks! I can’t wait to hear about how you’ve used any of the resources included in the STEM Guide

January is International Creativity Month, a perfect time to reflect on how to be more creative in our lives, to learn to recognize and act on opportunities for creative thinking, and to find (or thank) the muse that provides the inspiration for creating more great work. According to Elizabeth Gilbert (Eat, Pray, Love), in her very moving TED talk, “The big mystery is that creativity does not always behave rationally. [...] This is one of the most painful reconciliations we have to make in a creative life. But maybe it doesn’t have to be so full of anguish. If you never have to believe in the first place, that the most extraordinary aspects of your being came from you. … it starts to change everything.”

Creativity, or more specifically, the creative process, happens to be a passion of mine and has been ever since the year I first entered the workforce as an engineer, nearly 15 years ago, and was given an opportunity to lead my first design project. I was thrilled at the opportunity, but at the same time, I was terrified because even though I had successfully completed a degree in electrical engineering, I didn’t feel qualified to lead a “real-world” design project from beginning to end. So began my quest to learn about the “design process”. (Yes, despite the fact that I had a bachelor’s degree in engineering, I did not ever have the opportunity to learn the process of design, a failure on the part of my university engineering program, I suppose.)

In any case, as one who doesn’t ever like to admit that I don’t know what I’m doing, I set to work on my personal study of the creative process and have been studying it ever since. I’ve since uncovered many very useful tools and suggestions that I use on a daily basis to solve problems, come up with ideas, make connections, etc. My research on the topic of creativity is the main reason I often proclaim that “The best engineers are creative engineers.” I truly believe that without the tools necessary to add creativity to our work, we all will become just cogs in the system keeping the status quo moving. Innovation comes from the new ideas, the new processes, and all of this is made possible by the Creative Engineer.

In this post, I’d like to share my reflection on the very first book I ever read on the Creative Process, “The Universal Traveler: a Soft-Systems Guide to Creativity, Problem Solving, & the Process of Reaching Goals”. In my opinion this should be the Engineer’s Design Process “bible”. For a long time, it was my crutch as I muddled through my first ever ‘cradle-to-grave’ design project (and I have the highlighted, dog-eared paperback to prove it. ) I’ve delivered many a presentation with only the knowledge I gained from the book and the application to my life as a professional engineer.

