Hands typing on a laptop

Inspiring Students with STEM Education

Friday, June 2, 2017 by Cyber Acoustics

As people reflect on their education to a time before the edtech boom, they often remember lectures, books, essays and exams. In traditional education, memorization was a key talent – the ability to recall facts and figures and have them at the ready for that pop quiz.

Even in this modern age, hands-on projects may sometimes be few and far between. However, kids learn more effectively when they’re invested in the material, and as the world becomes more and more dependent on technology, giving students the ability to work hands-on is vital. That’s why STEM has blossomed in recent years into a vital educational component. STEM isn’t about memorizing, it’s about doing.

What is STEM?

STEM stands for the combined educational disciplines of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math.  What sets STEM apart from many other educational subjects is the goal of teaching beyond the material. As this STEM website puts it, “STEM builds and teaches creativity, problem solving, life skills, ingenuity, resourcefulness, patience, curiosity. STEM is what shapes the future as our world grows and changes.”

STEM is more than memorizing facts in a textbook to pass the next test -- it encourages students to seek answers, to try and fail, to try again, to make discoveries, and to think independently. Not every student will go on to a career in a STEM field, but every student can apply the lessons they learn in STEM as they advance in life.

STEM in the Classroom

Much like the implementation of new edtech, it’s important to discuss STEM not just in theoretical terms of what it should do, but also to review how it can work in the classroom. As an example, we look no further than a classroom in our hometown of Vancouver, Washington -- where our Cyber Acoustics headquarters is based.

Locally at Fisher’s Landing Elementary School, fifth grade teacher Kimberley Astle has been recognized nationally for her efforts at teaching STEM to her students. Astle was a semifinalist for the Albert Einstein Educator Fellowship Program, is a member of the National Science Teachers Association Standing Committee on Professional Development, and has been a finalist for the Presidential Award for Excellence in Math and Science Teaching.

Astle's approach to teaching is all about being relevant and authentic. In her classroom’s science period, students put on their lab coats and get to work on experiments, such as testing how shifting different variables will affect how far a marble rolls after being pushed down a ramp. Height, surface material and marble size are all in the mix for students. Astle designs her curriculum to have students drive the work, with her providing guidance where necessary. “We need people who are really out-of-the-box thinkers,” Astle recently told the Columbian newspaper. “We need engineers. We need problem solvers. That has to be a part of education. They have to know how to think.”

STEM at Home

One of the great things about STEM learning is that it doesn’t have to end in the classroom. There are numerous resources online for parents to continue classroom activities at home with kids of all ages. These are especially valuable during summer break, when kids are tempted to while away the days on their iPad or Xbox. Best of all, most of these projects only require regular household items you probably already have, or that only require relatively inexpensive trips to the store.

One of the great things about STEM is that there are always new projects for kids to learn as they go. To get started, here are some helpful links for elementary, middle school and high school students, with more than enough to help get parents through the summer:

Elementary students:

Middle school students:

  • The site stem-works.com has a terrific array of options -- everything from handwriting analysis to extreme weather to robotics.

  • Is your middle schooler a Lego fanatic? LEGO is a great building block (see what we did there?) for STEM. This site can help take your LEGO-obsessed middle schooler’s projects to the next level.

  • For those more technically minded, Snap Circuits are a good way for kids to learn the basics of electronics.

High school students:

  • Computer programming is a key part of STEM, and high school students looking ahead to careers in programming can start with codeacademy.com, a free site that teaches HTML, CSS and many other languages.

  • The Teaching Channel has a great video library of projects and problems for high school students.

  • The site PLTW.org has another useful list of ideas, such as contacting wastewater plants or other local utilities for tours.

National Week of Making

A great opportunity for teachers and parents to work on STEM with students is the upcoming National Week of Making from June 16-22, an initiative which is “a time for individuals in communities throughout the U.S. to participate in Making activities locally, celebrating the innovation, ingenuity and creativity of Makers.”

Events are taking place throughout the U.S. that you and the students in your life can participate in, and even if you don’t live close to an event, you can still take part in the National Week of Making. You can host an event, or you can do a project at home or in the classroom, and then send in details to be featured on the Week of Making website or social media channels. National Week of Making is a great chance for kids to try a new STEM-related activity and start building a love of creating.

Have Fun!

Not only is STEM a great way for kids to learn new things and build problem-solving skills, but it’s also a lot of fun! At Cyber Acoustics, we love hearing about students creating, and we love seeing what they come up with. Drop us a line via our Contact Page, or share your STEM stories and photos with us on our Facebook Page.

Plus, we're here to support your STEM efforts! If your school district is expanding its STEM programs, we have industry-proven products that can assist the learning process and help students push past their boundaries to reach new heights. Check out our product catalogs, and request a product sample today.12 environment. Check out our education page for details.