ED 243-5 Magazine-Sydney Coley

What do you
need to make
your classroom

better?

Sydney Coley
ED 243-5

Brother David Marshall
S.T.E.M Learning
March 27, 2019

Brigham Young University- Idaho

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Table of Contents
Title page……………………………………………………………………………………….…2
Table of contents………………………………………………………………………………..…3
Author page…………………………………………………………………………………..……4
Abstract……………………………………………………………………………………………5
Current trend article………………………………………………………………………..……6-7
References…………………………………………………………………………………………8
Interviews…………………………………………………………………………………..….9-11

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Author page

My name is Sydney Coley and I am from a small town in Nixa Missouri. I completed my
K-12 education in the Nixa public school system and am now continuing my education at
Brigham Young University Idaho. I have always wanted to be a teacher and am studying
Elementary Education at BYUI

Throughout my K-12 school experience I have had many amazing teachers. The teachers
I have had have contributed greatly to the kind of person that I have become. They showed me
that learning can be fun, they showed me the talents that I have, and they have taught me how to
handle problems and respect others. I learned so much more from my teachers than how to read,
write, and basic mathematic skills. I learned how to communicate, be creative, and how to listen
to the opinions of others.

As a teacher I want to help my students in any way that I can. I think the role of a teacher
is to teach, but it is also to encourage, assist, and to even be a friend. I want my students to know
that they have someone that truly cares for them. Like many good teachers that I have had I
want to teach my students how to do math and read but also how to be a well-rounded person
that can work with others and be successful.

The role of the student is to be actively engaged in learning. They should participate and
encourage others. They should ask questions when they don’t understand and be willing to get
out of their comfort zone in order to grow. I think that the best way to teach students is by
experimentation and hands on learning. I want to help them gain respect for others and their
ideas. I want to encourage them and show them that I truly want them to succeed and be the best
that they can be. (321)

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Abstract

STEM education is becoming an increasingly big part of our educational system today. It
is a way to help students in their life after school. STEM helps prepare each student for a future
career of job. STEM broadens children’s views on what they think is possible. My research
overall was very positive. Many people had great things to say about STEM. I found a lot about
how the purpose of STEM was truly playing out in ordinary everyday classrooms. Many schools
are able to provide their students with the tools and information they need to learn and grow.
Having the main focus of STEM is helping students stay up to date. The focus on STEM is
having education be more effective. Students are learning about things when they happen in real
time. Now more than ever we have so much information available at our fingertips. Most
information can be accessed by the push of a button or by simply striking a few keys on a
computer. Many schools now have much more technology available for student use than ever
before. Students have better access to information and have greater opportunities for learning
and development. Some criticism that came from STEM is that it should be more inclusive for
other career fields. One thing that is important to realize is that STEM is not the only thing that
students can be involved in. Subjects, such as the arts, are still important. STEM is helping
students be more aware of the developments that are happening around them. Much of the work
that is done today is intangible due to the way we gain information today. I think that it should
be something that it is talked about more. While I was holding my interviews, many people were
able to recognize that the core pieces of STEM have become a big part of education today, but
many of them were unaware that the focus on STEM has been intentional. (326)