1. Acceptance: When it comes to work and life, I have several quotes I use almost as mantras and one of my more common ones goes something like this “The first step in solving a problem is identifying there is a problem.” Or a more recent humorous derivative: “The first step in solving the problem is admitting you are PART of the problem…” The key here is acceptance, defined by the authors as “self-motivation”. This is basically committing to devote time and resources to completing the 7 stages of the process to ultimately solve the problem. It is important to note, however, that the mantra I use really only covers part of this process. I’m sure we all know that person who is identifying problems to no end: aka ‘The Complainer’ – who sees more problems than can be solved, or better yet, ‘The Critic’ – who can point out the flaws in any situation. Problems abound in their worlds. Do not confuse these characters with a true Creative Engineer. Because in order to actually complete the 7 stages of the creative process, it is necessary to not only identify the problem, but to also commit to solving it. A Creative Engineer does not identify problems for others to solve, but rather hunts for problems that only he or she can and will attempt to find a resolution. This is so critical to the process; the ability to look at a problem and determine if it is something that should be and can be solved is the mark of a Creative Engineer.
2. Analysis: Once a problem has been identified as something that needs attention, the next step is to spend some time researching and analyzing the problem to better understand the context and components involved. This is also known as the “legwork” and is the process of taking a big picture look at the situation to see where there may be possible interrelationships with other subjects, to identify a list of attributes of the problem, and to follow the path of a similar problem. The traditional method of analyzing a problem involves ‘looking it up’  (or the contemporary method known as ‘googling it’), but a truly Creative Engineer does not rely on one source or even one category of information. Lateral thinking,( taking the wide view of a topic), morphological analysis (dividing wholes into parts), and making models of the problem (to examine a different point of view) are all creative ways to go about the analysis stage in the process. A commonly used method in engineering, TRIZ, was developed by Genrikh Altshuller, and is defined as the “Theory of Inventive Problem Solving”.The process identifies 40 different ways to analyze a problem, which when utilized properly, is thought to be able to solve any problem.
3. Definition: Hang on! Didn’t we already define the problem in Step 1? Well, no, not exactly… In Stage 1, all we did was determine there was a problem, and we committed to taking steps to attempt to solve it. But during stage 1, we didn’t really have enough information to actually ‘define the problem’. In this stage, we set the expectations, for ourselves and anyone invested in the solution to the problem. We have gathered lots of information during the analysis stage, now we need to extract meaning and awareness out of what we have gathered. In this stage, we are ‘getting our bearings’, clarifying our objectives and establishing the criteria for a good ending and a successful solution. The challenge is not so much in finding definition as much as it is selecting the single meaning that feels good enough to live with for the remainder of the problem solving journey. During this stage, I often find myself flipping between several creative thinking methods such as prioritization (listing, categorizing, and prioritizing all relevant pieces of data) , essence finding (boiling down the many parts of a thing to capture its true underlying essence), and synectics (developing insight from the outside looking in).
4. Ideation: Although often confused with creative process, the ideation stage is not in itself a problem-solving process. Ideas are ways; to go places and to do things. Ideas are options, ultimately to solve a problem. But to begin the ideation stage before adequately ‘defining the problem’ (stage 3), is a bit like buying a plane ticket without a destination. Before we can develop a list of possible ideas we must be sure we have completed the definition stage. Then and only then can we start the fun part – ‘Brainstorming’! If you’ve ever participated in a good team brainstorming session, then you know how exciting it is to feed off the creative energy of a group. The reality of the matter is that brainstorming is only one way to generate ideas, albeit the most well-known. Other strategies include using manipulative verbs or the SCAMPER method, analogical thinking through forced connections, and mind-mapping, all methods that can be used individually or with a group. (the video below is a great tutorial on mind-mapping, which is extremely helpful when teaching students how get their ideas out of their head and onto the page. )
5. Idea-Selection: So, if ideation were the fun part of creativity, then idea-selection is the worst! At least it always has been for me. And I would guess that this is true for most creatives because in order to select an idea to try, you have to leave the rest behind. Not an easy task if you think the list is any good. Nevertheless, the Creative Engineer knows that in order to complete a design challenge, something needs to be selected for trial. An experienced Creative Engineer will jump right in because he or she knows that ‘the first trial never hardly ever works!’ (Sidenote: I used to deliver this piece of wisdom to elementary students just before I unleash them on an engineering challenge, because I’ve witnessed many a very dissappointed kindergartener who was sure his or her idea was going to work. That was until I visited a class of 5th and 6th graders this past year and observed a quiet, but brilliant pair of students attack the given challenge using exactly this process. While the rest of the children haggled about whose idea was best, these two very respectfully listened to the constraints, followed the instructions, and solved the problem in their first try, forcing me to re-evaluate my use of the word ‘never’.) Strategies for selecting the best idea? Well, that really is a personal decision, but for me decision trees, criteria-based ranking, and negative selection are my go-to methods for selection. But, truth be told, there is no right way to do this. At the end of the day, I’ve relied as much on my intuition as on any other method. (In my opinion, the strategies above are often more useful in justifying your selection when presenting or communicating an ultimate solution)
6. Implementation: Now that you’ve picked a path to success, it is time to take action on your plan and ultimately begin the journey that will take you to your destination (a solution to the problem). Theoretically, if you’ve followed the preceding 5 steps systematically, you will at least see the light at the end of the tunnel. However, it is not always a smooth journey. And often this stage is the true test of how well you’ve accomplished Stage 1 (acceptance / committing to solving the problem). Often with engineering challenges, implementation is followed by several iterations of evaluating the solution against the criteria for success and then repeating Steps 3-6, until the solution is reached. But in the context of an creative solution to a subjective problem, this stage could be as simple as communicating the idea to the stakeholders of the problem. This could take the form of a formal presentation, a report, graphs, charts, diagrams, models and many more forms of representation. The key here is to be sure the concept truly represents a solution and that the audience has enough information to understand it.
7. Evaluation: How often do we complete a project or solve a problem only to never think about it again? Too often in my opinion. The evaluation stage is critical to the development of your creative skills, whether you are an engineer, an artist, a business person, a teacher, or a parent. How else will we know if we are meeting our goals, improving our world, or teaching our students? At the very least we should take the time to reflect on the process we took to reach our solution -did we skip any steps? what was difficult? what felt comfortable? – so that when (not if) we are faced with our next challenge we can be confident that we have the skills to solve it. Truly, this is how we develop our creative muscle, and how you can become a Creative Engineer!

