STEM Rationale

Throughout and on completion of this project, there have been many opportunities to develop
and enhance my knowledge of STEM, our evolving technology and the affect it has on our
preferred futures. As a pre-service teacher, I was also given the opportunity to generate ideas
while referring directly to the Australian Curriculum and the Education Council’s STEM
Strategy (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, 2016-2026). As our world is
continuously changing and evolving, we need to develop with it to survive. Due to this fact, I
believe and hold great importance on the introduction and teachings STEM, to the younger
generations of students to come. As a result, providing students the tools to be adequately
equipped when facing the challenges of life and guiding the minds of the future. Such
fundamental skills include critical thinking, creativity, problem solving and collaboration.
These critical skills compliment the fundamental teaching and learning that underpins our
education system; changing what we know and understand, in order to keep up and advance
our societies.

Another key idea that is crucial to the survival and development of our Earth, is the topic of
sustainability. Further, how we can survive and flourish without compromising the ability of
future generations. Part of this effort in living sustainably is to reduce our impact on the Earth
by creating a renewed and balanced approach to the way we interact with the environment
and with others. One key aspect to the success of this approach, is the global initiative by the
United Nations – an international governing body, was formed in 1945; increasing economic
and political cooperation among supporting countries. The Sustainable Goal which I have
chosen to base my STEM, is Goal 15: “Life on Land”. According to the United Nations, this
developmental goal was designed to ‘protect, restore and promote sustainable use of
terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and
reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss’. By encompassing this goal throughout
my STEM project, I was able to successfully provide students with the correct skills and
guidance to work both individually and cooperatively with others. Students are provided the
opportunity to research the topics of sustainability, varying types of plants and herbs,
gardening without the use of chemicals and worm faming. Further, students were provided
the tools and equipment required, to design and build their own ‘Class Garden and Worm
Farm’. Utilising and observing the materials at their disposal; watching their own visions and
plants come to life and grow. These changes were then discussed as a class and linked back to
the importance of sustainability and the skills, values and knowledge that will contribute to a
more sustainable way of living.

In reflection, I believe the teachings of STEM provide a vital tool to development student
knowledge of more sustainability processes and ways of living. By living sustainably, we can
be socially, economically and environmentally more equipped for the future. Motivating and
educating people, companies and societies to accept beyond what is legally required, allows
for the vital protection of air quality, the growth of ecosystems and the sustainability of our
natural resources. Lastly, considering the continual growth and evolution of our technologies;
the future of STEM and creation of potential job roles, can be of great importance to the
foundation of education in primary years. As the role of teaching in schools and wealth of
real-life knowledge continues to grow; together these two aspects of teaching and learning
can prepare students for a desirable future.