Despite its prominence in the real world and connections to so many careers, not every student pursues STEM. More importantly, so many children lose almost all interest in STEM before they even reach middle school. In a lot of cases, educators need to have reached their students while they’re in elementary school (between second and fifth grade) to help them develop and keep an interest in STEM. One possible way to do that is by exposing them to STEM experiments and learning challenges on a regular basis, which could help them develop an early and sincere interest in and passion for STEM. So, this week, let's discuss some ways of doing just that.
Building Passion Through Project-Based Learning
STEM-focused classes are often hands-on and project-based. As such, the terms ‘STEM education’ and ‘project-based learning’ often go hand in hand. While we wouldn’t necessarily advocate for using them interchangeably, there are, however, a good amount of similarities between them. One reason why PBL helps students discover their passions, which could very well include something STEM-related, is in its authenticity. In PBL, students spend weeks or maybe even months working on a particular project and towards a desired outcome, often developing an authentic attachment to that work in the process. And, in many cases, they’re attempting to solve a real problem. PBL also provides opportunities for choice—in types of projects, technology students use, and the content areas they cover. So, this is how a lot of students might initially find new passions to explore in time.
Examples of connecting STEM and PBL.
PBL can help students develop all sorts of skills as they pursue something they genuinely care about. These include various tech skills, digital citizenship skills, and even soft skills as they contribute to improving their communities. When working on something they are truly passionate about, students tend to fully engage with it and often design their own questions and challenges to address individually or collaboratively. It’s this kind of passion, which really drives engagement and execution, that students can also transfer to the real world. A lot of the time, experiences with using educational technology can also help cultivate this passion. Kids love trying new things, so adding new angles to traditional tasks can, as we know, boost engagement. It could even lead to new passions and new levels of authenticity in learning.
Benefits of STEAM vs. PBL.
One key benefit of project-based learning is that students can typically choose the focus areas of their projects. This, of course, allows them to pursue something they have a genuine interest in improving. It can be something that has affected them personally or something they’ve seen affect someone close to them. Since the learning is active, students can lead their own PBL experiments, organize their own results, and interpret their discoveries in the way that works best for them. At the same time, they still have chances for reflection, which is important in finding what they're passionate about. It seems simple but, by genuinely caring about their projects, students can develop new or deeper passions for something they could potentially make a career of—with so many opportunities waiting in STEM.
Sparking a Passion for STEM
There are a lot of different ways to excite students about the prospects of STEM education. Technology definitely is one of those options but there are certain strategies teachers can use when it comes to zeroing in on the types of technology they invest in. One of those technology types is virtual reality (or VR). Before you freak out, VR isn’t some overly expensive gimmick. It can actually be affordable in most cases and it's proven to boost student engagement, retention, and achievement. Plus, there's quite a wide range of VR equipment, which makes it easier for educators to find something that fits their specific instructional, classroom, and budget needs. It’s often tough to motivate today's students and sometimes tougher to excite them but virtual reality provides a certain intrigue and an outlet for helping them build STEM passions through up-close experiences.
Using technology to mirror STEM-related experiences.
One thing that educators struggle with is helping students see connections between abstract educational concepts and their real-world applications. This often leads to a lack of motivation in the classroom and students wondering why they're even learning certain things. Many education professionals argue that hands-on experiences are key in combatting this mindset and we tend to agree. There are so many new challenges facing our world and, in a lot of cases, students who are currently in school will be searching for the solutions to a lot of them. Understanding how issues like climate change, for example, affect our planet and our lives could spark a passion for reversing it they didn’t know they had. And, as for VR systems? Students can see the effects of this particular problem (and others) without even leaving the classroom.
How new-age tools help students discover new passions.
VR is one of the latest instructional areas that students can use to explore new worlds and discover new interests. They can see what works well in certain situations and even identify potential improvements in other places or at home. It can also perhaps inspire them to pursue changes they might not have even known were needed through simple enlightenment. Since technology has come a long way, educators can recommend using VR to explore STEM-related opportunities and generate new passions. Working together, virtual reality and STEM-based solutions can help students change their outlook on potential careers and, ultimately, their futures. While this seems simple in theory, getting VR into the classroom might be challenging but, once implemented, it can open up new ideas for students and help ignite that spark for pursuing STEM opportunities in the real world.
How Students Can Discover a Passion for STEM
In an ideal world, students could consistently take part in STEM learning that connects school, community, and industry. While it would certainly be tough for teachers to offer this all the time, however, it is possible at times. This type of learning often helps students realize that they have a passion for STEM or that they can build on to passions they already know they have. Not only is it important for students to discover STEM passions if they have them, however, it's important for teachers to create the opportunity for them to do so. Students also benefit from teachers who share similar passions and look to create the best learning experiences possible. It’s not always easy, however, since their responsibilities are always evolving but knowing that a solid STEM education can tremendously benefit students is important to remember.
