Ecosystem Design Challenge

https://drive.google.com/drive/shared-with-me
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxkJEAtDuE8CSHJLeTBlOFlXN28/view?ths=true

Parking Lot Summaries of STEM

National Standards

ESEA 2002 (NCLB).   An act that was established to set achieving standards for schools and served as a resource that showed where achievement gaps occurred.

Next Generation Science Standards.   Standards that were established through collaboration to help students be  more proficient in science.  The hope was that they would be better prepared for the work force and college since there was also a correlation with career and citizenship skills.

Project 2061.    A reform that was established to create benchmarks at specific points in educational learning as a way to assess science proficiency while creating effective resources for teachers.

Common Core Standards for Math.    A set of guidelines to help direct teachers in what students should be able to do where teachers should be focusing on fewer topics that go into a  more in-depth understanding of the processes.

ISTE Standards for Teachers.   An outline of skills and pedagogies that teachers need in order to be able to teach students in a manner that allows them to learn with proficiency where there is a focus on technology.

ITEEA Standards for Technology Literacy.    There is a focus on more technology in schools that  helps promote literacy and how it can be applied to different fields of study.

State Standards

APG and VERSO STEM Education Resources.   Resources that serve as planning guides for guidance counselors or administrators that are responsible for  a students course planning.  Courses are outline based on particular career choices or paths interested in by the student.

Virginia 2010 Science Standards of Learning.   An outline of what teachers are expected to teach and what students are expected to learn at each grade level or based on each particular science course.  The common thread in all of the science standards is scientific investigation while there are other strands that are repeated in multiple course but the depth  or required knowledge varies.

Virginia 2009 Mathematics Standards of Learning.    An outline of the required strands students are expected to learn at different levels.  It’s a resource for teachers providing them with the required learning and materials that could be implemented.

Virginia College and Career Readiness Initiative.    An emphasis that has been placed on preparing students for their future regardless of whether it is going to college or starting with a trade job after high school graduation.  The premise is to expose students to the skills that are required for reading, math, and writing for the path of their choosing.

Local

Newport News Instructional STEM.  An initiative taken by the school system to provide ways for all students to be ready for college, a career, and to be a productive member of society.

Website for government involvement

http://nstacommunities.org/blog/2015/03/29/nsta-legislative-update-negotiations-continue-on-esea-rewrite/

I came across this link anbd found it interesting that it appears the government has lost sight of the importance of promoting STEM education.

Lesson using a design process

I have not necessarily taught a full lessson using the design process but have incorporated parts of it that were used over a couple of different days.

1.  When students were presented with the ideas for their STEM project choices, they were given an opportunity to ask questions and bounce ideas off of each other. 

2.  The beginning of the lesson could  have been more engaging for  the students.  I should have presented them with maybe a scenario and asked them how they would solve it or given them some items and asked them what they could use them for.

3.  More time was spent on new material as the project details were presented and students were to work on the project at home.

4.  On the day that students brought their projects in for intial testing, students were not asked why they designed it a certain way.   However, before the project was brought into the classroom for testing, they had to submit a design that did explain how it was going to be built.

5.  Students did have a chance to talking with other students about how they built their projects.  They will do a write up about the project when the final product is turned in.

6.  I think that the next time I present the projects to them, I will do something small in the  class where they can practice building something out of random materials within a small group.  We should also spent more time discussing what information needs to be known about the topics that would help them with thier designs.

7.  I am not sure really what steps should be taken next on the topic since it is not related to topics taught in the current curriculum.  However, I could do research trying to find topics where more inquiry type projects could be done that have a more meaningful connection to the curriculum they are required to learn.

STEM notebook link

https://drive.google.com/?tab=jo&authuser=0#my-drive

Stem ideas

http://www2.ivcc.edu/mimic/nsf/Middle%20School%20Activities/STEM%20Activities%20Handbook.pdf

Found this link that has several ideas for different STEM projects.  Some are better than others and can be adapted for inclusion in STEM competitions at the school.  Our school has recently  started doing a STEM competition where the students are presented with different choices.  This year each grade level was given 2 choices to pick from along with the criteria.  I do not see how  the example of the M&M colors is STEM. 

Grading

Thoughts on Grading

Purpose:

·         To inform students and parents of progress, areas of strengths and weaknesses

·         Assessing student learning for the  teacher to know what concepts have been grasped and which need remediation

% mastery:

·         Progress, what is mastered and what is not

·         Where students fall in a range compared to other students

·         Passing/Failing based on state and school system standards

Rubrics:

·         Allow for creativity, timeliness, use of time, and demonstration of content knowledge

·         Can be used where there would be ambiguity in the grading

·         Best for project based assignments

·         Outlines clear expectations.

Resources: https://suite.io/harvey-craft/4mgs2a6

http://ezinearticles.com/?Best-Way-to-Effectively-Grade-Students-and-My-2-Cents-on-Health-Education&id=7668121

http://www.alfiekohn.org/article/grading/

http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/feb08/vol65/num05/Effective-Grading-Practices.aspx