STEM Integration

1. What does the research say about this? (Integrating STEM subjects within themselves and/or across subjects - e.g., STEM in Language Arts - and teaching students coding and, more importantly, computational thinking)
• From the video "What Most Schools Don't Teach" there not not enough people who know how to code or what is behind a program. There is only 1 in 4 schools that have coding classes. With the increase in technology today everything is on the computer but there is not enough people to fill jobs that require programming or coding skills. Teaching coding or robotics or something like that in a class can change how students view computers and coding. The students may find that they like coding and can get a head start in high school before finding out about it at a college level. The article "Integrated STEM Education through Project-Based Learning" states that bringing these STEM project-based learning in our classrooms help students to reason and solve problems. The students learn to work with others and build real solutions. They also will remember more about what they learned since they will have their hands on it and are making something. They are also having fun doing it which helps our brain to remember it more.
2. How can this be effectively integrated into your teaching?
• Since math is my area I think that I can integrate it pretty easily. We look at real life problems that involve math and using coding to find solutions to the problem. It also helps student to reason logically to think through problems and think how they can solve it. I would bring in small robots and we can illustrate solutions to real life problems using those robots or even tell a story about parabolas and how they are used.
3. How will this help your students?
• This will help my students with communication skills, working with others, thinking through problems logically, and to have fun learning new math concepts in an unconventional way.
4. What are your goals with regard to this topic?
• My goal is to make sure to include more about coding and computers in my class. The more the kids have exposure to the more they will learn and be prepared for life outside of school.
5. How does this shape your vision for empowered learning for your students?
• This helps students to have a felling of accomplishment since they built the solution or object with their own two hands. There is not much that feels better than having built something that works with your hands.

The sources that I used in 1 are linked to the title of the article or video.