Introduction to STEM Education

STEM 40303/50303 Introduction to STEM Education

This course provides an introduction to the foundations of STEM education disciplines and the strategies used to deliver integrated STEM education in the elementary and secondary school setting. The nature of STEM education disciplines, STEM pedagogy, teaching strategies, integrated STEM learning, STEM careers, and project-based instruction are addressed.

STEM 40303-50303 Course Syllabus

Fall 2024 – STEM 40303 Tentative Schedule

STEM Content Standards

Arkansas Science Standards
Standards for Technological and Engineering Literacy (STEL) – The Role of Technology and Engineering in STEM Education
- STEL standards and benchmarks
- STEL full document
Arkansas Mathematics Standards
Additional Arkansas Learning Standards

Course Resources

Writing a STEM Design Brief.doc

Engineering-Design-Journal Example

Performance-Based-Assessment-Guide

Reading Reflection Format

Fall 2024 Final Exams

Tue/Thu 9:30am – Tuesday, December 10 – 8:00 – 10:00am
Tue/Thu 3:30pm – Tuesday, December 10 – 3:00 – 5:00pm

Week 16

Tuesday, December 3

Paper Engineering Project Presentations
Paper Engineering (cont.)
- Working with cardboard
Challenge (in-class) – MakeDo – Cardboard Engineering

Thursday, December 5

Introduction to Automata PP
Resources
- Cardboard Automata – The Tinkering Studio
- Cardboard_Automata – Exploratorium
Automata Final Project

Week 15

Tuesday, November 26

Paper Engineering Project
- Due Tuesday, December 3 – you will present at the beginning of class
Resources from the Elements of Pop-Up Book – Pop-Up Templates

Thanksgiving Break – November 27-29

Week 14

Tuesday, November 19

Introduction to Paper Engineering
In-class Pop-Up Challenges

Thursday, November 21

Electricity Project Presentations – Electricity Project Due
- Remaking Peer Feedback
Paper Engineering

Week 13

Tuesday, November 12

- Electricity Curriculum Project Development

November 14-15 – 1909 Conference

Thursday, November 14

Complete Electricity Curriculum Project (Teaching Model Presentations will be on November 21 – Final Curriculum Project Due)
We will not officially meet for class, as I will at the 1909 Conference.

Week 12

Tuesday, November 5

The Electricity Project PP
Electricity Curriculum Project Development

Thursday, November 7

Electricity Curriculum Project Development

Week 11

Tuesday, October 29

Introduction to Electricity – Building electrical circuits to demonstrate transfer of energy
- Challenge (in-class) – Drawing a Circuit Quick Challenge
- Challenge (in-class) – The Simplest Electric Motor
Reading Assignments
- Major Assignment – Electricity Curriculum Project
- Chapter 1: http://www.allaboutcircuits.com/vol_1/index.html
  - Static Electricity
  - Conductors, Insulators, and Electron Flow
  - What are Electrical Circuits

Thursday, October 31

Challenge (in-class) – Creating an electrical circuit with 2-LEDs and a switch
Reading Assignments:
- Chapter 1: http://www.allaboutcircuits.com/vol_1/index.html
  - Voltage and Current
  - Resistance
  - Voltage and Current in a Practical Circuit

Week 10

Tuesday, October 22

Technical-Procedural Problem Solving PP
Challenge (in-class) – Lego back-to-back Challenge

Thursday, October 24

Technical Procedural Problem-Solving
Challenge (in-class) – Teacher Geek
- Rubber Band Racer
Weekly Reading Assignment – Writing a Technical/Procedural STEM Problem and Reading Reflection

Week 9

Fall Break – October 14-15

Thursday, October 17

Challenge (in-class) –HexBug Engineering Design Challenge
Technical-Procedural Problem Solving PP

Week 8

Tuesday, October 8

Literature-based Curriculum Peer Review (in-class assignment)
- Final submission – Major Assignment – Literature-Based Curriculum – due Friday

Thursday, October 10

Due Tomorrow – Final submission – Major Assignment – Literature-Based Curriculum – please be sure to submit your work as a document (not a link) – I would suggest a .pdf so that I can see your intended formatting.
Computer Programming and Computational Thinking
- Computational Thinking – Mousebots and Hexbugs PP
- Mouse-bots and Hexbugs (in-class challenges)

Week 7

Tuesday, October 1

Major Assignment – Literature-Based Curriculum
- Literature-based Curriculum Project Development
  - Potential Materials and Tools
Homework: Complete your Teacher Guide using the Lit-based Curriculum Rough Draft format. Begin developing your student guide and engineering design journal using the design project you made in a previous assignment.

Thursday, October 3

Literature-based Curriculum Project Development
- Homework: Complete your Teacher Guide, Student Guide, and Engineering Design Journal for peer review on Tuesday, October 8 in class.
  - Be sure to use the check-list to review your work before Tuesday.

Week 6

Tuesday, September 24

Construction Block Ideation Guide due
- Presentations and further development
Weekly Reading Assignment – Integrating Literacy and Engineering Instruction for Young Learners and Reading Reflection

Thursday, September 26

Major Assignment – Literature-Based Curriculum – Due October 8th
- Finding a book – library resources
- Literature-based Design Challenge Development
Homework – select a math and science standard for a specific grade level that could be taught together using an ill-structed design challenge – and select 3 or 4 children’s books with potential problems that could be solved using the engineering design process – bring these ideas to class on Tuesday for further development
- Lit-based Curriculum Rough Draft
Weekly Reading Assignment – Writing a STEM Design Brief

Week 5

Tuesday, September 17

Using Blocks and Construction Toys for Teaching STEM PP
Challenge (in-class) – Keva Workshop and Design Challenges
- KEVA Resources
- KEVA Educator Guide – Lesson Plans
Weekly Reading Assignment- complete one Reading Reflection that focuses on both readings –
- Using Block Play
- Blocks As a Tool for Learning

Thursday, September 19

Reading Review
Challenge (in-class) – Construction Blocks
Homework Assignment – Complete the Construction Block Ideation Guide and bring to class ready to work on Tuesday
Reading Assignment – Developing Big Ideas and Essential Questions

Week 4

Tuesday, September 10

Design Loop Presentations
- After your presentation and getting feedback from the class, you may resubmit by noon tomorrow.

Thursday, September 12

The Quick Challenge PP
Character Card (Story Grammar) (in-class) Quick Challenge
- Maslyk ‘s Character Cards
Weekly Reading Assignment – Connecting Compassion Empathy’s Role in STEM and Literacy Integration and Reading Reflection

Week 3

Tuesday, September 3

Using tools in the classroom (continued)
The Design Process PP
Major Assignment – The Engineering Design Loop
- Design Loop Assignment Template
- This assignment is due Monday, September 9, at noon. You will present your design in class on Tuesday.
Weekly Reading Assignment – A Framework for STEM Problem-Solving – you do not need to complete a reading reflection – consider how you could use this as part of your research as you develop you own version of the engineering design process.

Thursday, September 5