interactive notebooks versus design response worksheets

In the process of developing your plans for STEM implementation, you have to make a choice of how you will develop your teachers. This development will include and is not limited to how students will record their understanding of their learning. There are to methods that are currently in use: interactive notebooks and a worksheet model. 

I have utilized both. However, one is highly accepted and another is frowned upon in STEM.  That alone should help with your choice. However, each certifying organization makes their own judgment. 

Interactive notebooks are the most acceptable method of allowing students to document their learning. It requires quite a bit of training for those new to using them. However, it also requires training of you plan on using the notebooks with the integration of content. As the leader, it is your job to prepare for how the interactive notebook will be used and coach the teachers through their planning to understand how to use them.in an interactive format. 

Worksheet model or type of materials or resources are looked as the easy way out. Now, do understand that this model does have a place. It is highly effective in trainings, quick STEM activities that have not connections, and to support teachers as they grow in STEM. Now, the goal is to grow from these documents. These documents are restrictive to students learning and the follow of teaching and learning. STEM is not robotic it moves with those teachable moments. Even these teachable moments need to be recorded and documented in the students learning. The research that came about because of these teachable moments; along with the outcomes of the learning from these teachable moments. Providing students the opportunity to be active participants in the learning also allows students to take ownership of the learning. 

As a result, of utilizing both methods of student documentation; I think.it is apparent of the direction you should take. Remember both styles have a place, but try your best to grow your teachers to interactive notebooks.

Teamwork

The phrase: teamwork makes the dreamwork... is more factual than some have experienced.  The leader of the STEM team needs to be personable, caring, willing to support others, able to effectively communicate the needs and shortcomings of the STEM program with respect and humility.  STEM teachers are very different than other teachers. They are passionate,  very skill specific,  protective, and fragile. It is important that the leader of these teachers understand how to stretch these teachers while understanding there very different view of the work environment. 

Leadership is not easy. But a leader is needed for every group of people.  Leading this group means having to understand multiple aspects of STEM, the standards that each member has to teach, making the right connections with businesses to bring support to what the teachers will be teaching in order to get needed workforce knowledge from business partners, and finding ways to integrate content or create interdisciplinary units of study.  The task is very involved over time, your work and efforts will be appreciated and understood. 

When overwhelmed make sure you express your needs to your team. Your team most never think or perceive that you are not a resource or there to help. STEM and all the many task that come with it are all important,  but you can only do so much at a time. Share the load. Ask your team to volunteer for task or even work on them jointly. It is the team that makes the work of STEM easier or more impactful when the team assists with the work.

STEM Networking

Networking is extremely important to growing, developing,  and maintaining a viable STEM program. Networking provides you the opportunity to have stakeholders to provide you with additional information of how what your school is doing impacts the workforce or provide additional resources.  These individuals may come and go due to the fact that people change jobs, but try to have multiple contacts within an organization for this reason. Additionally,  you may need a contact that their job is specifically that for another organization.  This individual can assist you with connecting to others in an effect to improve and build your STEM program.  Never close doors, make sure that even if you can't utilize the resources of a stakeholder now that they are still a willing supporter when an opportunity presents itself. This is a good example: My building had a parent that was a plumber.  This parent highly involved in all our STEM activities.  I made sure to keep him informed along with our other Stakeholders.  As our program grew, we decided to move into doing SeaPerch and Aquaponics.  Well, this parent was now able to provide resources to support our efforts. Additionally,  make sure that you leader understands the importance of every stakeholder and how these stakeholders are beneficial to the forward process of your STEM program. Also, for sustainability keep a list of your involved stakeholders for those that come behind you.

STEM for school-wide Themes

Depending on the school and the leadership,  your school my have yearly themes. These themes are helpful because it provides a focus for the entire building for a year. It also helps business partners identify ways that they may support your schools efforts.  These themes should focus on global and community issues that students can relate to; this theme should bring relevance to your STEM activities throughout the year. Dependent upon how your school practices STEM will determine how students interact with the theme. If your school participates in a monthly school-wide Stem experience this would be when the theme would be the focus for all students. If your school only has standards based STEM activities integrated within the classroom; your students may only interact with the theme during specific units. Regardless of how the students interact with the theme, by the end of the year the goal is for all students to be able to articulate their understanding with no assistance from an adult.  This ability to express the theme is the goal of all lessons. 

