Key points:

• STEM education can be challenging, but engaging tools can help
• Explore these videos on various STEM topics, found on TED-Ed Lessons

STEM education is a critical topic for all students, but it’s also notoriously difficult to engage students in STEM topics–particularly as the content becomes more challenging. But with a few fun STEM videos, students might be a bit more interested in learning.

The videos below are all found on the TED-Ed platform. Educators can build lessons around any TED-Ed Original, TED Talk, or YouTube video. Once you find the video you want to use, you can use the TED-Ed Lessons editor to add questions, discussion prompts, and additional resources.

These TED-Ed Lessons cover weather, space mysteries, the human body, and more.

1. The year without summer: In 1815, Mount Tambora erupted and its emissions spread across the globe, blotting out the sun for almost an entire year. This wreaked havoc on agriculture, leading to famines all across the Northern hemisphere. It was the year without summer— one of the darkest periods in human history. So why are some modern researchers considering repeating it? David Biello digs into geoengineering.

Key points:

• A majority of teenagers want to learn about climate change in school
• New Jersey became the first state to implement comprehensive climate instruction across all grades and subjects

The climate crisis is undermining decades of progress in global health and poverty reduction. We look to our next generation of planetary heroes for solutions, but are we educating them in climate literacy?

Climate-literate people understand the principles of Earth’s evolving climate system, the complex interconnections, the influence of humans, and scientific approaches to mitigation. They make informed and responsible decisions on actions that may affect climate, and communicate about climate change in a meaningful way.

Because of technology, younger generations understand our small planet is an interconnected place and that we can all help in reducing climate-related threats facing humanity: extreme weather; food system disruptions; water-borne and zoonotic diseases; mental health risks, etc. 

Some of our first impressions of how we should “show up” in society and what we should care about as citizens are created in classrooms. It doesn’t have to be political: The Yale Program on Climate Change Communication found that 78 percent of American voters support children learning in schools about its causes, consequences, and potential solutions.

Key points:

• Interactivity and engaging resources can make science more approachable
• Elementary school teachers need easy-to-use science tools that will grab students’ attention

During my time as a kindergarten teacher, I learned three major lessons about our youngest learners’ relationship to science. Specifically, I learned that elementary school students are predisposed to being excited to learn about their world, are naturally curious about how the world of nature works, and benefit highly from learning about the STEM/STEAM-related professions they might someday consider pursuing.  

My current role as a PreK-12 science curriculum specialist affords me the opportunity to work alongside a variety of elementary school teachers as they plan engaging lessons and activities for their students. Often, I hear that science is set aside for various reasons. While I recognize the critical importance of developing math and literacy mastery, we must ensure our elementary level learners are well-rounded and prepared with the scientific skills needed for future success. So, I see it as part of my role to provide the teachers I serve with easy-to-use resources and instructional supports they need to easily “sneak” scientific concepts into their lesson.

It seems obvious to say that when teachers have a variety of simple, high-impact academic resources to utilize to present scientific phenomena and concepts to their students, they are more likely to assure that science is included within their instructional day.

However, with all educators have on their plate today, experimenting with edtech resources might take a backseat to some other important tasks.  So, I’ve created a list of three easy-to-use, essential digital tools elementary educators can use to inject science into instruction.

Key points:

• STEM labs are engaging environments that encourage exploration
• With the right tools and supports, students develop and grow 21st-century skills

Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education is focused on developing students’ skills and connecting these subject areas, preparing them for future careers and the real world. It’s a key area of teaching worldwide and thousands of schools are now investing in learning spaces specifically designed to support STEM–called STEM labs.

What is a STEM Lab?

A STEM lab is a learning environment where students, irrespective of grade, can come together and actively participate in hands-on or practical STEM learning. These educational spaces encourage active learning and problem solving. In these STEM laboratories, students can develop their science, engineering, and mathematics skills by using technology to create, collaborate, and complete projects–learning and applying knowledge to find new solutions.

Imagine a technology-enhanced learning environment where everything is student-centred and supports theme and project-based learning–that’s a STEM lab!

Designing a STEM Lab – What Equipment Should You Include?

It’s important when selecting the equipment to include in a STEM lab that the focus is on what can help students develop their mathematical and problem-solving skills. Consider how different technologies can be used in collaboration. This can be anything from simple wooden blocks to 3D printers and virtual reality headsets.

