What skills are needed for STEM development? Add your tips and ideas.

Colleagues,

I was reviewing resources and lessons for STEM instruction and I came across 7 Most Important STEM Skills We Should Be Teaching Our Kids. Their list included the following: 

  1. Statistics
  2. Problem Solving
  3. Creativity
  4. Argumentation
  5. Intellectual Curiosity
  6. Understanding Data 
  7. Flexibility

Their list is a combination of math skills and soft skills. It appears to be understood that we live in a technology rich world, so instruction for  STEM education is really about developing a student's soft-skills. 

What do you think of this list? Are their other skills you would add? Or, are there some you would take away from this list? I'd love to hear your thoughts. 

Sincerely, 
Kathy Tracey

 

Comments

And this list reminded me of a very well done teacher professional development series on statistics and problem solving available on Annenberg Learner.  Annenberg Learner provides teacher resources and professional development across the curriculum.  Although the teachers who participate in the series are from the K-12 system, all the activities will ring a bell with adult educators.

If you have ten minutes to invest to get a taste of the series, try viewing the video on "What is Statistics." 

There are also short segments, in the range of 1-3 minute.  Watch teachers measuring the width of their classroom in the short video, "When Measurements are Inconsistent," or see the guys from This Old House talk briefly about "Real World Measurement Errors."  Along with being teacher PD activities, most of the series would convert to classroom activities for adults.

And, the site has much, much more:  Annenberg Learner

Cynthia Zafft

 

 

I agree that the math practices must be integrated into instruction - teaching students how to make sense and apply the math strategies to their everyday life is critical for math success. It seems as though the Annenberg Learner does just that - provides strategies for educators to integrate these very practices in instruction. Math practices and real world application are the foundation of STEM instruction. 

Thanks for sharing these resources. 
Kathy