S.T.E.(a.)M. Workshops | FAQ, Methodology, & Workshop Structure

Painting with light: Light and Color Workshop 2015

S.T.E.a.M.-@-A-Glance

   Science

   Technology

   Engineering

   Art/Activism

   Math

CONTENTS
This section covers the following topics:
      *Dispelling S.T.E.M. Misconceptions
      *My Workshops
      *Workshop Structure and Best Practices
      *Sample of My Curriculum

DISPELLING S.T.E.M. MISCONCEPTIONS

Saint Mary's College, Notre Dame, IN
Robotics Camp 2017

Contrary to popular believe, the S.T.E.M. fields have always been important in the scheme of things. The same thing can be said of language arts, history, business, and the humanities. S.T.E.M. fields intersect and are influenced by multiple disciplines. I believe that one cannot teach S.T.E.M. in a vacuum or as separate parts. S.T.E.M. is about showing a relationship between multiple files of science, different technologies, and mathematics. So, with so many fields of study within each of those four S.T.E.M. disciplines, where does one begin?

Saint Mary's College, Notre Dame, IN
Electrical Circuits Activity
Robotics Summer Camp 2017

Let's start out with the idea that S.T.E.M. education is a civil rights issue and less of a gender equality issue. The National Girls Collaborative Project released data on the demographics of STEM workforce, breaking the data down into both gender and racial categories. While women are still underrepresented in different areas of STEM, there is a greater disparity when it comes to people of color, regardless of their gender. Social economic background also plays a significant factor when determining student performance on high stakes exams, with students from higher income families performing better than students from lower income families. This would stand to reason as students in lower income neighborhoods often times have limited resources to technology, lab equipment, up-to-date S.T.E.M. curriculum, experienced teachers, and a stable learning environment. For a comprehensive look at these statistics, visit https://ngcproject.org/statistics.


While there is great focus on the underrepresentation of women in the S.T.E.M. workforce, it is also important to note that women are underrepresented in many fields, including the art and entertainment industries. According to a study, "Gender Bias Without Borders, conducted" by USC Annenberg, there is a shortage of women in film when it comes to screenwriters, directors, and actors. They report that in the United States and UK, moviegoers reported only 23.6% of speaking roles were awarded to women. Perhaps this is why there was such a fuss over the recent surprise over Star Wars: The Force Awakens box office success - who knew that a movie featuring a woman heroine and (black hero) would outgross all previous box office records? To read more about the USC Annenberg study visit http://www.ew.com/article/2014/09/24/women-in-film-equality-study.

Below is a video from a stop motion focused S.T.E.a.M. camp I ran at Ridgeville Park District, 2016.

I came across another great article on S.T.E.M. and gender bias in the March 2015 issue of the Harvard Business Review which addresses gender bias against women as they enter the workforce (as opposed to bias in education). https://hbr.org/2015/03/the-5-biases-pushing-women-out-of-stem They conducted surveys with women scientists, taking into account each woman's racial identity. Using the 5 biases of proving competence, work hours in relationship to having children, taking on stereotypical feminine roles, support from other women, and being mistaken for administrative/ custodial staff. There was a correlation between the type of bias women experienced in the S.T.E.M. workforce and their race. Perhaps, as a society as a whole, we need to take a deep hard look at ourselves and rethink our pre-conceived notions of what it means to be intellectual, competent, and innovative.

MY WORKSHOPS
How do I teach S.T.E.a.M. workshops? What do I hope to accomplish?

In a nutshell...

-In each workshop I focus on one S.T.E.M. concept and then link that concept to a related Art /Design principle.

-Workshops are available for both children and adults. Differentiated instruction is used to address the needs of diverse abilities, skill levels, and special needs. I believe that, with consistency in teaching style and classroom environment, children and adults can learn more complex and technical scientific and mathematical concepts, reasoning skills, and perseverance - all of which is required in the professional industries.

-Workshops are usually 3 to 4 hours in length. Participants will normally engage in one - two separate projects during each workshop. I also offer week-long and all-day workshops as well.

-Participants leave each workshop with at least ONE finished project, a tangible record of achievement/ portfolio, and additional DIY suggestions.

Integrating mathematics into design

For a longer, more in depth look at these workshops, visit http://thedribblypear.blogspot.com/p/steam-concepts.html.

Workshop Structure and Best Practices
In terms of structure, I use the mini lesson model which allows me to teach scientific principles simultaneously with project expectations and methods of procedure, clear up any misconceptions during a guided practice piece, and devote the majority of the time to "field work" during which students actually create their projects. The mini lesson model looks something like this for each project. The following times are based on an approximately 60 minute long class, but it hopefully will give you a general idea of what to expect from longer classes.

The purpose of the Bellringer is to set the tone of the class, shape the course of instruction, act as a quick pre-assessment of student knowledge/ability of the particular subject area to be taught.

The Transition allows the instructor to hand out any materials and prepare students for the next activity.

The Mini Lesson is where the instructor teaches relevant S.T.E.M. and Art principles, along with any methods of procedure, project expectations, and scientific reasoning. Students will be creating their interactive Flippables during this time.

Interactive Flippable Sample

The Guided Practice is where students can practice what they have just learned with the help of the teacher. Teaching is still happening in this section, and there should be active communication between the teacher and all students in order to clear up any misconceptions, confusion, or mistakes. Reteaching concepts using different methodology and approaches during this time is normal.

The Independent  Activity is where students are given the opportunity to work with their peers in more creative or challenging situations all the while using and building on skills and concepts taught/learned in the first two sections.

The Recap/ Share Out is designed to check in with the students before ending the lesson. Students can see what fellow classmates have accomplished, discuss new findings, and tie together loose ends.

SAMPLE: LIGHT AND COLOR WORKSHOP CURRICULUM