Understanding STEM Education

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics

With all the acronyms that determine hundreds of different areas of education, it is easy to confuse
them all. Since 2001, the letters STEM have been a normal part of educational vocabulary. The acronym STEM
stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. This program was started by Judith A.
Ramaley, the former director of the National Science Foundation’s education and human-resources division.
This approach to education is designed to revolutionize the teaching of subject areas such as mathematics and
science by incorporating technology and engineering into regular curriculum by creating a “meta-discipline.”
There is more; STEM Education attempts to transform the typical teacher-centered classroom by encouraging
a curriculum that is driven by problem-solving, discovery, exploratory learning, and require students to actively
engage a situation in order to find its solution.

STEM is important because our world depends on it. The economy, our general well-being—it’s all
backed by science, technology, engineering, and math. Thus, when we refer to STEM, it’s not just coding
and lab coats. It’s the underpinning of manufacturing, food production, health care, and so much more
that frankly, we might take for granted, but surely can’t live without. You might be wondering then, if
STEM is so important, so necessary, then why do we have to keep talking about it? You might be saying,
“This is the 25th blog post you’ve written that features “STEM” in the title…we get it, STEM is important,
so let’s move on.“ And therein lies the rub. The collective “we” haven’t yet “gotten it.”
“We need to first educate in order to educate. I’m not trying to be cute or clever. But in the process of
writing this post, I realized there are two different forms of “STEM education” we need to be talking about
here:
“STEM education” with regards to students in school, and the teaching of STEM in the classroom, but
also, a STEM education in terms of you, me, parents, teachers; all of us learning more, and becoming
more educated on the importance of STEM.
Why have I just put your brain in a pretzel? It’s not intentional by any means.
The point I’m trying to make is that if we aren’t educated on the importance of STEM, we won’t push our
kids to become educated in STEM.”
“I mean, the second type of STEM education that I was just talking about. The kind where we learn more
ourselves about what STEM is and what it means for the future of our children, so that we can then
provide a better STEM education for them.”

STEM is a curriculum based on the idea of educating students in four specific disciplines — science,
technology, engineering and mathematics — in an interdisciplinary and applied approach. Rather than teach
the four disciplines as separate and discrete subjects, STEM integrates them into a cohesive learning
paradigm based on real-world applications.

The importance of STEM education

All of this effort is to meet a need. According to a report by the website STEMconnector.org, by 2018, projections
estimate the need for 8.65 million workers in STEM-related jobs. The manufacturing sector faces an alarmingly
large shortage of employees with the necessary skills — nearly 600,000. The field of cloud computing alone
will have created 1.7 million jobs between 2011 and 2015, according to the report. The U.S. Bureau of Labor
Statistics projects that by 2018, the bulk of STEM careers will be:
 Computing – 71 percent
 Traditional Engineering – 16 percent
 Physical sciences – 7 percent
 Life sciences – 4 percent
 Mathematics – 2 percent

STEM jobs do not all require higher education or even a college degree. Less than half of entry-level STEM
jobs require a bachelor's degree or higher. However, a four-year degree is incredibly helpful with salary — the
average advertised starting salary for entry-level STEM jobs with a bachelor's requirement was 26 percent
higher than jobs in the non-STEM fields, according to the STEMconnect report. For every job posting for a
bachelor's degree recipient in a non-STEM field, there were 2.5 entry-level job postings for a bachelor's degree
recipient in a STEM field.

This is not a problem unique to the United States. In the United Kingdom, the Royal Academy of Engineering
reports that the Brits will have to graduate 100,000 STEM majors every year until 2020 just to meet demand.
According to the report, Germany has a shortage of 210,000 workers in the mathematics, computer science,
natural science and technology disciplines.

Blended learning

What separates STEM from the traditional science and math education is the blended learning environment
and showing students how the scientific method can be applied to everyday life. It teaches students
computational thinking and focuses on the real world applications of problem solving. As mentioned before,
STEM education begins while students are very young:

 Elementary school — STEM education focuses on the introductory level STEM courses, as well as awareness of
the STEM fields and occupations. This initial step provides standards-based structured inquiry-based and real world
problem-based learning, connecting all four of the STEM subjects. The goal is to pique students' interest into them
wanting to pursue the courses, not because they have to. There is also an emphasis placed on bridging in-school and
out-of-school STEM learning opportunities.
 
 Middle school — At this stage, the courses become more rigorous and challenging. Student awareness of STEM
fields and occupations is still pursued, as well as the academic requirements of such fields. Student exploration of
STEM related careers begins at this level, particularly for underrepresented populations.
 
 High school — The program of study focuses on the application of the subjects in a challenging and rigorous
manner. Courses and pathways are now available in STEM fields and occupations, as well as preparation for post-
secondary education and employment. More emphasis is placed on bridging in-school and out-of-school STEM
opportunities.