Designing STEM lessons to unlock student creativity.
Keep in mind that, even if you don’t think you love teaching STEM education, you can learn to love it. Teachers often start out by designing STEM lessons that allow students to make real-world connections to the content. Developing projects in which students can serve others—either their peers or complete strangers—is another idea. Also, seeing student passions come out as they take more pride in projects is something teachers can make a goal. STEM, however, is different than some of the other core subjects because the concepts students learn and the creativity they rely on can immediately help them solve real-world problems and develop passions. So, finding creative ways to highlight these connections helps educators—especially those new to STEM—multiply student passion quickly.
Service learning and the connection to PBL and STEM.
Service learning is another way for teachers to build up their own STEM passions. Like students, they might not know what they’re passionate about until discovering where their talents are needed most. Helping students see that their STEM skills can help them in some very practical situations can remove some of the intimidation from teaching something new (like STEM) as well. Together, students and teachers can uncover the true relevance of STEM and applying their passions often enhances how they learn. Plus, integrating STEM concepts and tools throughout the curriculum is effective—rather than just allocating one period per week to focus on STEM. The more teachers and students practice this, the more they'll grow together and build passions for continuing to do so.
How to Ignite a Passion for STEM in the Classroom
In a nutshell, the way students perceive STEM education could determine their success in the future. Some people brush it off and assume that, if students work hard, they can succeed. Others, however, believe success is tied to staying competitive globally. STEM careers, however, are among the fastest growing professions with computer science jobs making up a significant portion of that. But, not every student knows this or believes they’re talented enough to make an impact, leading to less of a drive to pursue these opportunities. This piece of it, fortunately, is something that teachers might actually be able to control. If they could help kids develop STEM passions, then maybe they'd be more likely to commit.
Lifting student passions in all classes.
In reality, STEM is more than a collection of theories and successes. It’s a way of thinking—an innovative approach to overcoming challenges—and it helps us see the world in new ways. As we’ve said, STEM can fit into any school subject, but teachers would still need a good way to ignite that passion in their students. Without passion, there's not a huge chance they'd try to make a career out of it. Especially when students find science, math, and other classes to be boring, difficult, or abstract, teachers can try to make these experiences more hands-on, relatable, and enjoyable. Learning STEM subjects shouldn't be boring and adding hands-on experiences whenever possible allows students to see concepts in action—a great first step in increasing the appeal.
The right lessons and projects for students.
We don’t want to oversimplify, but one key to STEM engagement is making projects more appealing with hands-on elements. This presents so many different possibilities and options for students in different grade levels. In elementary school, for example, they can learn important coding skills simply by using robotics tools on a regular basis. Elementary robotics tools aren't typically that complex and help students apply the skills they learn to future problem solving. Then, in middle and high school, they can build on what they know and explore more advanced computer science concepts or use their confidence to take their skill sets in another direction—maybe focusing on entrepreneurship, community improvement, or something else. All that matters is that they see education not as lectures and books—but as an opportunity to practice hands-on discovery.
Turning STEM Passion Into a Career
Part of the reason we preach the importance of STEM education is that some student somewhere is bound to change the world with an invention, a cure, or an innovation. This, unfortunately, won't happen for every student but the potential of discovering that one breakthrough could help propel more students to focus on STEM, which is all we can ask. For today's students, it’s very inspiring to learn that, if they have a passion for something, they should pursue it and look into how to make a career out of it. That starts with exposing themselves to that area as much as possible—beginning in high school or maybe middle school. Take technology, for example. Today’s students are using it constantly. And, there's a chance they could make a computer science career out of improving what they use every day, right?
Turning interest into a lifelong passion.
If nothing else, current students will probably find more enjoyment from future jobs if doing something they truly care about. We can’t all be professional celebrities and need to find something other than singing into a hairbrush to excite us. And, yes, something academic or scientific can—believe it or not—elicit those same emotions in almost anyone. Like we said, there are so many directions a STEM career can take students—whether it’s designing new and improved mobile apps or working to prevent the next global pandemic. Technology is everywhere these days, and jobs are being necessitated more rapidly than graduates can fill them. Heck, plenty of students could probably adopt that entrepreneurial mindset and invent their own passion-based path forward.
Turning a passion into a profitable career.
Some of the most prominent careers today (and likely tomorrow) are STEM careers. These include jobs in the technology, science, and engineering fields with a lot of the focus on computer science and specific niches like computer engineering, electrical engineering, and mechanical engineering. Besides economic stability, these career options are appealing in other ways. People in these fields can still build things, help others, create efficient solutions, and even continue gaming, for example. If you think about it, many STEM careers allow people to harness their skills or passions to do something better. And, since students who will soon be part of the workforce were born into technology, they have experience with how it can improve things. We just have to get them to realize that they can make successful careers out of their passions.
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