As Ms. Gilbert says, “Don’t be afraid. Don’t be daunted. Just do your job! Contine to show up for your piece of it, whatever that may be. [...] If the divine cockeyed genius assigned to your case decides to let some sort of wonderment be glimpsed, then, ‘Ole!’ But if not, then do your dance anyhow, and ‘Ole!’ to you, nonetheless. Just for having the sheer human love and stubbornness to keep showing up.” Yes, that is the secret to the Creative Engineer!

On that note, and to streamline the distribution process, I’m asking that anyone interested in receiving the FREE 2012 AuthenticSTEM Guide to STEM Education Resources by email on January 15, 2012 to please complete the form below. Based on the applications we’ve received since yesterday, you won’t be disappointed!

BE SURE TO SCROLL DOWN AND HIT SUBMIT or your request will not be received.

Perhaps you offer a curriculum product that helps teachers improve STEM education for their students?

Or are you part of an after-school program that focuses on engaging students in informal STEM opportunities?

If you have something that can improve STEM Education today, I invite you to apply for inclusion in the 2012 AuthenticSTEM Guide to STEM Education Resources. This guide is the first of its kind; the only comprehensive guide to STEM Education Resources available that categorizes STEM programs and resources into an organized system that educators and administrators can use.

The FREE 2012 AuthenticSTEM Guide to STEM Education Resources will be sent to educators and administrators around the country on January 15, 2012. The FREE and Paid guide will be made available to anyone interested in STEM education, on the AuthenticSTEM website on January 18, 2012.

If you’d like to include your program, product, or service in the 2012 AuthenticSTEM Guide to STEM Education Resources , please complete and submit an application at the following link. Someone will contact you within 72 hours to determine next steps for your submission.

Apply NOW!

The 2012 AuthenticSTEM Guide to STEM Education Resources guide is divided into 8 sections as defined by the 8 Keys to School Reform through STEM Education and 4 (more) Keys to Education Reform through STEM. In order for your program or product to be included it must apply to at least one of the categories listed below.

1. FOCUS: Programs supporting K-12 schools dedicated to integrated STEM education or Engineering/Technology Academies.
2. INVESTIGATION: Resources for K-12 schools/districts/organizations just beginning their investigation into STEM Education and what this means to them.
3. INSPIRE: Programs and services focused on improving teacher effectiveness in STEM Education, including teacher training/PD and teacher materials.
4. COLLABORATE: Networks of multiple organizations working together to provide programs and services in STEM Education. (at least 2 organizations must apply for same program)
5. ENRICH: Materials or resources that support out-of-school STEM learning. This includes after-school programs, summer camps, museums, mentor programs, and/or business/industry partnerships.
6. ENGAGE: Resources supporting K-12 teachers to implement hands-on, inquiry based STEM education.
7. DESIGN: Resources supporting K-12 teachers to incorporate the Engineering Design Process or engineering principles into classroom instruction.
8. INTEGRATE: Programs or resources that support integrating any of the STEM disciplines in practice. This includes any resource that supports teachers to integrate technology with Science, Math, or Engineering instruction.