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S.T.E.M in The Classroom part of STEM complement and work
together. In the elementary stage the main
As educators it is our job to help our focus is getting students excited and
students learn and grow. Children spend so involved. At the middle school age students
much of their lives in schools. They learn are expected to do more. Their
the basics of how to be successful. From a understanding is increased as they see the
young age, children are learning the skills potential of a possible career in a STEM
that they will use for the rest of their lives. field. In High School students are able to
One way that schools are helping students apply what they have learned about each of
prepare for their future life after school, and these subjects in their own lives. Students
even a career, is by focusing on STEM are then being prepared for secondary
Education. STEM Education is an education and the opportunities a job
interdisciplinary approach that reinforces focused around STEM would mean for them
critical thinking and exploration practices (Hom, 2014).
commonly used in effective science,
technology, engineering and math Having a focus on STEM is meant to
classrooms (Discovery Education, 2019). help the children in all aspects of their lives.
STEM is an acronym where the S stands for STEM focused education is not meant to
science, T is technology, E is engineering, force children into having their life all
and M stands for math. mapped out during elementary school. It is
simply to supply them with the knowledge
All parts of STEM are interrelated and understanding that they need to be
and connected. Our everyday lives depend functioning adults. It would be pointless to
so much on the main focuses highlighted in prepare students for anything other than the
STEM. Our technology is advancing at a future. Our world, economic, and political
high rate due to the help of engineering. In future is very much focused on all things
order to have more advanced technology we STEM and it is our responsibility to do the
need to better grasp concepts of math and best we can to prepare our children for what
science. According to the article Science, is to come.
Technology, Engineering and Math:
Education for Global Leadership it states STEM is not all work and no play.
that the, “projected percentage in increases An article on the website Engineering for
in jobs from 2021-2020” would have Kids has this to say about STEM based
increased in all jobs by 14% , mathematics learning. “STEM activities provide hands-on
by 16%, computer systems analysts by 22%, and minds-on lessons for the student.
systems software developers by 32%, Making math and science both fun and
medical scientist by 36%, and biomedical interesting helps the student to do much
engineers by 62%” (U.S. Department of more than just learn” (Engineering for Kids,
Education). It is very apparent that our 2016). The focus on STEM helps students
society is shifting its focus very highly on become aware of their possibilities.
STEM related jobs. When teaching with Students could become aware of so much
STEM as a focus, children become better more than they ever thought possible.
prepared for their future. Some jobs that branch from STEM include
astronomy, biology, chemistry, computer
In elementary schools’ students are science, electrical engineering, geology,
introduced to introductory level stem information technology, mechanical
courses. Children work on seeing how each engineering, and physics (Best Colleges,

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2019). The possibilities of students can more prevalent in society. If students are
do is growing. able to learn about these things, they will be
more prepared for the work force. They will
STEM is amazing because it truly is be active and helpful members of society.
possible for every student. The article by We always tell students that they can be
Engineering for Kids explains that, “STEM whatever they want to be. Having a focus
education helps to bridge the ethnic and on STEM helps them have a broader view of
gender gaps sometimes found in math and the many options that they have for a career.
science fields. Initiatives have been Starting to incorporate STEM at an early
established to increase the roles of women age, as young as kindergarteners, gets them
and minorities in STEM-related fields. to be familiar with all aspects. I do not think
STEM education breaks the traditional that any student should be forced to become
gender roles. In order to compete in a global something that they do not want to be. I
economy, STEM education and careers must believe that STEM education widens
be a national priority” (Engineering for children’s views on possibilities. It should
Kids, 2016). This is important to highlight be fun, active, and engaging.
because it shows just how every student and
their future matters. All students are Students are so important. They are
encouraged to pursue something that they truly our future. We should be doing all that
love and are passionate about. STEM helps we can to help them. STEM is a great
to broaden students views and ideas. It example of how we can prepare students for
shows students that may have not felt like the future. No matter what it is we should
they could pursue a career in STEM, due to always be looking for ways to help our
things such as race, gender, or social status, students. As educators or future teachers,
that they can and other people like them we understand the most important thing is
have been successful. the student, not simply making sure that they
have facts memorized so they can pass tests.
I think that having a focus on Each student has potential and sometimes
S.T.E.M is just what we need in schools. they just need the encouragement and
All of the things that S.T.E.M focuses on, resources to be able to reach their potential.
science, technology, engineering, and I believe that STEM is one of the best tools
mathematics are such a huge part of our that we can give students. (1017)
everyday life and it is becoming more and

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References
Best Colleges. (2019). Careers in STEM. Retrieved from

https://www.bestcolleges.com/careers/stem/
Discovery Education. (2019). STEM Professional Development and Resources. Retrieved from

http://www.discoveryeducation.com/what-we-offer/stem/index.cfm
Engineering for Kids. (2016). Why is STEM Education So Important?. Retrieved from

https://www.engineeringforkids.com/about/news/2016/february/why-is-stem-education-
so-important-/
Hom, E. (2014). What is STEM Education?. Retrieved from https://www.livescience.com/43296-
what-is-stem-education.html
U.S. Department of Education. Science, Technology, Engineering and Math: Education for
Global Leadership. Retrieved from https://www.ed.gov/stem

