instructional strategies for integrating STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) disciplines in the middle school classrooms. They will learn how to facilitate creative and innovative thinking about the natural world and how to challenge their students to solve real-world problems through constructive, project-based activities and modeling processes. Finally, they will collaborate, communicate, and engage in rich discourse with instructors and other parallel professional instructors (PPi) from industry, businesses, and other academic institutions to design project-based, problem-solving activities for classroom instruction. This innovative STEM ENDORSEMENT approach will train licensed teachers in the 21st Century skills of creativity, critical thinking (reasoning and problem-solving), collaboration, and communication.
Educators will focus on knowledge accumulation in each proposed STEM course which in-turn will guide students in understanding a topic. If we fail to teach knowledge, students will fail! These middle school teachers will leave with numerous resources in all STEM areas, business contacts, field professionals who will assist educators with STEM coaching in their classrooms, and physical projects made in each STEM course in the university classroom. All educators participating in the MC STEM endorsement will take Project-Based Physics, Chemistry, Environmental Science, Engineering, Mathematics, Design and Research courses (14 semester hours). These courses support the “Educate to Innovate” initiative proposed by President Obama. The White House announced a $35 million Department of Education competition that will help further the White House goal of training 100,000 new STEM teachers. Furthermore, Knowles Science Teaching Foundation Teaching Fellowships will be awarded to beginning educators who desire to pursue a STEM endorsement. “Educators will be selected on three criteria: the potential to develop content knowledge needed for teaching, the potential to develop exemplary teaching practices, and the potential to develop the qualities of a teacher leader.” The MC STEM endorsement program will develop educators who qualify for this national program.
In summary, the National Research Council stated, “STEM education has
many potential benefits for individuals
and for the nation as a whole. Norman Augustine explained in an opening presentation. One factor that sets it apart from other branches of academic study for many policy makers is that literacy in STEM subjects is important both for personal well-being of each citizen and for the nation’s competitiveness in the global economy.”
The students in STEM classes will learn to shift from a teacher-centered class to a student-centered class, thus ensuring that their students will be engaged in their own learning.
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