Space is limited 25 organizations per section in the FREE Guide, and 100 organizations per section in the paid guide. Application will be reviewed and selected on a first come first served basis. Not-for-profit organizations and free programs will be included in the FREE Guide AT NO CHARGE, until the guide is filled. For-profit and fee-based programs will be included in the paid guide AT NO CHARGE, or in the FREE guide for a small fee for each entry.

Dates to remember:

December 15, 2012 Last day to submit application for 2012 AuthenticSTEM Guide to STEM Education
December 31, 2012 Final copy and artwork submitted to AuthenticSTEM
January 6, 2012 Final revisions to proof of artwork to AuthenticSTEM
January 15, 2012 Release of 2012 AuthenticSTEM Guide to STEM Education

Women@NASA launched a NEW site to share the amazing things women are doing at NASA. I am lucky that I grew up witnessing some of the amazing things that women could do – but for those not aware of the possibilities for students, this and the other 4 videos can give a wonderful overview of the STEM careers available to girls. The most striking point I took away from this video is how critical the role of an encouraging teacher or parent is to introduce and encourage girls in STEM.

Teachers (and parents), take note!!

” When I went to school, I didn’t think I was as smart as the other kids, because I was so far behind in being able to speak.  But then as I went through school, I realized that math is the language that is the same all over the world.  And even if I didn’t speak English, I could be really good at Math! And then when I learned about science, I learned that science is the way math explains the world.”  -Alma Stephanie Tapia, Materials Engineer

“When I got to high school, I was lucky enough to have a teacher who pulled me aside and said, ‘you know, you might want to go to college and you might want to think about going into engineering.’”  For me it was a parent, but for many it must be a teacher. All it takes is the encouragement to take a look…

Nonetheless, my focus on STEM education has not wavered AND this is one blog post that I feel compelled to finish, given the fact that the data is current and was collected from educators and STEM advocates just like you.

So, today, I’d like to share the remaining 4 trends that have emerged in my research, as well as how these STEM initiatives are framed and managed, based on input from the education leaders driving them.  It was not by design, but the last post focused mostly on the administrative framework, describing trends of collaboration, inspiring teachers through training and PD, and focus on STEM schools.  In contrast, the trends that follow today tend to include more of the instructional characteristics of successful STEM initiatives.  It is interesting to note that many STEM programs combine one or more trait from each list, for example a PD program (Inspire) for teachers that focuses on the engineering design process (Design).  These categories are not mutually exclusive.  However they are specific enough to distinguish strategies that are being met with success when looking to integrate STEM into a new or existing school.

Enrich

It is encouraging to notice that there is a distinct effort being placed on enriching the existing school day.  Whether it is after-school programs, summer camps, pullout programs for gifted and talented students, or supplemental education services for school improvement, schools have taken notice of the huge opportunity available to them in having an impact on student achievement and engagement in STEM subjects.  Examples include LEGO Robotics, environmental education, GIS (global information systems) applications, and much more.  The exciting part about this trend is that it is not only driven by the school system.  More often than not, programs are being spearheaded and implemented by business and industry leaders motivated to improve the STEM education offered to our students.  Some examples of out-of-school STEM initiatives follow:

“Specific use during afterschool programing. The goal is to incorporate STEM activities into the curriculum.” – Grant Funding Administrator, WA

“We are running intercessions and math/science summer programs.” – Program Manager, CA

 “We are creating informal education programs at our museum and would like to make sure we incorporate STEM education.” - Museum Administrator, CO

“We work with schools, districts, and other non-profits on STEM rich outreach, formal and informal education and graduate professional development education.” – Non-profit administrator, NV

Design

This is one of the most common topics I hear about from schools and educators who are looking for support for improving STEM education – how can they incorporate engineering into their curriculum and instruction?  Especially when the vast majority of educators have no idea of what engineering is!  My response has always been simple, “Engineering education is not a concept, it is a process.  Your job as an educator is to teach your students how to solve problems.  And to do that they need a disciplined process, the engineering design process.“  It is so exciting to hear from school administrators and dedicated teachers who are doing just that!

