Reflections on teaching in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
Children are born with a natural
curiosity.
Then they go to school, learn through rote learning and lose their
curiosity, bit by bit (DeAngelis, 2015). How can we teach in a way that they do
not lose it? How can we nurture the aspect of being a learner forever in the
children as they grow into adulthood?
I teach maths to middle school, grades 6 to 8. The age
groups 11 to 14 years. The age when developmentally maximum changes happen as
this is the time for synaptic pruning (KahnAcademyMedicine). Hence I am caring
and sensitive to the students, ensuring that they feel safe in the environment
that they are in and use multiple strategies for the same. However, reading the
texts of the week made me realise that while I am doing many things right
intuitively, but knowing the development stages and what is right for each and
its connections with STEM would make teaching of maths much more meaningful for
me and the students. This is because the perspective would be clear or the
intent would be focused.
I would do less of thinking of learning as only that which
happens in the circle of academics or taught curriculum (Seifert & Sutton, 2009). Most of us make the mistake
of assuming learning is only what happens when a test is given, and students
perform well in it. Social interaction is not something that I just need to
‘manage’ but I can include it in the process of teaching and learning process
as my age group thrives on peer interactions. Cognitive development requires
social interaction (psychologynoteshq.com/vygotsky-theory/, 2018) and hence I
would create spaces in the lessons that require a robust social interaction for
solving problems. For example, students can be given a 3D shape and asked to
figure out the net for the same in groups. They would talk to each other and
find the best possible strategy to design the best net and also find a way to
test it out. Through this I expect that the social interaction would give them
some key skills that would help them thrive in life.
Role differences also accentuate for some
teenagers (Seifert & Sutton, 2009). This makes girls likely to
reduce their interest in maths. This is the time when some girls and boys also
might stop working with each other. I would do less of gender stereotyping or
none at all and attend to all genders as if they are one. For example, students
being taken outdoors to find volume of a cylindrical pillar without any tools
from my side would work in mixed gender groups and be expected to do whatever
is needed to find the height and circumference of the pillar, including climb
on each other’s shoulders!
I would do less of expecting students to be
ready for the class environment and focus more on teacher readiness (Seifert
& Sutton, 2009). I would focus on adapting my own approach to teaching,
especially with diverse groups. When multiple learning styles thrive a group,
teaching also needs to attend to the multiple styles of learning. However, in a
large group of learners, all with multiple styles of learning, it may not be
feasible to have individualised planning. I would hence differentiate my
teaching, including differentiation of content, process and especially product
(Schunk, 2012). I would use Howard Gardner’s theory of Multiple Intelligence (Seifert & Sutton, 2009) to create a variety of
learning experiences. I would alternate between group and individual tasks,
allow change in furniture arrangement and move between outdoor and indoor
classes to give space for as many learning styles as possible. For example,
students measuring height of a building using ratio could present their work in
the form that they want to, a video or a role play or a picture book. They
could work alone or in pairs or a group. they could also measure the height
from an indoor space or outdoor space.
I would do less of taking maths as a microcosm
of teaching areas and teach it for its own sake only. I would combine enjoyment
and usefulness as the gold standard of teaching (Seifert
& Sutton, 2009) thereby opening the gates to transfer. Here I would take an
integrative approach and combine maths with other subjects taking a problem-solving approach at the core of it as happens in STEM based projects (DeAngelis,
2015). I would expose students to STEM based projects, but I would also add to
them liberal arts to balance their thinking. For example, students would work
on the maths of Covid19 and work out an exponential graph that helps predict
the future of the pandemic, but they would write a reflective and deeply
personal piece about how Covid19 has affected them and their near and dear
ones.
Conclusion
This reflective piece expanded my thinking. I do not know
much about STEM teaching. I realize now that it is much more than simply
integrating four subjects. At its core it is about critical thinking and
problem-solving approach. These are critical skills for life. Keeping the core
as best practices in education, we can move forward confidently in teaching in
an integrative manner.
References
- DeAngelis, S. F. (2015, August
07). Why STEM? Success Starts With Critical Thinking, Problem-Solving
Skills. Retrieved September 06, 2020, from https://www.wired.com/insights/2014/06/stem-success-starts-critical-thinking-problem-solving-skills/
- KahnAcademyMedicine (2105). Brain changes during
adolescence. [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Fa8U6BkhNo
- Schunk, D. H. (2012). Learning
theories: An educational perspective (6th ed.). Boston, MA:
Pearson.
- Seifert, K., & Sutton, R. (2009). Educational psychology (2nd ed.). The
Saylor Foundation. Retrieved from https://www.saylor.org/site/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Educational-Psychology.pdf
- Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory of
Cognitive Development (2018). Retrieved from https://www.psychologynoteshq.com/vygotsky-theory/
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