Much of the STEM curriculum is aimed toward attracting underrepresented populations. Female students, for
example, are significantly less likely to pursue a college major or career. Though this is nothing new, the gap is
increasing at a significant rate. Male students are also more likely to pursue engineering and technology fields,
while female students prefer science fields, like biology, chemistry, and marine biology. Overall, male students
are three times more likely to be interested in pursuing a STEM career, the STEMconnect report said.
 Ethnically, Asian students have historically displayed the highest level of interest in the STEM fields. Prior to
2001, students of an African-American background also showed high levels of interest in STEM fields, second
only to the Asian demographic. However, since then, African-American interest in STEM has dropped
dramatically to lower than any other ethnicity. Other ethnicities with high STEM interest include American
Indian students.
 Technology has changed almost every aspect of our lives. In the 21st century, scientific and
technological innovations have increasingly important. To succeed in this new information-based and highly
technology society, students need to develop their capabilities in STEM .
STEM stands for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. STEM is important because it pervades
every part of our lives. It is a multidiscipline based, incorporating the integration of other disciplinary
knowledge into a new whole. STEM develops a set of thinking, reasoning and investigative skills. Science is
everywhere in the world around us and gives us the ability to access a wealth of knowledge and information
which will contribute to an overall understanding of how and why things work like they do.
Technology is continuously expanding and advancing too fast. It seems that as soon as a device comes out new,
more advanced model is already underway. Engineering focuses on developing solutions and provides a flexible
process that takes the students in creating and identifying multiple ideas and different appr oaches.
Mathematics is in every profession. Providing students with access to quality education in the STEM is
important to our nation’s competitiveness. Stem education is more than a cultivation of techniques and a
process for teaching and learning that offers students opportunities to make difference. STEM is giving the
students a chance to develop a passion and hopefully pursue a job in a STEM field. This program also breaks
the traditional gender role because STEM initiates to increase the roles of women and minorities in STEM
related fields. The children can see that what they are learning now is pertinent to their future because of STEM
education.

STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. STEM Education is important

because it pervades every part of our lives. Science is everywhere in the world around us. Technology is
continuously expanding into every aspect of our lives. Engineering is the basic designs of roads and bridges
but also tackles the challenges of changing global weather and environmentally-friendly changes to our home.
Mathematics is in every occupation, every activity we do in our lives. By exposing students to STEM and giving
them opportunities to explore STEM-related concepts, they will develop a passion for it.

Here are 8 benefits of STEM education:

 Prepares children for upcoming technological innovations:

It teaches kids to be proactive about technology.  It prepares kids for the technological innovations
they will undoubtedly experience in their lifetime. More and more, technology is an integral part of life
that kids need to understand.

 Enhances problem-solving skills:

STEM education builds and encourages problem-solving skills. In STEM activities, students learn
how to analyze problems and then work to correct and overcome them.

 Greater understanding of concepts:

Children need to engage and apply concepts in a deeper, more thorough way, leading to a greater
understanding of the concepts.

 Application of knowledge:
 STEM is motivating, engaging and real-world inspired. Knowledge is taught the way it is used in the
real world, with concepts and subjects interwoven seamlessly. Children integrate and apply all this
knowledge.

 Instils creativity and innovation:

Creativity can co-exist with science and technology and lead to creative careers like in Architecture
and Graphic Design. In our world of innovation, creativity is the fuel for new technologies and ideas.
Creativity allows students to see problems in new ways and to think outside of the box.

 Teaches Teamwork, collaboration, and communication:

STEM makes it accessible to children of all levels of ability. Even within one team, various ability
levels can work together and learn together. Communicating your finding and solutions accurately
and effectively whether through recording data, writing reports, or giving presentations is key to taking
action.

 Encourages Risk Taking:

Observing needs, developing ideas, experimenting with solutions encourages an important level of
risk-taking that many kids want to avoid. Children will learn to stand up for their idea, make it happen,
and if it fails, to try again.

 Complete Process  Learning:

Children will experience the whole process of completing a project from start to finish. The skills to
learn how to research, plan, gather data, design, and draw conclusions are vital to the success of kids
looking to solve real-life needs.

 Builds Perseverance and Determination:

Students have the freedom of thinking critically, creatively and to innovate. And opportunities are
provided for children to fail and try again in a safe environment. It emphasizes the value of failure as a
learning opportunity and helps embrace the mistakes. It gives kids confidence to make goals and take
measurable steps to achieve them.

 Fosters a love of learning:

STEM fosters a love of learning, instilling a passion and drive to learn. It drives curiosity and a belief
in the abilities of the child and a thirst for knowledge. With these skills in their toolbox, they will be
equipped to tackle the challenges of higher education and the real world.