Key points:

• ChatGPT isn’t a tool to be feared–it can contribute greatly to STEM learning
• AI tools aren’t going away, and harnessing their capabilities is important

“If we teach today as we taught yesterday, we rob our children of tomorrow.” – John Dewey

Back in 2007 when I was teaching Algebra I at the local middle school, the biggest question for mathematics teachers on our campus was whether students could use their calculators while doing classwork and on standardized tests.  A few years later, the discussion changed to an argument about the pros and cons of using a Desmos calculator on their classroom iPads.  Using Desmos was seen as being particularly egregious, as educators feared that students may have access to the internet and may surf the web while they should be learning or during summative assessments. 

Each of these technologies paled in comparison to the impact of one of our students discovering Wolfram|Alpha and sharing the link with his classmates.  While using the calculator allowed students to quickly compute answers and a device with internet capabilities added the possibility of researching formulas and explanations, Wolfram|Alpha used the most current artificial intelligence (AI) to accurately solve mathematics problems using natural language processing. 

Teachers were faced with the idea that 21st-century technologies would fundamentally alter the way students learn and just as importantly, adjust the way teachers would need to facilitate instruction.

The ChatGPT Dilemma

In schools across the nation, educators have, once again, had to call into question how technology meshes with teaching and learning with the advent of ChatGPT. 

Key points:

• The bottom line: Representation matters
• Encouraging a passion for STEM from a young age will keep more women in STEM

The number of women working in STEM jobs has increased 31 percent over the past decade, but women continue to be outnumbered by men in some of the fastest-growing and highest-paying jobs—including roles in engineering, computer science, and the physical sciences. Although women make up half of the total U.S. college-educated workforce, they only represented 34 percent of the science and engineering roles in 2021, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

Not only is it important to see more women fill STEM jobs from an equity standpoint, but there is also a lack of professionals to fill the demand for future STEM roles, projected to grow by 11 percent over the next decade.

To interest young women in STEM-related careers, we must instill a passion for STEM education at an early age and continue to provide support for girls throughout their academic careers.

Empowering girls to excel

According to a recent Microsoft study, 31 percent of girls in middle school believe that jobs requiring coding and programming are “not for them.” In high school, that number rises to 40 percent. By the time they’re in college, 58 percent of young women disqualify themselves from STEM jobs.

Key points:

• Engineering doesn’t have to be intimidating
• Engineering helps students learn the mechanics of their world

Engineering is arguably one of the most useful and relevant subjects in our schools today. Its impact on our world cannot be overstated. Engineers are the ones who help humanity reach the moon, explore the depths of the ocean, assist in the treatment of serious illnesses, and even design many of the games our students play.

Unfortunately, engineering can often feel like a separate unit or idea that teachers need to explain. With many of today’s educators already feeling overwhelmed with the responsibilities of teaching, finding ways to seamlessly integrate engineering into the curriculum is essential for both teacher and student success.

Engineering is all about creating and practicing solutions to human problems. It can branch into chemistry, biology, and all fields of science. So, what does that look like in the classroom?

Here are just a few strategies that teachers can use to build engineering into their classroom curriculum:

1. Start Simple: Engineering doesn’t have to be complex to challenge student creativity and critical thinking. Simple activities such as building a glider out of paper and plastic straws or designing ways for a plastic diver to stay afloat in a pool of water can do much to spark student imagination. They are also a good method for promoting soft engineering skills like collaboration and communication.

As recently as a decade or two ago, technology education consisted of typing, learning to draft emails, or doing a little work in a spreadsheet. Learning those skills may have been relegated to a business information class or weekly trips to a computer lab. Today, most students are expected to learn to code, and most states have coding requirements—some starting as early as kindergarten.

That’s a significant change in less than a generation. Computer science is a rapidly advancing field; educators have to make those changes if they are going to prepare their students for the modern world. Trying to teach a subject that’s ever-changing might feel a little intimidating to some teachers, especially if they don’t have a background in the field. Fortunately, the skills students learn in computer science are evergreen, and many of the changes within the field are manageable for the educators involved.

Here are three keys to preparing to teach this dynamic subject without feeling like the ground is constantly shifting under your feet.

