Jun
10
2014

STEM in Elementary

An article by Sarah Vann

Denis Thomas and Paige Bergin are Union Public School teachers committed to teaching STEM in their classrooms. Below they discuss their STEM classroom.

Q: What is STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Math) education important in the elementary classroom?

A: STEM education is essential in elementary grades so that we get our students engaged and increase their problem solving skills. So frequently our students become disengaged and don’t understand how the STEM areas apply to their lives. We as educators know a better way now to engage students through hands-on, problem based learning while connecting to real world situations.

Q: Is STEM ed difficult to implement? Explain.

A: STEM is not a program or a curriculum. It is a process of making deliberate connections across the curriculum. Many educators don’t feel comfortable with the concentrated focus on the STEM areas because they lack a strong foundation in those areas themselves. It is about educating our teachers so they can feel more confident.

Q: What are specific benefits to using STEM in the elementary classroom?

A: We have already seen increased ability in problem solving, real world connections and interdisciplinary connections. All learners have an opportunity to be successful. We are optimistic that we are planting a seed for what they want to pursue later in life as a career. We know the need for STEM related jobs is dramatically increasing. The time to act is now!

Elementary STEM Q&A with Denise Thomas and Paige Bergin

Jarman Elementary

Union Public Schools