What is STEM?
STEM is an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math education. The focus is on these areas because the skills and knowledge in each discipline are essential for student success, and are also deeply intertwined in the real world and in how students learn most effectively.
STEM education is an integrated, interdisciplinary approach to learning that provides hands-on and relevant learning experiences for students. STEM teaching and learning goes beyond the mere transfer of knowledge. It engages students and equips them with critical thinking, problem solving, creative and collaborative skills, and ultimately establishes connections between the school, work place, community and the global economy. STEM also helps students understand and apply math and science content, the foundations for success in college and careers.
How Does The U.S.A. Fair in STEM Education?
The United States has historically been a leader in STEM fields; However, fewer students have been focusing on these topics recently. According to the U.S. Department of Education, only 16 percent of high school students are interested in a STEM career and have proven a proficiency in mathematics. Currently, nearly 28 percent of high school freshmen declare an interest in a STEM-related field, the department website says, but 57 percent of these students will lose interest by the time they graduate from high school. Opening the door for other countries to seize job opportunites in STEM-related fields.
As a result, the Obama administration announced in 2009 the "Educate to Innovate" campaign to motivate and inspire students to excel in STEM subjects. This campaign addressed the inadequate number of teachers skilled to educate in these subjects--creating a generation deficiency in STEM education. The goal is to get American students from the middle of the pack in science and math to the top of the pack in the international arena.
What keeps the U.S. in the game economically is our ability to innovate and come up with new ideas, something that can't be done without a strong focus on STEM education. Innovation is what allows the U.S. to compete. And coming up with all of these great new ideas starts with STEM.
Yet the reality is STEM education needs to be a priority long before a child reaches high school. Although some students who are introduced to STEM in high school stick with it in college and beyond, for many others high school is simply too late to develop long-term interest in STEM subjects. We have to start even earlier and make sure that the science curriculum in our schools foster interest in STEM.
The Importance of STEM Education?
The focus on STEM is to meet a job market need. According to a report by the websiteSTEMconnector.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:
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Computing – 71 percent
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Traditional Engineering – 16 percent
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Physical sciences – 7 percent
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Life sciences – 4 percent
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Mathematics – 2 percent
In order for U.S students to be prepared for STEM-related jobs, they must become proficient in STEM subjects at the elementary and high school levels. This could only happen with the proper teaching and learning in the primary school years.
Source: http://www.livescience.com/43296-what-is-stem-education.html
