Leonardo Da Vinci was not only a painter or a scientist or an engineer, but he was all of this. As Ibn Sina was able to combine medicine and philosophy, sciences, mathematics, and music in great harmony.
Importantly, we really need to meet the demands of the future by integrating different sciences and knowledge.
So, we can keep pace with scientific and technological innovations in order to solve the complex challenges of today and tomorrow.
In modern education, the link between theory and application is made in order to overcome community problems and world challenges. Interestingly, STEM Education is one of the most prominent trends that link learning with life and prepare children for future jobs.
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What is STEM Education?
STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. STEM is critical since it invades each portion of our lives as Science is all over within the world around us. Furthermore, innovation is continuously growing into each aspect of our lives. Engineering is the essential design of streets and bridges, but moreover handles the challenges of changing global climate and environmentally-friendly changes to our home. Also, Mathematics is in each occupation, each action we do in our lives.
Hence, by exposing learners to STEM and giving them opportunities to investigate STEM-related concepts, they will build a passion for it and ideally pursue a job in a STEM field in the future.
STEM Education importance
According to the U. S. Office of Commerce, STEM jobs are growing at 17%, whereas other careers are growing at 9.8%. Furthermore, STEM degree holders have a better salary even in non-STEM careers. Science, innovation, building, and science workers play a key role within the sustained growth of the U.S. economy and are a basic component to making a difference. STEM education empowers the next generation of innovators. In the 21st century, logical and innovative advancements have become progressively critical.
Indeed, to succeed in this new knowledge-based and highly technological society, learner have to create their competencies in STEM to levels much beyond what was considered satisfactory within the past.” (National Science Foundation).
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STEM Education and Future Jobs
According to a report by the website STEMconnector.org, by 2018, predictions estimate the need for 8.65 million employees in STEM-related jobs. The industry sector faces an alarmingly massive shortage of employees with the critical competencies — almost 600,000. The major cloud computing alone will have provides 1.7 million jobs between 2011 and 2015. Furthermore, according to the report, The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that by 2018, the bulk of STEM careers will be:
- Computing – 71 percent
- Traditional Engineering – 16 percent
- Physical sciences – 7 percent
- Life sciences – 4 percent
- Mathematics – 2 percent
What is the Value of STEM Education?
Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education emphasizes preparing future generations to be effective and pioneers in their careers. Interestingly, the skills gained from STEM education extend beyond those required to be successful in STEM areas, preparing children with varied interests who move into any industry to have valuable skill sets that allow them to be successful.
Skills Derived from STEM Education
STEM-based education teaches children more than science and mathematics concepts.
So, the focus on hands-on learning with real-world applications makes a difference create a variety of expertise sets, counting creativity, and 21st-century skills.
Interestingly, 21st-century skills incorporate technology literacy, social skills, communication, flexibility, and initiative.
However, other skills attained through STEM education include problem-solving, critical thinking, creativity, interest, choice-making, administration, entrepreneurship, acceptance of failure, and more.
Regardless of the future career path considered by these children, these competencies go a long way to preparing them to be innovative.
Benefits of STEM Schools
- Enabling skills, knowledge, and applications related to Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.
- Fostering community and parent engagement within the school to make a STEM Learning Ecosystem.
- Providing learners with the confidence and flexibility to focus on solutions instead of problems or uncertainty.
- Utilizing everyday life and real-world applications to advance deeper learning.
- Fostering soft skills such as creativity, critical thinking, tolerance, innovation, collaboration, and problem-solving.
STEM activities for kids
Having activities that involve real-life implications of STEM can pull together the ideas demonstrated in schools.
Moreover, these STEM activities help to show how they serve society and even the entire world as a whole.
Notably, kids can see that what they are learning now is related to their future which creates an interest that usually lacks learning new concepts with real-world applications.
Resources:
Live Science
Engineering for Kids
U.S. Department of Education
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