“We are integrating engineering standards into secondary curriculum, and developing a partnership with career tech to teach Pre Engineering classes at both of our high schools.” – Curriculum Administrator, OK

“We have created a new high school, [district] School of Engineering, with support from the New Schools Project.  We continue to roll out to our science teachers professional development  supporting project-based learning.” – Curriculum Administrator, NC

“I employ STEM in my classroom as part of my curriclum. It is applied from an engineering perspective.” – High School Teacher, GA

” Our challenge is the integration of engineering skills and activities at upper elementary level.” – Grant Funding Administrator, KS

Engage

Another favorite of mine, the idea that STEM can’t be taught through lectures but rather through experiences.  Schools all over the country are recognizing how important it is to capture the attention of their students so that they take control of their learning and are invested in the ideas they are exploring.  In my experience, the best way to do this is to make learning relevant, authentic, and meaningful.

“We have been exploring authentic problem-based learning for some time. I am especially interested in integrating different subject areas so that students come to know that learning is not compartmentalized. I look forward to looking at the STEM approach to this learning.” – Curriculum Administrator, BC

“I work for a national environmental service learning organization partnering with school districts around the country to engage students K-12 in solving real life environmental and community issues by tying service learning into science, math and social science curricula.” – Industry Professional, SC

“We are a STEM Magnet School and we are developing our curriculum now based on project-based learning and place-based learning strategies.” – School Principal, MN

“We are a K-12 Special Education facility.  We incorporate project-based learning in astronomy with elementary students, middle schoolers, and Earth Science and Environmental Science high schoolers. I receive NASA material and use it regularly.  I also inform my high schoolers of the STEM grants for post-graduate opportunities in community colleges.” – Elementary Teacher, NC

Integrate

If there were a way to sum up all of the different ways STEM is being implemented in schools today, this would be the way:  Integration.  Integrating science with math, integrating curriculum with projects, integrating technology with teaching, and integrating classroom learning with real world problem solving.  Teachers are getting creative with how they think about preparing their students for the 21st Century and for their future.

” STEM participation varies depending on the school in the district. Beginning to include STEM units across the district in some grades.” – Curriculum Administrator, TX

” We are infusing STEM activities into our curriculum at each grade level.” – Enrichment Specialist, MD

” We are a technical school so STEM programs are used throughout, however, we are in the process of becoming more intentional or systematic about when and where we use STEM projects and units.” – Math Content Specialist, DE

” I am working to develop a curriculum prototype that is universally designed, STEAM, seamless modules, using PBL and within a gaming platform for k-12.” – Curriculum Developer, NH

Please do not hesitate to contact me (or simply comment below) to share how you are reforming education through STEM!

The U.S. will have more than 1.2 million job openings in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM)-related occupations by 2018.Yet, there will be a significant shortage of qualified college graduates to fill these careers. For the U.S. to succeed and continue to play a leadership role in addressing tough global challenges, we must do a better job of engaging students in these subjects and encouraging them to pursue careers in STEM-related fields.

Some interesting facts from this infographic from Microsoft:

• 4 in 5 STEM college students made the decision to study STEM in high school or earlier.
• 49% of women pursuing STEM degrees chose STEM to make a difference.
• STEM occupations are growing by 17%, while others are growing at 9.8%.

 All of this supports my long-held position that our students must be introduced to STEM at a MUCH earlier age than they are today.  If a student hasn’t been introduced to the opportunities of STEM by their 11th birthday, they are far less likely to choose a STEM educational or career path. 

More importantly, we need to do a better job of introducing engineering (and STEM) as a way to MAKE A DIFFERENCE!  To meet the overwhelming need for more qualified engineers to solve the world’s problems, we can no longer ignore our girls.  We know they will find a way to change the world, let’s give them the tools to do so.

A personal note on this theme of “changing the world” (that I’ll share more about in the coming months):  I’ve recently become involved with “Engineers without Borders”  which is a non-profit humanitarian organization established to partner with developing communities worldwide in order to improve their quality of life. This partnership involves the implementation of sustainable engineering projects, while involving and training internationally responsible engineers and engineering students.

