Making Zoob robots!
I read a great article last year that asked, “Why is it acceptable in this country to say, ‘I’m bad at math’? Do you know many people who would admit to being semi-literate? [The first step we need to take as a country] is to make it socially unacceptable to be bad at math just like it’s socially unacceptable to be bad at reading.” That quote stuck with me, and it’s what I think about when I advocate for STEM in the early learning classroom. It isn’t just about meeting an initiative, it’s about making sure we plant the seeds for a lifetime of learning in all areas, so that children can bloom into well rounded, productive individuals.
Over the last few years I’ve been keeping an eye on the growing momentum for more STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) education in the early education classroom. When the White House initially launched their “Educate to Innovate” initiative in 2009 I was curious to see what they had to say about STEM in the early education classroom. Turns out what they had to say was…not much. STEM was primarily seen as a K-12 initiative, with plans to expand to upper education later. I couldn’t believe it! A year later in a 2010 report to the President the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) noted that, ”STEM subjects tend to be highly cumulative and sequential. In mathematics, each step in a progression depends on previous knowledge and skills. These characteristics of STEM mean that students who have trouble at an early stage will face further difficulty down the road.” It seems to me that this quote explains exactly why it’s critical to focus on STEM in Pre-K!
Maybe one of the reasons educators struggle with introducing STEM early is because it is such a cumulative and complex process. I would argue that introducing STEM early isn’t just about introducing concepts at a young age, but also modeling a positive attitude about subjects like science and math and helping children feel excited about it! In a recent editorial for Scientific American the authors cite a study where Kindergartners, when asked to talk about science, expressed almost no positive feelings towards it. To Kindergartners science is hard, uninteresting, or something that involves magic and dangerous chemicals.
We have to start the positive modeling and integration of STEM as early as appropriate and as soon as possible. Part of that process is making sure teachers themselves are comfortable with the material and ready to introduce these concepts to early learners. 100Kin10 is an organization that insists, “We’re not launching a campaign, we’re starting a movement.” They seek to make sure every child has access to great STEM education by advocating for 100,000 expert STEM educators in the next ten years. As those educators work their way into school systems, I’m glad there are currently folks in the field like Heather McNeil. Heather is the Youth Services Manager at the Deschutes Public Library and she wrote a blog that I love about integrating STEM into story time. I really love her cloud counting rhyme! I’ve been humming it all day.
Our first STEM kit–HANDy Engineering Robotics
It’s great ideas like these that excite me, and the renewed focus and attention to STEM in early education that sparked the idea behind a new kit I helped to develop. The Hatch STEM kit solves some of the challenges I mentioned earlier about teaching STEM to young children. The bags include an activity guide with detailed instructions that tell teachers exactly how to implement the kit over the course of a few weeks. I included a sample letter to send home to parents explaining STEM and why it’s so important, and all the materials needed to complete the activities. Our first kit also happens to be about one of my favorite topics–robots! I recently got to test out the kit with some young volunteers, and I can’t wait to show you the video from that experience. Watching them show me how robots walk was the highlight of my day.
While this kit is rolling out (and with several more coming in the next few months), I want to hear about how you’re integrating STEM in your classroom. Feel free to leave a comment here, or tweet at @HatchEarlyChild using the #HatchSTEM hashtag and I’ll be sure to see it!
Happy Learning!
The post STEM is Essential for Kids to Bloom appeared first on Hatch.