What to Expect in

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What to Expect in
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What is STEM?

• The Academy of Science, Technology, Engineering
  and Mathematics
• A school within a school
• Elevated GPA Credit
• The STEM Academy uses Project Based Learning, or
  PBL.
• Classes are designed to teach 21st Century
  skills.

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21st Century Skills

• Skills that students will need in order to enter
  the fields of science, technology, engineering or
  mathematics.
• Critical Thinking
• Creativity
• Work Ethic
• Communication
• Oral and Written Presentation Skills
• Working in a Team Dynamic

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Project Based Learning

• PBL for short.
• Real-world problems.
• You get to find the solution to the problem.

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How is PBL different from regular learning?

• You have been learning in a traditional
  classroom for the past nine years.
• PBL is not a traditional classroom.
• Projects to learn concepts vs. learning concepts
  to do a projects

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But Ive Done Projects Before

• In a regular classroom, concepts and content are
  learned first, then a project is assigned to
  reinforce those concepts.
• In STEM, the project is used to actually learn
  those concepts.
• In order to complete projects, you must learn
  certain concepts.
• PBL Projects always have a Driving Question.

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Driving Question

• The central focus of a project.
• Its a question that helps to focus the project.
• The final product should be the answer to the
  driving question.

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Working in Teams

• In STEM and PBL, you will be working in teams.
• Teams can be 2, 3, 4 or 5 members.
• You are responsible to each of your team members.
• Each person will be assigned different tasks
  within the team.
• Each team member can be responsible for a
  different element of the project.

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The Process

• Differences in Regular Classes vs. STEM Classes

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Regular Classes
Work sheet
Complete a project to make sure the students
understand the concepts taught.
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STEM Classes
Project Planning Team Planning Contracts Due Dates
Discovery Inquiry What concepts do I need to
know to complete this project?
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Entry Document

• Could be a letter, a clip from a movie, a report
  of some kind, a Prezzi, a power point, anything!
• Will present a problem that needs to be solved.
• It is your job to figure out the solution to the
  problem.

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Knows/Need to Knows

• What do you already know about the project?
• What do you need to learn in order to complete
  the project?
• Examples Concepts, Formulas, Data, Skills

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Project Planning Management

• Project timelines/due dates
• Deadlines
• Assignment of teams
• Team tasks and duties/roles
• Contracts
• Team Roles
• Obligations to Teams
• Steps to Firing

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Discovery Inquiry

• You will need to inquire, or ask and seek
  answers.
• What resources do you have to answer your
  questions?

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Workshops

• Facilitators will hold workshops to teach
  concepts that are new or confusing to the
  students.
• Usually fairly short (under 20 minutes)
• Can be held for all students in the class.
• Can be just for a small number of students.
• Can be planned by facilitator.
• Can be impromptu.
• Can be requested by the student.

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Revising Editing

• Make corrections
• Ask yourself these questions
• How does my work relate to the Driving Question?
• Is my work accurate?
• How can I make this better?
• What do I need to change? add? delete?

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Rubric Check

• With EVERY Project, you will be provided a
  Rubric.
• Continually refer back to the rubric.

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Final Product

• Usually involves Oral and/or Written
  Presentations.
• Making Movies
• Tri-fold Posters
• Game Boards
• Trebuchet
• 3-D and 4-D Computer Models
• Could be formal or informal
• Should answer the Driving Question

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Project De-Brief

• Students and facilitators will communicate about
  the project.
• Different Forms
• Fish Bowl
• Written Essay
• Online Quiz
• Asks many types of questions
• What worked? What didnt?
• What did you like? What did you not like?
• Did you learn the concepts you were supposed to
  learn?
• Personal Reflections