I’ve been intrigued with the organization for many years because of their work with university engineering students, as an authentic service-based learning approach to developing competent engineers to solve our global challenges.  But when I finally joined my local chapter, here in Portland, to learn more about the work they were doing, I was struck by one truly amazing finding.  Not that there were engineers solving global challenges, or even that they were doing it in a volunteer role, without getting paid.  It did not come as a surprise to me that there were engineers out there that cared about making the world a better place – in fact it is what motivated me to choose engineering as a career. 

This little fact did more to demonstrate the importance of elevating engineering as a way to make a difference, than any recent experience I can think of.  What came as such a surprise is the percentage of women involved in this organization.  You see, I have been a member of many engineering organizations, and practiced as an engineer long enough to become  tolerant, and dare I say, comfortable with being the only woman in the room/class/team/project.  That is… long enough to walk into a room where MEN WERE THE MINORITY, and notice!  The chapter in Portland is working on projects in Haiti, Ecuador, and Tanzania and all of the projects are led by women and run by teams made up of more than 50% women.  Considering that the US has not yet registered 10% of the country’s total practicing engineers as women, to me, this says something:

Give girls the opportunity to change the world and they will grab hold and not let go!

The overwhelming response to the paper was not only surprising, it was extremely informative to all of us working with educators around the country with specific questions around the best approach for implementing STEM.  Because each request was accompanied by responses about their current level of STEM implementation, over the last 9 months, it became clear that there were distinct categories of approaches to STEM implementations in development, today.

As a key part of my role with Learning.com, I have the opportunity to talk with school and district personnel about programs that fall into at least one of these categories.  Over the next several weeks, I will begin to share the details of best practices of some of these client schools, as I continue my research around the keys to successful school reform through STEM.  As this thesis comes together, I wanted to share these trends with readers who may be interested or involved in STEM programs in some fashion.

The list below describes the first 4 keys to successful STEM program implementation and provides examples of how these implementations are described by participants.

1. Focus: Based on the empirical research outlined above, by far, the most common form of STEM implementation happening around the country, currently, is in the form of STEM focused schools.  Most of these efforts are piloting programs in the 2011/2012 school year.  However, a small percentage (~20%) have been in existence for some time.  Of these, a significant majority (>68%) claim school year 2010/2011 as the pilot or model year for the school, with plans to expand to other buildings or grade levels, in the district.  Some examples of the STEM focused school implementations are quoted below.

• We are building a STEM/Humanities charter school, starting with k-3, and are seeking different curriculum models to customize. – Curriculum Administrator, Independent Charter School, GA
• We are building a 6-8 vertical STEM program in a local middle school. -Curriculum Administrator, Urban School District, VA
• We are opening a STEM elementary. We currently have a Magnet STEM high school – Curriculum Administrator, Public School District, CT
• We are a STEM Academy for grades 6-8. – Curriculum Administrator, Private STEM Academy, LA
• We are currently researching STEM with the goal of creating a STEM Academy in one of our 20 schools to serve a seed program for the others. – Deputy Superintendent, Public School District, IL
• We are designing a regional STEM high school. – Director Instructional Programs, Urban School District, NY
• We were just named a STEM school by the Archdiocese of Baltimore for the upcoming school year. – Principal, Private School, MD
• Beginning with the 2011-12 school year, we will be a STEM magnet school, with a focus on the environment. We are developing our curriculum now based on project-based learning and place-based learning strategies. – Principal, Urban Middle School, MN
• Our district has approved a school within a school to start STEM program for the 2011 – 2012 school year. -Teacher, Public Elementary School, AK

2. Investigate: After STEM focused schools, the next most common category of implementation we found is in the form of investigation.  It is clear based on the requests for information about STEM, that many education agencies are just beginning to evaluate  the various approaches to STEM possible.  Very often this investigation effort is the charter of a STEM committee formed by the central office.  Other times it is a grassroots effort driven by a curriculum director with a vision for how an integrated approach to science, math, and technology education could impact student achievement and school improvement.  Here are some quotes from schools and districts beginning to investigate STEM as an approach to education reform.