Don’t be intimidated by “new” technology. It’s probably a lot like the old technology.

As our knowledge grows, technology advances, practices change, and programming languages fall out of favor in different industries. At any given time, different languages are in use for different purposes. Some industries rely heavily on Python, while others might program in JavaScript. As technology changes and grows, new needs emerge and new programming languages are developed or adopted to meet those needs.

Science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) has long been a popular acronym in education circles. Providing teachers with the tools and techniques to deliver these subjects to students has never been more important. In this podcast, Lauren Tarshis, SVP Editor-in-Chief & Publisher, Classroom Magazine Division, Scholastic Magazines+, and Patty Janes, Vice President, Science, Math, and Art at Scholastic, break down how one of the world’s great curriculum providers approaches STEM subjects and provide insights on how teachers can integrate these concepts into everyday teaching and learning.

With math scores falling globally, top high school math students point to academic burnout as a key factor. Among their recommended solutions to boost math performance? Tackle the root cause of burnout, get diversion through non-academic activities, and make STEM classes more applicable to everyday life.

That’s the finding of a survey of 16- to 18-year-olds in the U.S. and U.K. conducted in March by Philadelphia-based Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM). The survey gathered responses from 1,000 11th and 12th grade students from across the U.S. and sixth form students in England and Wales, as well as some of their teachers, to get their insights on the impact events of the last three years have had on math performance. The students queried are participants in this year’s MathWorks Math Modeling Challenge (M3 Challenge), an annual internet-based, intensive math modeling contest organized by SIAM.

“The poll shows that even top students have been struggling with school-related pressures, with 83 percent saying that they have experienced or somewhat experienced academic burnout in the last two years, and 32 percent saying their anxiety over math has increased,” said Dr. Karen Bliss, Senior Manager of Education and Outreach at SIAM. “Yet, rather than following the downward math performance trend, the majority still did well in math, with 35 percent landing even better math grades than previous years and 55 percent maintaining their average.”

Bliss explained that by exploring the motivation and practices behind the survey participants’ academic success, the SIAM study may help other students boost their math scores.

Survey results

According to the survey, the majority (57 percent) of students queried said that motivation to get into a good college or university is what helped sustain their interest in math over the last few years. For 35 percent of respondents, getting a scholarship or a good-paying job was a motivating factor.

Differentiating instruction is not a new approach to bridging the varying learning styles of students with different backgrounds and learning abilities. For years, educators have strategized how to differentiate instruction in math, ELA, and science. Countless articles and books offer best practices for differentiation in those subjects, but comparatively, very little has been written about differentiating computer science instruction. 

I believe computer science is more important than ever. In the age of artificial intelligence, the study of computers and computational systems—including their theory, design, development, and application–represents a new frontier in science. 

New fields in computer science seem to emerge each day and now include computer systems and networks, security, database systems, human computer interaction, vision and graphics, numerical analysis, programming languages, software engineering, bioinformatics, and theory of computing.

But how does a computer science teacher differentiate instruction in this increasingly important topic?  At the Florida high school where I teach, we offer a rigorous computer science program that offers three courses: Exploring Computer Science, AP Computer Science Principles, and AP Computer Science A. 

This story was originally published by Chalkbeat. Sign up for their newsletters at ckbe.at/newsletters.

As a senior at Indianapolis’ Ben Davis High School, Jacob Gregory enrolled in an Exploratory Teaching program. He thought of it as an easy way to leave school for a few hours, but it ended up sparking “an unknown interest in teaching,” he said. 

Today, the sixth grade math and science teacher at McKinley Elementary School is a quiet rock star. The school’s sixth grade growth scores in math are at nearly 58 percent, meaning more than half of the students met their individual growth targets on the state’s ILEARN test.

That kind of growth is well above the state average, and it’s one reason why McKinley Elementary had among the highest improvement rates in state test scores last year. 

Throughout the pandemic, Gregory held his students to high expectations, whether they were learning in person or virtually. 

“I never looked for ‘gaps’ or ‘learning loss.’ I never changed my teaching style or ‘geared it down’ just because we were sitting behind 12-inch screens,” he said. “I knew I could deliver quality instruction to my virtual and in-person students; it was just a matter of how I was going to pull it off virtually.”

North Dakota has become the first state to require computer science and cybersecurity education for all K-12 students.

