Encourage a Culture of Curiosity
For teachers to adapt their curriculum in response to emerging scientific and technological developments, the most critical component is time. Continuous professional development is essential, but to truly remain on top of current trends and integrate the latest advancements into the classroom, teachers need time to learn for themselves, and then time to develop realistic ways to utilize the tools with students.
The best way that I have found to constantly challenge students is to incorporate project-based learning and hands-on activities that align with the dynamic nature of science and technology. Flexibility is paramount, and embracing interdisciplinary approaches that fuse science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) ensures a comprehensive understanding of the challenging issues of our world today.
Developing a culture of curiosity and adaptability will help encourage students to independently explore emerging fields. In my classes, students explore robotics, learn computer programming, build electric vehicles, and work in teams, just to name a few. By embracing these tools and strategies, students will hopefully be motivated to become active participants in shaping a future where innovation plays a pivotal role in addressing global challenges.
—Kim Dunlap, STEAM/digital media teacher, Fairview Park City Schools, Fairview Park, Ohio
Ensure Accessibility by Designing for the Edges
Can STEM change the world? Absolutely, but meaningful change can only come when STEM is accessible to all learners. Students with disabilities are frequently not given the same opportunities to create in STEM environments; however, these learners are often the ones who reap the biggest benefits from these experiences.
STEM opportunities can foster new passions, support IEP goals, improve social and emotional skills, and provide practical opportunities to practice resilience. To that end, it is essential to design for the edges and remove barriers, which will benefit every learner.
Designing for the edges assures that learners with even the most significant needs are able to participate and succeed in meeting the STEM lesson’s goals. This can be achieved by differentiating the means of instruction to be accessible, including students who have low vision or are hard of hearing, modifying the lesson to make the language more applicable to students, or even adapting the lesson to get at the key goal that you want students to reach, and making adjustments so that students can achieve that goal differently.
STEM certainly can change the world, but only when made accessible and available to all learners.
—Emily Thomas, technology integration analyst & trainer, Northeast Metro Intermediate School District 916, White Bear Lake, Minnesota
Leverage AI to Amplify Learning
Educators can leverage AI to support student success with its capabilities in analyzing student data and personalizing pathways to learning. By adapting the curriculum based on student strengths and areas of opportunity, AI allows educators to not only differentiate instruction but also to provide varied resources to support learning. When we embrace and recognize the ways AI can amplify learning, the possibilities are endless for our students!
—Kate Lemerich, secondary STEM supervisor, Metuchen Public Schools, Metuchen, New Jersey
Understand How Learning Works
STEM can save the world—but first, teachers and students’ mindsets must evolve to embrace the current neuroscience about how brains learn best. Every student in STEM needs to learn about how their own brain is like a muscle that can get stronger and smarter when new neural networks are made during learning. They need to visualize how their brain networks can become stronger connections when they study and practice. The brain learns from making mistakes, so freedom to make mistakes (not pressure to look “smart”) should become the norm in STEM classes.
—Judith Wilson, staff developer (retired), Montgomery County Public Schools, Maryland
Be Proactive and Adaptable
Educators must proactively adapt curriculum, which requires a multifaceted approach. Educators should integrate up-to-date content into their curriculum, incorporating real-world examples, case studies, and current research findings that allow students to understand the practical applications and implications of technologies. To foster critical thinking, educators should facilitate open dialogues, encouraging students to explore the ethical considerations associated with manipulating genes, creating transgenic organisms, or genetically modifying crops. Hands-on experiences are also invaluable in providing students with firsthand knowledge that demystifies these technologies and fosters a sense of empowerment and familiarity.
—Todd Brown, biology, anatomy, and physiology teacher, Bentonville Public Schools, Bentonville, Arkansas