• Our site is investigating the feasibility of implementing a STEM program. – Teacher, Public Elementary School, CA
• We are just beginning and doing research to find out what we will be able to do with the program. – Teacher, Public Elementary School, OK
• We are just beginning to examine the issue and visit selected STEM schools in our geographic area. – Curriculum Administrator, Large Urban School District, IL
• Early stages, it is up to the two TE teachers to gather support data & info – Technology Teacher, Public High School, ME
• Just investigating the concept and possible implementation. – Executive Director, Public School District Foundation, PA

3. Collaborate: This trend is an exciting one, and I have no doubt is due to some of the requirements of new federal funds for education.  Both Race to the Top (RTTT) and the Invest in Innovation (i3) grants require applicants to document partnerships between Local Education Agencies (LEAs) and supportive  non-profit and for profit organizations.  This has encouraged many organizations to reach out to nearby school districts to co-develop innovative STEM focused programs.  In many cases, multiple organizations have partnered to form STEM consortiums to make use of complementary strengths.  Ultimately, those states who have articulated a clear vision of a statewide partnership were selected to receive Race to the Top funding, however, the trend of statewide STEM consortiums is not limited to RTTT funded states.  Many states that did not make the RTTT cut – e.g. Arizona, South Carolina, Nevada, Texas, and others – are forming successful STEM initiatives to allow STEM organizations, universities, and school districts to develop innovative STEM implementations.  Below are some quotes from innovative partnerships currently being formed to move the STEM mission forward.

• I am Interim Dir. of a Nevada STEM Education Coalition dedicating to collaboration, reform and advocacy in STEM education statewide. – Nevada
• The Rochester Area Colleges’ Center for Excellence in Math and Science serves an eleven county region in central NY and is currently acting as one of eight hubs for the Empire State STEM Learning Network, a partnership of education, business and community to address STEM learning. – New York
• I am writing the Business and Strategic Plan for the Arizona STEM Network. – Arizona
• We are one of 7 Texas STEM centers in the T-STEM Center Coalition providing STEM support for districts statewide. – Texas
• Louisiana Department of Education has a STEM initiative. – Louisiana
• Leading a regional effort to promote STEM Education. – Wisconsin
• I am not in a school or district but am involved at the state level in developing/promoting STEM education. – South Carolina
• We are coordinating statewide efforts. – North Carolina
• The North East Florida Education Consortium (NEFEC) is supporting STEM programs in its member districts. – Florida

4. Inspire: Though not as common as STEM-focused schools, a significant number of STEM programs around the country are focused on professional development for teachers in science, technology, engineering, and math education, though only a small handful address STEM from an integrated perspective.  Many professional development programs are focused on improving teacher knowledge in one of the STEM subjects, as opposed to providing guidance on how to use Project-Based Learning as a way to teach students how to apply specific knowledge and skills necessary for their future. But one thing is clear: one of the biggest challenges to implementing a STEM program is the training of the teachers involved.  And there are many organizations out there preparing to be the resource for all the schools and districts who are in need of STEM professional development.  The ability of schools to inspire their teachers to fully implement STEM through Project Based Learning will ultimately determine the success of their STEM program.  Examples of PD implementations across the US:

• I am working with many school districts and non formal education programs where GIS Technology is being used to integrate community data to help analyze and solve local issues. – Consultant, Non-profit agency, CO
• I am the Program Director for an educational nonprofit that works with schools through professional development and direct student services to improve STEM education. – Program Director, non-profit, NY
• I am a faculty member at a University that provides STEM courses for majors as well as training for STEM educators. The University has received a number of grants that provide professional development for STEM teachers. Recently a grant was received to improve STEM majors’ success, and a grant a will be submitted in April to improve the program for secondary STEM educators. – Faculty, University, GA
• I am a teacher educator participating in the development of a new Teacher education program for STEM secondary teachers. – Faculty, University, OH
• I am part of a team that will attend the Sally Ride Academy this summer. We are getting started. – Teacher, Public Elementary School, AL
• I just attended Sally Ride Academy with Exxon Mobil. I am now a trainer and will be training the teachers at my site about integrating STEM in the curriculum. – Teacher, Public Elementary School, LA

