Instructional Strategies Promoting STEM and Technological Literacy

1. Instructional Strategies Promoting STEM and Technological Literacy Maurice Frazier, Ph.D. Oscar Smith High School Chesapeake, Virginia

2. Have you Ever had a Conversation Start like this… Person 1: “So what do you teach?” Person 2: “Technology Education” Person 1: “Hmmm what is that? Computers? Shop?” Can the average secondary technology education teacher sufficiently explain what they teach and why?

3. The Nature of Secondary Technology Education • Support the Core Subjects • Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, and English/Language Arts • Promote technological literacy and reinforce STEM curriculum.

4. It is Important to Know the Difference… • Technology Education versus Educational Technology • Technology education teachers, core subject teachers, and administrators need to understand the difference. • Technology education is intended to foster technological literacy and educational technology supports the implementation of technology education.

5. The Importance of STEM and Technological Literacy • Why is it important for us as educators to integrate the core subjects into technology education courses? • Research tells us it can be helpful in boosting student’s performance on standards assessments. • Students can relate the material to “Real World” applications • National technological literacy assessments are on the horizon.

6. A Study Worth Noting… • Technology education completers (courses taken in sequence) scored significantly higher on their standardized assessments in three out of four core subjects than non-completers.

7. Study Results • Mathematics: • Completers- 466.9 Non-Completers- 441.7 (25 points higher) • Social Studies: • Completers- 502 Non-Completers- 463.8 (38 points higher)

8. Study Results (cont.) • English/Language Arts: • Completers- 474.7 Non-Completers- 464.6 (10 points higher) • Science: • Completers- 459.7 Non-Completers- 430.8 (29 points higher)

9. Curriculum Integration Ideas and Suggestions • It is important to actively integrate material from the core subjects as much as possible. • Collaborating and sharing ideas with other instructors that teach similar subjects is one of the best ways to start.

10. Integrating English/Language Arts • Speed Writing • One to two minute daily writing sessions where students write about what they know and what they have learned about a new topic. • Current communication devices and modes of communicating • Impacts that communication devices are having on our daily lives

11. Integrating English/Language Arts (cont.) • Active Notes and Paraphrasing • Students take notes and then work with a partner to paraphrase and dictate examples of what they have learned by adding their thoughts to their partner’s notes. • Students then read what their partner has written to the rest of the class.

12. Integrating English/Language Arts (cont.) • Word Discovery • Students must look up a word that relates to the current material that they are not familiar with. The student must record the definition, cite examples of how to use it properly, and teach a three minute lesson to another student about how it relates to what they are learning.

13. Integrating Mathematics • Measurement Scavenger Hunt • Students walk around school and outside to find and measure objects that are in a given range of measurements that have been designated by the instructor. • With that activity students integrate estimation, decimals, fractions, and ratios.

14. Integrating Mathematics (cont.) • Real World Word Problems • Students develop a word problem for one of their class mates to solve based on the material that they are learning. • The student must explain how that math that they used to solve the problem could also be applied in a job or career that relates to that subject they are studying.

15. Integrating Science • Environmental Impacts • Students can use various forms of science to study the global impacts of technology on the natural environment. • Impacts on the atmosphere and natural resources (Earth Science) • Agricultural technology, pesticides, and fertilizers (Chemistry)

16. Integrating Social Studies • Social Impacts of New Technology • Students can explore the various ways that new technology has changed local and global social interactions over time. • New communication technology • New construction and production methods • New digital imaging and video technology

17. Integrating Social Studies (cont.) • Understanding Ethics and Responsibility • Students explore ethical awareness and how it might have an impact on other people and the world around them. • Ethics and the medical field • Ethics and environmental practices • Ethics and public privacy

18. How do we Know we are on the Right track? • How do technology education teachers know that they are supporting core standards? • Is there a way for technology education teachers to know that they are supporting a STEM curriculum and promoting technological literacy?

19. Suggestions for Articulating Curriculum and Standards • Technology education and core subject teachers need to collaborate. Neither group seems to know exactly what the other group is teaching. • Align instruction • Develop activities • Reinforce standards

20. Suggestions for Articulating Curriculum and Standards (cont.) • Workshops to stay abreast of current trends relating to technological literacy and educational strategies. • New Technological Literacy Standards (NAEP Testing) • Trends in Mathematics, Science, and Engineering standards • New instructional strategies and delivery methods

21. Discussion, Questions, and Idea Sharing • What are some of the ways that you are integrating core subjects into your technology education curriculum? • What are some ways that we can change the perception of technology education? • Are technological literacy standards a good idea?

22. Final Comments and Remarks Thank you for you time and attention. Maurice Frazier Oscar Smith High School Chesapeake, Virginia Mfraz004@odu.edu