Gov. Doug Burgum and North Dakota School Superintendent Kirsten Baesler celebrated the governor’s signing of HB1398, which requires the teaching of computer science and cybersecurity and the integration of these content standards into school coursework from kindergarten through 12th grade. Baesler said North Dakota is the first state in the nation to approve legislation requiring cybersecurity education.

“Today is the culmination of years of work by stakeholders from all sectors to recognize and promote the importance of cybersecurity and computer science education in our elementary, middle and high schools,” Baesler said at the bill’s signing ceremony on March 24.

“Our vision is to integrate and underscore the importance of computer science and cybersecurity instruction into the classes our students take as they move through our K-12 system,” Baesler said. “Under this bill, the information and knowledge our students need will be part of every grade level, which is appropriate when you consider the role that technology plays in our everyday lives.”

EduTech, a division of North Dakota Information Technology that provides information technology support and professional development for K-12 educators, will develop examples of cybersecurity and computer science education integration plans that may be used to assist local schools develop their own plans.

STEM education is a critical part of a comprehensive K-12 education–it helps students build and improve critical thinking skills, problem solving skills, and it teaches students to be persistent when presented with a challenge.

And while STEM education is essential, it’s not always accessible–underrepresented groups, including female students and minority students–often lose interest in STEM subjects as the subjects grow more challenging and as they move through school.

Representation is another obstacle to more ubiquitous STEM participation. When students don’t see STEM professionals who look like them represented in advertising, on TV and in movies, or in classroom resources, they have a harder time envisioning themselves in STEM careers.

But with the right engagement and approach to STEM subjects, which do become more challenging as students progress, students can become lifelong STEM learners. Here are five great insights about STEM education:

1. Female middle and high school students have a high aptitude fit with, but low interest in, STEM careers, such as technology, manufacturing, and architecture, among others, according to the 2023 Female Student and STEM Career Exposure Gap Report from YouScience. Based on nationwide data, key findings show that female students have more than 11 times the aptitude for advanced manufacturing careers than interest and 8 times more aptitude for computers and technology careers than interest.

Female middle and high school students have a high aptitude fit with, but low interest in, STEM careers, such as technology, manufacturing, and architecture, among others, according to the 2023 Female Student and STEM Career Exposure Gap Report from YouScience.

Based on nationwide data gathered from the test results of more than 225,000 female middle and high school students who completed the Aptitude & Career Discovery assessment from YouScience Brightpath in 2022, the key findings show that female students have:

• More than 11x the aptitude for Advanced Manufacturing careers than interest
• 8x more aptitude for Computers & Technology careers than interest
• Nearly 4x more aptitude for Agriculture & Natural Resources than interest
• Nearly 3x more aptitude for Architecture & Construction careers than interest

Additionally, the report found that female students have greater interest than aptitude for careers in Human Services, Law and Public Safety, Teaching, and Arts & Media.

These insights confirm that a career exposure gap exists for female students, especially in STEM — an area in which jobs are expected to increase by almost 11 percent by 2031. Historically, however, women have held less than one-third of those jobs. According to the United States Census Bureau, there were approximately 10 million workers in STEM occupations as of 2019, but only 27 percent of those were women.

The positive impacts that U.S. public schools and their communities enjoy from STEM programs were underscored in a new survey conducted among some of the nation’s leading middle and high school STEM educators. Nearly 60 percent of teachers indicate that although teaching STEM is challenging, it offers educators unique rewards by engaging their student’s curiosity and enhancing their motivation, according to Samsung Solve for Tomorrow’s “The State of STEM Education” survey.

Additionally, the study finds that STEM education has been insulated from controversial issues (35 percent), with 65 percent reporting that local school boards and communities are either “generally supportive” of STEM in their school or that the success of the STEM program has been a “solid positive” with the community.

Teachers also told us that implementing the problem-based learning (PBL) techniques utilized in their Samsung Solve for Tomorrow STEM projects helped counteract the negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on education at their schools. Among respondents, 46 percent agreed that by helping students see that their work can have an impact outside of the classroom and in their communities PBL has been a strong antidote to COVID-induced feelings of isolation, helplessness, and anxiety about the state of the world.

