The Importance of Moving Towards STEM Integration

By,
Anne Marie Burdick      

        Try to mentally visualize a crossword puzzle. The words of a crossword puzzle share letters and sync together. You are given clues about the missing words, but oftentimes the given information is not enough. Normally, when the boxes for a word are filled in, it is easy to determine the next word. However, sometimes it is not as simple to fill in the blank spaces. I believe Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) integration is a metaphor of a crossword puzzle. Just like an unfinished crossword puzzle, the implementation of STEM into the classroom is not an easy task. Integrating the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) and the mathematical Process Standards is a new challenge many educators are facing. Once these teachers figure out how to combine and finish their crossword puzzle by successfully implementing the proper standards into their classrooms, will their students actually grasp how important these content areas are for their futures?

     
        Teachers around the country are trying to figure out productive ways to connect STEM into their lessons and to excite students about the future opportunities outside of school. The TEKS Mathematical process standards describe ways students should participate and engage in the content. If these standards are not incorporated into daily lesson plans the U.S. educational system will not be preparing our students for the jobs that lie ahead. According to STEM Smart: Lessons Learned from Successful Schools (2011), “the current demand for STEM-capable workers surpasses the supply of applicants who have trained for those careers”. If there continues to be a lack of individuals who are qualified not only for STEM-capable jobs but also for future careers, then economically the U.S. will miss out in key growth. Stohlmann, Moore, and Roehrig (2012) explained the profits STEM integration brought. They found research that proved integrated curriculum provided “opportunities for more relevant, less fragmented, and more stimulating experiences for learners”(p.29).

Retrieved from http://www.billpegram.com/ed554/fall06/tinkerplots.html

     
        Students can experience this “stimulating experience” by completing projects that investigate real world scenarios. Students can find a set of data on the Internet and investigate how and why this data occurred in real life. Tinkerplots is a website that allows users to import data into the software and then use that data to find different statistical analysis. Students are able to solve real world problems and they are able to experience how a true mathematician feels when they are sorting through data. When students are given these real world scenarios they are getting the opportunity to construct their own arguments, to use appropriate technology, to discuss their findings, and to make sense of problems. An example is shown above where students looked at data to determine if their backpacks were too heavy.

        Another great resource is PBS’s Cyperchase website. This site gives students videos where mathematics is used in different real life scenarios. In this particular video, a store employee is given the task of restocking the shoes in a store. The manager gives the employee a chart of sales data and the employee has to determine how many pairs of each shoe size is needed. These videos are great ways for students to get an idea of where mathematics can be used in real jobs.

Retrieved from http://www.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/vtl07.math.data.rep.restocksh/restocking-shoes/

        STEM integration and the mathematical process standards give teachers a framework of how they can be effectively incorporating math into their instructional plans so that students get motivated and excited. When the right tools are used students will understand why it is important for them to be actively engaged in STEM subjects. When STEM is implemented effectively, the crossword puzzle will be completed and students will gain a richer learning experience.

Retrieved from http://successfulstemeducation.org/resources/improving-stem-curriculum-and-    
        instruction-engaging-students-and-raising-standards

Stohlmann, M., Moore, T. J., & Roehrig, G. H. (2012). Considerations for teaching integrated stem
        education. Journal of Pre-College Engineering Education Research, 2(1), 29.