Learning STEM

Nobody comes into a school building as a teacher or administrator with all the answers in regards to STEM. STEM is  continual learning process.  The Science and Technology components are always evolving or changing with new research or apps. So, how do you develop yourself as a STEM educator? There are books:
STEM Lesson Essentials, Grades 3-8: Integrating Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics https://www.amazon.com/dp/0325043582/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_rXQOCb6H9E3WY

STEM-Infusing the Elementary Classroom https://www.amazon.com/dp/1483392368/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_OZQOCbF06HNCK

There are conferences nationally and locally. And lastly I hope that the State or School district has someone on staff that can assist schools and teachers with growing in developing STEM education.

But there is a chance that you may have to learn about STEM on your own. And even at that there is hope. Facebook has the STEM TRIBE and many others. Yes, use social media to learn about and STEM. It also allows you an opportunity to see what others are doing in STEM and ask questions.

Regardless of your circumstances STEM is attainable.  You may have to take the road least traveled,  but know that you are not alone in your journey. Everyone doesn't have the support or the financial backing to get STEM done the traditional way, but STEM is still happening in schools with these very circumstances.  You just have to figure out your path and how it will get done in your situation.

Using your team

Developing a STEM program that impacts and influences the students in your building will require topics that are important to your students.  This is why no STEM school is identical. I have worked in two STEM schools and neither of them are the same for many reasons.  For this reason as a STEM leader, you have to have a solid understanding of how to infuse STEM in multiple ways is part of the sustainability of STEM. Even in one building STEM may need to change from year to year based on the needs of the school.

In addition, to the what STEM looks like within the building. Preparing for all the comments of how STEM will be implemented is a team effort. Administration can provide insight on calendar events and administrative timelines that may impact STEM trips, guest, or builds. Teachers can provide insight on truthful timeframes or the impact of STEM on curriculum scope and sequence expectations.  Take the time to ask some very important questions about what is coming up to both groups. Don't just ask the questions, but ask for recommendations that can help STEM a part of the everyday life of your building.  These questions are not limited to just curriculum, in reach, or out reach. This conversation should also include PD and implementation expectations. 

Schools have many requirements,  as change agents we have to be informed contributors. STEM should be integrated into all curriculum.  STEM is not a stand alone entity. It is the glue to bring about 21st century thinking and resolution to social, civic, scientific,  and technological issues of today and the future. It is our job to help others see how STEM is not just for some contents it actually consists of all contents.

Have an awesome time STEM CATALYSTS!!!

Introducing Project Based Learning

It is never easy to change how a body of people have traditionally done things. As a catalyst of change, it is important that you understand this resistance and find strategic systematic ways to provide the body with a process that will make the change easy for them. By focusing on how you go about making these changes will determine the success or failure of your effort.

This year I took on growing my building from STEM projects that were completed in one day to Project based learning. How did I get the buy in? I asked the teachers what were the obstacles of the one day STEM activities? And most of the time, the teachers said they didn't have time to build background or complete the build in a day. Thus making the full impact of STEM not go through the entire Engineering Design Process.  As a result of these conversations,  I introduced Project Based Learning. I asked that the teachers be willing to learn as we teach. I asked my administrative team to allow me time to train the teachers each month.  This provided the teachers with time to get to know the topic and develop a better understanding of what they were presenting to their students regardless of grade level. Additionally,  each grade level could see their own standards in the project.

This process will take me the entire year. Mainly because I need to train the teachers through each part of the PBL. I want to touch every component of STEM. On day one, we built background with the students. We provided them with the problem that will be our focus. After the students read articles and watched videos about the topic, they developed essential questions for their class and the school as a whole.

Teachers were excited and amazed at the students buy in with the new process. They thought that taking the build away from the one day project would cause some confusion and concern. But to everyone's delight the students enjoyed being able to tell the adults what they wanted to learn about.

Each STEM day will focus on a different component of STEM. For our next STEM, our PBL will focus on math and mapping skills. Yes, math and social studies. STEM and PBL's can be inclusive of all contents if planned well.

I hope you continue to follow our journey into Project Based Learning.