To STEM or not to STEM, that is no longer the question. Earlier in the year, the Ontario Ministry of Education officially announced the addition of coding into the curriculum. Find out more…
If you are a parent or teacher in the province of Ontario, you might have already heard the news from earlier in the year from the Ministry of Education that the updated science curriculum will teach students concepts that will be relevant to real-life experiences. The changes have already taken effect for the current school year.
The major changes to the curriculum include:
- Mandatory learning of coding from Grades 1 to 9.
- Connecting STEM learning to real world issues.
- Learning about emerging technology such as artificial intelligence and robotics.
- Mandatory learning for Grades 4 to 9 of skilled trades and the exciting career opportunities that come with advancements in science and technology.
- Learnings related to food literacy and the scientific processes that goes behind food productions.
Read more about the changes here.
The Global Need for STEM
STEM is continuing to be a hot topic worldwide. STEM education is a global endeavour to help children and youths to prepare for the future of STEM. To STEM or not to STEM, that is no longer the question. Governments worldwide are looking for ways to help students build the solid foundation they need for the future.
In this blog, we explore the 5 reasons why building STEM into the education curriculum is important.
1. Significant gap between the demand for STEM careers vs. lack of opportunities for students in school
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment in STEM occupations has grown 79% in the past three decades. Additionally, STEM jobs are projected to grow an additional 11% from 2020 to 2030.
However despite the promising growth of STEM careers, there’s been a lack of opportunity to learn and be inspired in STEM for students. During a Harvard-sponsored talk “New Pathways to STEM”, Bridget Long, the dean of the Harvard Graduate School of Education pointed out that:
“Only 20 percent of high school graduates are prepared for college-level coursework in STEM majors… fewer than half of high schools in the United States even offer computer science classes. So that begs the question — are kids going to be ready to meet the evolving and growing landscape of STEM professions?”
Source: The Harvard Gazette
2. STEM education teaches students important transferable skills
As we mentioned in one of our previous articles, we showed that STEM will help develop problem solving skills.
STEM also teaches important critical thinking skills, encourages innovation, and also practices project management skills amongst students.
Read our previous blog posts to find out how Wiz programs can help develop these skills:
- How can STEM Competitions Help Develop Problem Solving Skills?
- 3 Tips to Study More Effectively According to Science
- How Girls Inc. Went to the Moon
3. Science literacy is critical for students to develop
Science literacy is the ability to understand basic key scientific concepts and processes, and to use this knowledge to make more informed personal decisions and to better engage with society.
Source: University of Toronto
Science literacy is important because it sets up a framework for individuals to make decisions based on facts and research, and not opinions and hearsay. There are a ton of information online. Being able to question, evaluate, and understand information is especially important for youths as they navigate online information and make better decisions.
STEM education will be able to help develop science literacy amongst youths.
4. STEM education encourages hands-on learning
In STEM education, students are always encouraged to apply their learnings to practice almost immediately. Hands-on learning will be able to boost students interest and enthusiasm for the subject.
Take the Design and Manufacturing class at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) for example, the entire course consists of building a robot and competing with each other. Read more about it here.
5. It gets students to think creatively about how to use STEM to solve the world’s most pressing issues.
One of the major changes to the Ontario science curriculum was the addition of food literacy learnings and we are super excited about that it’s being included.
In all countries today, there are still many issues that need to be addressed including climate change, environmental issues, growing cities & its populations. Teaching STEM is helpful to get youths to think about how to address these issues through innovation and creativity. This is why we mark days such as the World Engineering Day to raise awareness on how engineering and technology are central to modern life and crucial for sustainable development.
Not sure where to start with incorporating STEM into your curriculum? We are here to support you!
At Wiz Robotics, we have exciting STEM learning programs to help you get started with STEM education. Our programs offer exciting and engaging hands-on opportunities for students to be equipped with the knowledge they need to succeed.
Try a demo class and see for yourself!