Hands-on with STEM

Complaining without proposing a solution to a problem is counterproductive. My staff is used to this declaration - I state it often. Now, when a staff member I work with has an issue with a policy, procedure, system or decision I make, they come with a solution to resolve the issue. I'm not overly supportive of complaining for the sake of discourse. If you are struggling with a problem, and feel it necessary to talk with me about your problem, I expect you to have an option or idea to resolve the problem.

This is exactly what happened this past year when a group of educators asked to meet with me to talk about our struggling learners. The problem is many students at our school do not have the broad-base, background knowledge to understand the world they live in, many are not critical thinkers and few have the knowledge to explore their world for better understanding.

The solution offered by these educators is to change the focus of our school from a directly didactic instructional model to a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) model. STEM education is a movement in American education to help teachers and students understand how the academic disciplines of science, technology, engineering and mathematics impact the world and prepare students for the workforce of tomorrow.

The vision of STEM is to excite and inspire learners through a rigorous and challenging curriculum to meet the challenges of today's society using STEM as the foundation for critical thinking, experiential learning and creative problem solving. This does not discount reading and language arts. Reading and language arts are incorporated in everything taught in STEM. These foundational skills are as important as STEM for academic success.

STEM learning is an economic imperative. Experts say that technological innovation accounted for almost half of U.S. economic growth over the past 50 years and almost all of the 30 fastest-growing occupations in the next decade will require at least some background in STEM.

Yet as many STEM statistics show, our country is falling behind in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. According to STEMtisitics:

* In 2009, just 34 percent of U.S. eighth-graders were rated proficient or higher in a national math assessment, and more than one in four scored below the basic level.

* In an international exam given to 15-year-olds in 2009, U.S. high school students ranked significantly behind 12 industrialized nations in science and 17 in math. Students in only four industrialized nations scored lower in math.

* Only 45 percent of U.S. high school graduates in 2011 were ready for college work in math and 30 percent were ready in science.

STEM literacy has a profound and growing impact on our day-to-day lives. It helps us make critical decisions about our health care, our finances and our retirement. It illuminates the ever more complex issues that govern the future of our democracy, and it reveals to us the beauty and power of the world we inhabit.

* 69 percent: Share of U.S. students who graduated from high school with a regular diploma in four years (2007).

* 47 percent: The share of black males who graduated from high school with a regular diploma in four years (2008).

* 45 percent: Share of 2011 U.S. high school graduates who are ready for college-level math.

* 30 percent: Share of 2011 U.S. high school students who are ready for college-level science.

* 3 million: The projected shortage of workers with U.S. college degrees, associates or better, by 2018.

Do you wish to see STEM in action? Please join me at Fernan Elementary School as we share our focus with the community on Thursday, Feb. 27 from 5:30-7 p.m. We will explain our STEM focus, have many hands-on STEM activities including live owls and dissecting their pellets, microbiology experiments, engineering a bridge out of toothpicks and science exploration with students from North Idaho College.

We understand that we have a problem educating our children to reach their full potential and have developed a solution. If you wish to join us in our journey to teach children to critically think and to fully participate in their education, please call (208) 664-2076 at Fernan Elementary School and let us know you are coming. Food will be available at a fair price and all events are free.

I will begin the night explaining our STEM focus and describe what STEM education will look like in our school. My presentation will be followed by Abe Wallin, our Regional Math Specialist, explaining the "new math" and how to help your children with their math homework. Finally, the last hour will offer children and adults the opportunity to explore STEM with experiments and hands-on activities in classrooms throughout our school. Please bring your kids and encourage them to explore!

Send comments or other suggestions to Bill Rutherford at bprutherford@hotmail.com.