Guest blogger, DeLene Hoffner, is a founding member and lead teacher for eleSTEMary. She currently is a 4th grade teacher at School in the Woods, Academy District 20 in Colorado Springs, CO.
With the start of a new year, we plan our resolutions and cherish a fresh start in a new year. How about in your teaching? Does STEM instruction have a renewed focus or have you made resolutions to bring more STEM into your classroom? Well, our nation HAS!!
Yes, despite the tug-of-war in our national administration, there is GOOD news for a “New Year’s resolution.” On Dec 4, 2018, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy released their five year strategic plan for STEM education based on the vision (resolution) that “all Americans have lifelong access to high quality STEM education and the U.S. will be the global leader in STEM literacy, innovation, and employment.” This is an amazing step to bring more STEM to all… from preschool to the average citizen. eleSTEMary certainly applauds the concept and supports the nationwide movement to bring more effective STEM instruction to all schools. How will this plan work?
To achieve this vision, the report lays out three goals:
Goal 1: Build Strong Foundations for STEM Literacy
Goal 2: Increase Diversity and Inclusion through Broader Access to STEM
Goal 3: Prepare the STEM Workforce for the Future.
The plan includes strategies for how federal agencies should plan, budget, coordinate, and scale up their programs for STEM over the next five years and includes recommendations that STEM stakeholders in states and districts nationwide can follow and initiate.
Take a look at the White House STEM Strategic Plan yourself. Here is a link to the report….
https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/STEM-Education-Strategic-Plan-2018.pdf
My hope is that the White House’s STEM strategic plan will shine a bright spotlight on the importance of STEM education. Just like when movement of STEM initially began, it brought best practices in the integration of science, technology, engineering and math to the forefront. How will this STEM strategic plan go from “policy to practice”? I believe now more than every… TEACHERS are the key to bridging the “theory of policy” to STEM in practice at the local, state and federal levels. The new Colorado Academic Standards will give us great direction and cutting edge implementation of STEM through the NGSS connections. The next 5 years will be exciting for STEM educators. Perhaps this year, you will be part of leading the way for STEM to shine in your school!
What do you think of the White House STEM Strategic Plan? How can you influence your school, district, or state in bringing STEM education into the classroom, especially the elementary classroom? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
Keeping it eleSTEMary,
Katie
With the start of a new year, we plan our resolutions and cherish a fresh start in a new year. How about in your teaching? Does STEM instruction have a renewed focus or have you made resolutions to bring more STEM into your classroom? Well, our nation HAS!!
Yes, despite the tug-of-war in our national administration, there is GOOD news for a “New Year’s resolution.” On Dec 4, 2018, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy released their five year strategic plan for STEM education based on the vision (resolution) that “all Americans have lifelong access to high quality STEM education and the U.S. will be the global leader in STEM literacy, innovation, and employment.” This is an amazing step to bring more STEM to all… from preschool to the average citizen. eleSTEMary certainly applauds the concept and supports the nationwide movement to bring more effective STEM instruction to all schools. How will this plan work?
To achieve this vision, the report lays out three goals:
Goal 1: Build Strong Foundations for STEM Literacy
Goal 2: Increase Diversity and Inclusion through Broader Access to STEM
Goal 3: Prepare the STEM Workforce for the Future.
The plan includes strategies for how federal agencies should plan, budget, coordinate, and scale up their programs for STEM over the next five years and includes recommendations that STEM stakeholders in states and districts nationwide can follow and initiate.
Take a look at the White House STEM Strategic Plan yourself. Here is a link to the report….
https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/STEM-Education-Strategic-Plan-2018.pdf
My hope is that the White House’s STEM strategic plan will shine a bright spotlight on the importance of STEM education. Just like when movement of STEM initially began, it brought best practices in the integration of science, technology, engineering and math to the forefront. How will this STEM strategic plan go from “policy to practice”? I believe now more than every… TEACHERS are the key to bridging the “theory of policy” to STEM in practice at the local, state and federal levels. The new Colorado Academic Standards will give us great direction and cutting edge implementation of STEM through the NGSS connections. The next 5 years will be exciting for STEM educators. Perhaps this year, you will be part of leading the way for STEM to shine in your school!
What do you think of the White House STEM Strategic Plan? How can you influence your school, district, or state in bringing STEM education into the classroom, especially the elementary classroom? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
Keeping it eleSTEMary,
Katie
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