How to Prepare students for a STEM-powered future
Did you know that only 20% of high school graduates in the United States are prepared for college-level coursework in STEM majors? With STEM careers projected to grow by at least 8.8% over the next several years, the importance of STEM education cannot be overstated.
Preparing students for future learning and STEM-related careers can be a difficult task. If you’re trying to give your students the boost they need for a STEM-powered future, the following ideas can help you maximize their 21st-century skills.
Nurture Independent Thinking
Independent thinking is a critical tool to help students develop STEM skills. In Texas, students found it difficult to answer standardized test questions about their own poetry. The push to help students do better on standardized testing sometimes sits in opposition to their ability to learn STEM-powered skills.
The following are some ways you can nurture independent thinking with your students:
Teach students how to find and analyze information. Students need to learn how to find information sources and determine whether the source is reliable. This will help them analyze information and come to their own conclusions based on the evidence presented.
Help your students learn to ask the right questions. Instead of focusing on having the right answers, teach your students to ask the right questions. Encourage them to ask questions that will help them move to deeper levels of understanding about a topic.
Ask open-ended questions to help them think about a topic. Instead of quizzing your students on information they’ve learned with questions that only require a word or two in response, ask open-ended questions to help them think deeper about a topic.
Use Active Learning Principles to Make Learning FUN!
Active learning is learning that relates to a student’s interests and real-life situations. It allows students to engage and reflect on real-life tasks and experiences. You can use active learning principles to help make learning FUN for your students.
Some students feel alienated by traditional educational processes. By engaging with these students in areas that matter to them, you can pull them in and promote learning.
Parametric Studio offers a large selection of maker kits to engage students in stem learning. Students can learn to build a guitar or enjoy making designs with a spirograph. You can check out their full selection of maker kits here.
The following are a few other ways you can use active learning principles to engage students in your classroom:
Encourage your students to learn with other students. Students often learn more when they work in groups than when they work alone. One study found that people retain 90% of what they teach to someone else. If you’re able to encourage your students to teach each other about concepts, it will help maximize their learning potential.
Create space for students to talk through new concepts. Your students will be able to learn more when they have the opportunity to talk through what they’re learning. This can be done with informal questions and answers, class presentations, or conversation during hands-on activities.
Help your students put their learning into action. Instead of just teaching them abstract facts, find ways to help them put their learning into action. Science experiments work on this principle, but it can be applied to all types of STEM learning. Show your students how the information they’re learning applies to the real world.
When you do these things, learning will be more FUN for your students. A number of studies have concluded that children (and adults!) learn better when they’re having fun. If you can make learning fun, you can help maximize your students’ STEM learning.
Teach Workplace Skills
Workplace skills, also referred to as “soft skills,” are the skills that allow students to thrive in the workforce. The following are a few ways you can introduce workplace skills into your classroom:
Encourage creativity to help build problem-solving skills. Students who have the chance to develop their creativity are better equipped to solve workplace problems. Plan activities that require students to think innovatively to solve a problem.
Provide opportunities to develop public speaking skills. Public speaking is a soft skill used in a variety of different industries. Make sure your students develop the skills to share information in front of their peers.
Help students learn how to work as part of a team. Most future career paths will require some degree of teamwork. Students need to learn how to communicate and work as part of a team. While group projects can be stressful, they are a good training ground for future collaborative work.
Create time management activities. Your students will learn how to manage their time when they’re given tasks that require them to make the most of the time they have. You can teach time management by providing activities that require them to complete a certain number of tasks during a short period of time.
Teaching soft skills allows students to prepare for their future careers beyond the boundaries of the traditional learning curriculum. Find ways to incorporate soft skills into your curriculum.
Encourage Internships and Mentorships for Career Exploration
Internships and mentorships allow students to explore career paths, get clarity around future educational goals, and build relationships with experts in their future fields. These experiences also provide students with valuable hands-on experience, helping them determine whether or not an industry is right for them.
One study found that students who had mentors often did better on performance reviews, received higher salaries, and made faster career progress than their counterparts without mentors.
There is a wide range of STEM careers out there today, and the number of new professions is only increasing! Find ways to connect your students with internships and mentorships, since these experiences can help prepare them for future STEM-powered careers. Contact your local college or university if you need assistance finding these opportunities for your students.
Final Thoughts
The future is bright for STEM-related careers. You can give your students the tools they need to excel in STEM education by encouraging exploration in their everyday life. Nurture independent thinking to help your students learn how to solve real-world problems and apply information. Use active learning principles to make learning fun for students of all ages. Then use your classroom to teach soft skills and connect students to internships and mentorships. By taking these small steps, you'll equip your students for future career success!