As the categories for the STEM programs began to emerge, I was amazed at the similarity of some of the goals and objectives of many of the programs; in many cases, the only difference is the geographic location.  From Alaska to Wyoming, there are STEM implementations happening in K-12 education and my goal is to provide a unifying framework for each of the 8 implementation categories.   I’ve outlined 4 here and in my next post I will outline the next 4 keys to ed reform through STEM:

• Engage
• Design
• Enrich
• Evaluate

If you would like to have next week’s and all future posts delivered directly to your inbox, I encourage you to subscribe by email in the top left corner.

In the meantime, I’m asking for your input: If your program fits into any of the categories outlined here, I would love to hear directly from you – comments, direct message, or email – to find out what you consider to be the “secrets to your success” with STEM.

Over the last 18 months, I have done a deep dive into what it means to implement an RTI process. According to the Response to Intervention (RTI) Adoption Survey 2011, released by Global Scholar (formerly Spectrum K12) last month, 94% of schools across the country are in some stage of RTI implementation, though only 24% have reached full implementation. And of those who report full implementation in one subject, the majority of adoptions are in the subject of Reading. Which explains why I’ve only recently become aware of the process as a solution to the epidemic of students struggling in Math and Science; and STEM. It didn’t take long, however, for me to understand how powerful it is to apply a systematic approach to this problem.

You see, I’m an engineer! And engineers solve problems. If we are good engineers, then we use a systematic process to look at problems , find an appropriate solution, and then test the potential solution. If the problem is solved, great, but more often than not our test results in additional information that can be used to get closer to the solution. This process, known as the engineering design process, is standard operating procedure for most engineers, as it provides a framework for solving even the most difficult problems.

As I dug into RTI, I began to realize how closely a true RTI Implementation follows this problem solving process. The Universal Screening is a way to Ask the right questions, identifying students at risk is Imagining solutions to the problem, grouping students and planning for research-based interventions is Planning the solution, implementing appropriate instruction for not only a whole class but also for Tier 2 and Tier 3 students is the Creation stage, and Monitoring Progress is the process of testing for success and modifying the solution as needed. All of a sudden, it all made complete sense to me and my question changed from “What is this RTI process?” to “Why isn’t everyone using data to determine instructional decisions for our children?“

So, as I began to research the tools available for teachers implementing RTI to impact Math achievement, it quickly became apparent that, with all the technology being used in schools today, there wasn’t a streamlined way to complete this analysis, “automatically”. Over the last year, I’ve worked with schools and districts all over the country who subscribed to the RTI methodology, and in some cases even had the tools to assess and diagnose their students’ learning gaps, but once their assessments were complete, they didn’t have the tools to properly address these gaps with appropriate targeted curriculum and instruction. Many teachers expressed the frustration in the universal challenge of RTI; “Now what?” (that is if they didn’t view the assessment / identification process as “just one more thing we have to do”)

Beginning in the spring of 2010, the development team at Learning made it their mission to eliminate this frustration: to streamline the RTI process for teachers to systematically address individual student learning needs in Math. And I am so pleased that beginning next month, all users of the Aha!Math supplemental math curriculum for grades K-5 will have the ability to assess and diagnose all students along the National Common Core or State Math standards, prescribe appropriate curriculum and instruction to address individual learning needs, to differentiate instruction based on ability groupings or by tiered intervention groupings, and to monitor student progress over time; all in ONE PLACE, through Learning.com.

As I continue to work with the Learning.com team to communicate and share the addition of this time-saving feature for teachers, I am just so amazed at what an example of engineering problem-solving is at work with RTI; in fact “Advanced Personal Learning” was recently identified as one of the worlds Grand Challenges of Engineering. And to some degree, this product will solve it for K-5 math teachers. Over the next several months, I look forward to working with schools around the country looking for the simple, streamlined way to improve student achievement!