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Stakeholder interviews Sydney Ferguson
High School Senior at Nixa High
Alan Rivas Q: What have you heard about STEM?
Junior at Missouri State University A: “I have heard it mentioned in school but
Pre-Med didn’t really know exactly what it was until
you explained it.
Q: What have you heard about STEM?
A: “I have actually heard quite a lot about Q: Do you think that it is effective?
STEM. I am pre-med so a lot of what I do A: “I think it is effective. I know that at
has to deal with science and math.” Nixa High School they do so much that
focuses on science and technology. We all
Q: Do you think that it is effective? have our own Chrome books, so I think
A: “I think that STEM is effective. I think that’s pretty big.”
that we have so many technological
advancements today and STEM is helping Q: Is there anything that you think should be
us apply it to our education.” different about STEM?
A: “I personally don’t know if engineering
Q: Is there anything that you think should be is as big of a part as the other things like
different about STEM? science and math, but I think as time goes on
A: “Honestly I don’t. I think that it does a it may become a bigger career field.”
good job of focusing on what matters.”
Q: Do you think that it has changed what
Q: Do you think that it has changed what teachers teach?
teachers teach? A: “Totally, this year I was able to take a
A: “I think that it definitely has. I have a forensic science class and I absolutely loved
younger sister and she has a lot of options it. It showed me that maybe one day I
for classes that I never had.” would want to do something in that field.”

Q: What do you think is the most important Q: What do you think is the most important
part of STEM? part of STEM?
A: “I personally think that math is the most A: “I think that the most important thing
important part because all other parts would about STEM is that it focuses on our
not be possible without it. I know for me it careers. I know many kids that I go to
is such a huge part of what I am going to school with have thought about what they
school for.” want to do because of a cool class that they
have taken in school, kind of like the
forensics class that I got to take.”

Rachel England
Mother of four students
Q: What have you heard about STEM?

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A: “I have heard that STEM is becoming a get our students to be a part of things like
big focus in schools today.” that, it would be amazing. It could open up
so many opportunities for them.”
Q: Do you think that it is effective? Q: Do you think that it has changed what
A: “Yes, I am really happy that my kids that teachers teach?
are in school are being able to incorporate A: “I am sure that it has changed some of
what they are learning into things that they what teachers teach in respect to different
will be doing in the future. I also like it classes that may have not been offered in the
because it shows that schools are trying to past, but I think that also has to do with
teach things that are up to date and changing times, and if they are a good
relevant.” school, they will do their best to do that.”
Q: What do you think is the most important
Q: Is there anything that you think should be part of STEM?
different about STEM? A: “I would probably say that technology is
A: “I do think that STEM shouldn’t be as one of the most important because we can
limited. I think that there are other things do so much more in schools than we ever
that are becoming a big part of society could before. Technology helps introduce
besides just science and math related fields.” students to endless information.”

Q: Do you think that it has changed what Isabel Holloway
teachers teach? Student at BYUI
A: “I think that it has made teachers be more Q: What have you heard about STEM?
connected with the current trends.” A: “I haven’t heard much about it to be
honest, but I knew that it had to do with
Q: What do you think is the most important education. I know that one girl in my
part of STEM? writing and reasoning class is doing an essay
A: “I think that they are all important and on it.”
one shouldn’t be prioritized over the other.” Q: Do you think that it is effective?
A: “ I think that it can be effective, but I also
Corey LeValley think that other things are just as important
Former Elementary Teacher as the arts. I think that if it had more
Q: What have you heard about STEM? components it could make students more
A: “I have only heard a little about it, but I
know that it stands for science, technology, 10
engineering, and math.”

Q: Do you think that it is effective?
A: “I think that it is a good idea to focus on
these four things because that is such a big
focus of the world not just the United
States.”

Q: Is there anything that you think should be
different about STEM?
A: “I do not really think that it should be
different. I think that we have so many
technological advances today and if we can

well-rounded rather than having them focus science and math, but I did have
on just four things.” opportunities to take things such as dual
credit classes.”
Q: Is there anything that you think should be
different about STEM? Q: What do you think is the most important
A: “Yes, I have heard about STEAM which part of STEM?
is more inclusive with the arts.” A: “I would say that they are all important
because we are moving toward a more
Q: Do you think that it has changed what technology-based society. Maybe I don’t
teachers teach? know enough about engineering, but I don’t
A: “I honestly haven’t seen much of a see it as important as the other three.”
difference. In school I just took very basic

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“Education is the most
powerful weapon we can
use to change the world.”

-Nelson Mandela

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