STEM INTEGRATION FRAMEWORK

STEM INTEGRATION FRAMEWORK

ASTE January 2014San Antonio, TX

ASTE January 2014San Antonio, TX

DRS. Andrea Burrows, Tim Slater, Mike Borowczak,

and Ms. Debbie French

UNIVERSITY OF WYOMING

ABURROW1@UWYO.EDU

Drs. Andrea Burrows, Tim Slater, *Mike Borowczak,

and Ms. Debbie French

UNIVERSITY OF WYOMING& ERERBUS Labs

ABURROW1@UWYO.EDU

(PRE) CONCEPTIONS

(PRE)CONCEPTIONS USE THE SHEET PROVIDED…

Write the CITY and STATE where you work (at the top). Write a 3 DIGIT CODE (that you will remember )

ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS:

1. WHAT IS STEM?

2. WHAT IS INTEGRATED STEM?

3. HOW DO PARTNERSHIPS IMPACT INTEGRATED STEM?

TRY IT (#1)TRY IT! (#1)

Pick a partner

Pick an index card

Write out directions for someone else to draw your picture

TRY IT! (#2)TRY IT! (#2)

Draw the picture

Based on written directions from your partner

TRY IT! (#3)TRY IT! (#3)Compare your picture to the picture that your partner used to write the directions

How close was your picture to the actual picture (original)?

Why does “matching” the original picture matter?

Why doesn’t “matching” the original picture matter?

How does this relate to the integrated STEM question?

SO WHAT?

The key to collective understanding of integrated STEM

in the education community is defining the picture

The picture in this case is INTEGRATED STEM

SO WHAT?

I-STEM

INTEGRATED STEM – Why and What?• Improve K-12 College readiness skills

And• Enhance the quantity and quality of students

pursuing STEM related careers

I-STEM

5 CATEGORIES5 CATEGORIESREVIEW OF 50 ARTICLES, BOOKS, AND PRESENATIONS ON I-STEM…

• 1. K-20 ACTIVITIES• 2. UNIVERSITY FACULTY IMPLEMENTATION• 3. PARTNERSHIPS• 4. GRANT WORK• 5. TEACHER PROFESSIONAL

DEVELOPMENT

WHY NOW?WHY NOW?

I-STEM is a source of ambiguity• SANDERS, 2009

Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)• They are here!

If we are asked to use it…• We should be able to do it and explain it!

GROUP DEFINITION

Project based• Specific goal (e.g. engineering or others – product

based)

Making relationships explicit (STEM)

Definitions are nebulous

Context for learning that drives personal engagement

Buy in from all the areas at once brings additional value

• Mixed groups (cooperative setting)

Come together around projects• Inquiry based

The complexities of cross-disciplinary teaching (e.g. teaching out of subject matter – quality)

NGSSPRACTICES

• Formulating a problem – instead of only a question

CROSSCUTTING CONCEPTS• Apply to all realms of science

DISCIPLINARY CORE IDEAS• Importance, Concept, Tools, Real-world

NGSS

CONVENTIONAL TEACHER PREPARATION

CONVENTIONAL TEACHER PREPARATION

• TRADITIONAL MODEL Pathway• Undergraduate trained in a discipline while

taking education classes for certification• ALTERNATIVE MODEL Pathway• Person trained in a discipline taking

education classes for certification

• Biggest difference – …experiences prior to certification

DISCONNECTDISCONNECT

Trained in one discipline

Expected to incorporate many disciplines (STEM)

BIG QUESTION:

If “integration is crucial” how do pre-service and in-service teachers connect to I-STEM?

BELIEF STUDYBELIEF STUDY

STUDY: 11 PRE-SERVICE TEACHERS (Fall 2012)• 17 survey questions• Average change of 30% for each question

(pre vs. post)• 8 questions had a significant difference

(pre vs. post)

SHOWS: Willingness/Eagerness to learn

ADDITIONAL DATAADDITIONAL DATA

[30] Teachers and Educators (Fall 2013) answered the 3 questions asked earlierFound the following

Question ChangeQ2 (79% Change)

All STEM together consistently(+36%); increased complexity(+29%); blended courses(+29%); different perspective(+14%)

Q3 (57% Change)

Seeing teachers as partners (29%); mutli-level partnership(+21%); change in understanding (+14%);

5-TIER I-STEM FRAMEWORK5-TIER I-STEM FRAMEWORKIMAGINE A TARGET

• LEVEL 0 = Single Discipline• LEVEL 1 = 2 Disciplines• LEVEL 2 = 3 Disciplines• LEVEL 3 = Engineering Projects

highlighting S, T, & M• LEVEL 4 = Constant Integration

(BULLSEYE!)

ASSESSMENT OF I-STEM?ASSESSMENT OF I-

STEM?

INSTRUCTION, MATERIALS, AND ASSIGNMENTS…• Emphasize ONE discipline/possibly TWO?• Expose learners to same phenomena from SINGLE

discipline? • Expose learners to same phenomena from MULTIPLE

disciplines?• Engineering projects with real-world S, T, and M

connections? • Show seamless integration of STEM…

INTERVIEW TEACHERS?INTERVIEW TEACHERS?

INTERVIEWS COULD:• Show insight into what teachers are teaching (pre vs.

post?)• Show teacher openness/willingness/eagerness• Show teacher growth

Could this approach lead to discussion about Integrated STEM?

How would administrators find the time for these discussions?

THINGS TO CONSIDERTHINGS TO CONSIDER

Where do partnerships come from?

What is the added value of partnerships?

Is defining I-STEM (Creating a Framework) important?

Why or why not?• IF IT IS –

How is it defined? By Whom? How is it assessed? By Whom?

• IF NOT – Why push “integrated STEM?”

What feedback do you have to add to the 5 tiers? I-STEM concept(s)?

(POST)CONCEPTIONPOST CONCEPTION USE THE SHEET PROVIDED…

Write the CITY and STATE where you work (at the top). Write a 3 DIGIT CODE (SAME AS THE ONE YOU CHOOSE

EARLIER)

ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS:

1. WHAT IS STEM?

2. WHAT IS INTEGRATED STEM?

3. HOW DO PARTNERSHIPS IMPACT INTEGRATED STEM?

MOVE BEYOND… TO…MOVE BEYOND… TO…

SCIENCE TEACHERS NEED TO:• MOVE BEYOND – The rhetoric to integrate STEM• MOVE TO – Specialized knowledge relating to teaching science –

including PCK (Shulman, 1987)

Purposely break down discipline walls

Expect I-STEM approaches and attitudes

THANK YOU!THANK YOUQUESTIONS?

Contact us anytime:• Andrea Burrows:

ABURROW1@UWYO.EDU• Tim Slater:

TSLATER@UWYO.EDU• Mike Borowczak:

MIKE@EREBUSLABS.COM• Debbie French:

DFRENCH6@UWYO.EDU

EXAMPLESEXAMPLES

Robotics in the 21st Century:• UWRobotics.com

Engineering Lessons:• www.eng.uc.edu/STEP