 It helps you stay current – In a technology based society, technology is forever changing. It’s also used in
almost every aspect of our lives. As work places change with updated software, and office equipment and
machinery becomes more touch screen STEM knowledge is vital. Keeping up with technology, not the
Kardashians, is highly important.
 It allows you to be innovative – Someone created an app that allows you to take a picture of a piece of
clothing and generates similar looks throughout the web. Just think of the latest device you have in your hand
or at the top of your wish list. STEM helps to transform new ideas into the best inventions.
 You can make a difference – Building that shelter for dozens, finding that cure, inventing the best way for
people to communicate, or helping a father let go of finical burdens makes a huge difference and with a
STEM education you can make that happen.
 It helps you exceed with the Arts – According to the NYTimes, James Michael Leake, director of
engineering graphics at the University of Illinois said that learning to make even rudimentary drawings is
 critical to development as an engineer. Design can help students understand how to effectively use the
space within the structure.
 Cosmetics industry is huge – Without new innovative products hitting the shelves constantly, brands such
as Covergirl and L’Oreal will not stay current and may lose business. This door opens a lot of new
opportunities for scientists to break into this industry.
 Promotes equality education – Women today are taking over some of the top paying jobs. STEM
education helps to promote diversity and can contribute to gender equality in the workplace.
 Prepares for college curriculum– Kids with STEM educations scored higher on the SATs.
 Can land you a better job within the fashion industry– Technology and fashion are merging day to day.
You have Google watches and Apple iwatches and with a bit of inspiration you can sell your own designs
over the web with blogs. You could even create a fashion app that makes online shopping a click of a button.
 Confidence Booster – When you meet challenges you achieve tremendous boosts of confidence.
 Gives you a higher income – STEM related jobs can be financially rewarding. It is evident with a look at
starting salaries in the STEM careers
o Biomedical engineers, $77,400
o Financial examiners, $70,930
o Medical scientists, except epidemiologists, $72,590
 Better chances at landing a job – STEM occupations are growing at 17% more than any other field, and
the unemployment rate for recent graduates are less than those with liberal degrees.
 Great for writers – Finding a job as a freelancer writer is more difficult than finding a job as a nurse
assistant, unless you’re applying for medical and technical writing jobs (which are in high demand).
 Growing field – 1 in 20 jobs are said to be STEM related by the year 2018. For example, engineering jobs
will increase 11%. Besides the healthcare industry, STEM fields are expanding more quickly than any other.
And according to publicschoolreview.com, the National science foundation estimates that 80% of jobs
available for the years to come will require math and science skills.
 Shapes a better world – Every election is based on choosing leaders who know how to estimate statistics
and how to base decisions on sound economics. And many of the local and state polls depend on both
economic and scientific knowledge.
 Part of our daily lives – Science is the make-up we wear and the fuel that helps with transportation. For
us, technology today are the smartphones, smartboards, and tablets. The engineering we benefit from is the
building of homes and shelters. We all use mathematics especially when pay-day comes.

Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Strand (STEM)

So far, the STEM strand gives you more options on what to pick for your college course. Hence, if you’ll
choose this strand, you can study one of these courses to trail in college.

Science
          Bachelor of Science Courses

– Environmental Science (BSES)

– Geology (BS Geology)
– Molecular Biology (BS Molecular Biology)
– Physics (BS Physics)
– Applied Physics (BS Applied Physics)
– Chemistry (BS Chemistry)
– Food Technology (BS Food Technology)
– Nutrition and Dietetics (BS Nutrition and Dietetics)
– Medical Technology (BS Med Tech)
– Midwifery (BS Midwifery)
– Nursing (BSN)
– Occupational Therapy (BSOT)
– Pharmacy (BS Pharmacy)
– Radiologic Technology (BS Rad Tech)
– Respiratory Therapy (BSRT)
– Speech-Language Pathology

Technology
          Bachelor of Science Courses

– Computer Science (BSCS)

– Information Technology (BSIT)
– Information Systems (BSIS)

Engineering
          Bachelor of Science Courses

– Aeronautical Engineering (BS AeroE)

– Ceramic Engineering (BSCerE)
– Chemical Engineering (BSChE)
– Civil engineering (BSCE)
– Computer Engineering (BSCpE)
– Electrical Engineering (BSEE)
– Electronics and Communications Engineering (BSECE)
– Geodetic Engineering (BSGE)
– Geological Engineering (BSGeoE)
– Industrial Engineering (BSIE)
– Marine Engineering (BSMarE)
– Materials Engineering (BSMatE)
– Mechanical Engineering (BSME)
– Metallurgical Engineering (BSMetE)
– Mining Engineering (BSEM)
– Petroleum Engineering (BSPetE)
– Sanitary Engineering (BSSE)
– Marine Transportation (BSMT)

Mathematics

          Bachelor of Science Courses

– Mathematics (BS Mathematics)

– Applied Mathematics (BS Applied Mathematics)
– Statistics (BS Stat)
One of the biggest problems around STEM education is the lack of understanding of what STEM is. STEM is
not a subject matter on its own. It's an approach to how those topics should be thought. Interdisciplinary.
Many STEM programs miss out on that vital aspect and offer same old curriculum under the STEM header.

Lack of good curriculum is a subsequent of that. So is lack of teachers, thinking a science teacher, for instance,
can become STEM teacher without proper training, is absurd.

Lack of STEM learning environments is also a big problem, funding is crucial but so is the fundamental
understanding of what STEM education is, what it is good for and why every student should learn STEM.
Without it, a lot of funding goes into “STEM” learning environments.