In December 2022 and January 2023, Samsung polled nearly 430 U.S. educators who led their school’s efforts in entering the company’s annual Solve for Tomorrow STEM competition, which is currently in its 13th year. Solve for Tomorrow challenges U.S. public school students in grades 6-12 to explore the role STEM can play in solving some of the biggest issues in their local communities. The competition requires participating students and teachers to engage in active, hands-on learning that can be applied to real-world problems – making STEM more tangible and showcasing its value beyond the classroom.

While many think of high school students engaged in mechanical engineering or robotics competitions when they hear the word “robotics,” the subject naturally lends itself to learners of all ages—including very young students.

In this episode of Innovations in Education, hosted by Kevin Hogan, you’ll hear from Jason Innes, Director of Curriculum, Training and Product Management at KinderLab Robotics, Inc., discuss why robotics is an excellent way to introduce young learners to coding, computational thinking, and design principles.

How much time do you think the average K–3 student spends learning about science? Thirty minutes a day? An hour a day? Well, according to the 2018 National Survey of Science and Mathematics Education, K–3 students spent an average of 89 minutes studying ELA, 57 minutes learning math, and a miniscule 18 minutes a day on science. These numbers aren’t too surprising when you consider that reading and math are high priorities in early grades. However, when educators fail to make room for science in their lessons, students can still lose out on essential growth. 

Science is much more than naming planets or memorizing the periodic elements. At its heart, science is about tapping into a student’s innate curiosity and creativity while fostering their critical thinking skills. It encourages them to ask important questions and discover answers by carefully examining their surroundings.

Given the incredibly packed school day schedule, finding room for science will take more than a little flexibility and creative thinking. Here are just a few resources and strategies that teachers can put into practice right away:

1. Think 15: Teachers can start by engaging students in activities that will leave them feeling accomplished and treat them like real scientists, all in only 15 minutes or less. These can include STEM challenges like a marble run or a card tower challenge. Simply provide students with supplies, criteria, and constraints and then challenge them to meet a specific goal. Additionally, teachers can take things a step further with Inquiry in Action lessons. These free resources are designed to engage students and get them thinking deeply about their topic. Best of all, the lessons take anywhere from 15-30 minutes and with little to no prep for the teacher.

2. Think Culture: Use this instructional model to remind your students that these “soft” skills are just as important as the science, math, ELA, and social studies content they learn. The Claim, Evidence, Reasoning format is a great way to promote critical thinking, self-direction, and perseverance. Students should answer a question clearly in their Claim. Then they should use Evidence (analyzed data) to support their claim. Students should finish by providing Reasoning (an argument) as to why the evidence supports the claim. CERs can be used in any content area where students need to support a claim with sound evidence and reasoning. Check it out in action here!

The journeys that children take through education are not as straightforward as most people think.  

In recent years, close to 70 percent of students went straight from high school to college, with those going to four-year universities typically outnumbering those enrolling in two-year colleges by roughly two to one. But a growing number of young people are forging new paths that involve a detour around college altogether.

College-going rates have been trending down since before the COVID-19 pandemic. And a national survey conducted in 2021 by ECMC Group found that less than half of high school students said they planned to attend a four-year college or university–a decrease of more than 20 percentage points from 2019. 

That’s a real shame. Students who pass up college can close off good careers in STEM fields–science, technology, engineering and math–even if they struggled in school in these same subjects. Plenty of STEM jobs don’t require four years of college–just two or sometimes less. A lot of recent high school graduates might be surprised to know that some STEM careers that don’t require an expensive bachelor’s degree pay really well.

Building better pathways to STEM careers starts with teachers, counselors and parents–and a few basic math concepts.

There’s a common perception that young people don’t pursue STEM degrees or careers because math and other STEM subjects are too hard. That’s nonsense. Math is much more than trigonometry and physics and calculus. At its basic level, math is about learning to think and solve problems. Learning basic math skills such as reasoning, estimation, and measurement can open doors to good careers in growing fields such as allied health, health care, medical offices and construction trades. To point students toward STEM careers that require mastery only of basic math, teachers from kindergarten through 12th grade must share the joy of learning math and show all students that math is a crucial skill.

In this episode of Innovations in Education, hosted by Kevin Hogan:

• What is computer science education lacking?
• Why educational robotics is a critical STEM learning tool
• STEM Lessons Straight from the Classroom