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1. What aspects of STEM would you like to see in your system?

2. What is your vision for STEM in your classroom? school?

3. What is one concrete way that you will advance this vision in your school, classroom, or system?

This year is a pilot year for our STEAM program, and the reason I posted a picture of a bee hotel is that it is one of the projects my 7th and 8th-grade students are currently working on. When I was tasked with this new position at the end of last year, I thought a lot about what I wanted my students to take away from this opportunity. I wanted there to be collaboration, communication, real-world implications, as well as learning how to rebound when something is tried and modifications need to be done.

This year has had its ups and downs, but our Superintendent came to me and asked if my students would work on creating a community garden with the residents of East Mountain and our student body in mind, as well as an outdoor learning area for our younger student body.

They started by researching and planning, then they moved on to talking to an engineer from a local college. They have drawn up plans for not only a community garden that will be handicap accessible, but they have also integrated a pollinator garden in an outside learning area for the elementary students that will be complete with a bee hotel and investigation stations.

They have also reached out to local businesses to sponsor the garden beds, soil, and plants to help defray the cost.

We also have an issue of a water source on the lower lot of our campus where this is going to be located, and they researched water tankers and rain collection barrels and have got those in the plans as well.

Since this was such a large undertaking, I started it out by discussing project management, and they really embraced the process and took to it quickly. They are "going to the board," as they like to say, every time they want to add an idea or modify something as a group.

We reflect often as a whole group and as "department" teams.

The most recent reflection that caught me off guard was when one of them asked me if what they were doing was a STEM project.

So, as a group, we dissected the term and what the letters stand for and what it means to them now as opposed to in the past. Many of them thought they had to be building a bridge or something that flew to be STEM because that is what their elementary teachers had done.

I am excited to see this entire project come to life in a few short weeks and to plan for next year.

Next year, I will be completely out of the regular Science classroom and doing STEAM grades 1-8, and I can not wait to get my littles involved and begin to see the progression year after year. I know I did not answer these questions traditionally but I think I hit them all.

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The aspects of stem that I would like to see in my system would be more interdisciplinary connections between classes to make a more cohesive and meaningful learning environment for the students. In my 8th grade classes, I am working on our next unit, one that involves NGSS MS-PS2 and MS-PS3. The driving phenomenon for this unit that we settled on was the Apollo missions and how lacking sophisticated modern computers, we put a man on the moon. I wish we could connect this unit with a unit in social studies on the Cold War/ space race, and to a math unit where students are calculating velocity. In my classroom, my goal is to make science about how the world works and explaining  real things that have happened in our world. I fear that in the high school, each aspect of STEM is functioning as an individual topic, with little connection between STEM courses. I hope to increase collaboration between the STEM departments to make units happen at the same time, and to use examples that might connect to other classes.

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1. What aspects of STEM learning would you like to see in your system?

Being that I work with K-1 students, some of the aspects of STEM learning I would include are:

Engagement Through Inquiry-Based Learning

Encourage students to ask questions and explore real-world problems, just like scientists and engineers.

Use interactive learning strategies such as problem-solving, group discussions, and hands-on experiments.

Early and Frequent Exposure to STEM

Introduce STEM concepts in elementary school to build interest and confidence.

Ensure STEM subjects receive as much emphasis as reading and writing in early education.

2. What is your vision for STEM in your classroom?  School?

My vision for STEM education in the classroom is to create an engaging, inquiry-driven, and hands-on learning environment where students think, explore, and problem-solve like real scientists, engineers, and mathematicians. For the school as a whole, I envision a STEM-rich environment that fosters curiosity, innovation, and career readiness.

3. What is one concrete way that you will advance this vision in your school, classroom or system?

One concrete way to advance this vision in my school or classroom is by implementing a project-based STEM learning initiative where students engage in hands-on, real-world challenges. Every Friday, students will work on an interdisciplinary STEM project that aligns with real-world problems (e.g., designing energy-efficient buildings, coding simple apps, or engineering water filtration systems). By embedding STEM Challenge Fridays, I can foster inquiry-based learning, teamwork, and a problem-solving mindset—directly aligning with my broader vision for STEM education.

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Tamara Chesneak-STEM Learning Environment - Reflection Mod. 1

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Tamara Chesneak-STEM Learning Environment - Reflection Mod. 1

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What aspects of STEM learning would you like to see in your system?

The aspects I would like to see in my STEM system are inquiry-based learning, the use of creative thinking to solve real world problems, and an environment where students collaborate. I believe that learning is solidified best by doing. Many problems are solved through trial and error. I want my students to know that the saying "nothing ventured nothing gained" is true.

What is your vision for STEM in your classroom? School?

My vision for STEM in my classroom is for all students to be involved and freely share ideas. I believe that when students listen to each other their creativity is sparked, and they encourage each other to extend their thinking. They create new ideas by asking themselves, "If this doesn't work, what else can we try?" "What else can we add/do to make this better, stronger, or faster?" "How can I contribute to this project?"

My vision for STEM in our school is for our students to have more opportunities to participate in STEM learning and that time will be scheduled in for STEM learning.

What is one concrete way that you will advance this vision in your school, classroom or system?

I have been a member of the Pittston Area STEM committee since I started working at the school. Last year we participated in "Remake Learning Days". These days were STEM learning events at our schools, local libraries, and Catholic Schools. Teachers paired by twos, developed a STEM learning activity and assisted the students to get started. I intend to continue bringing these STEM learning activities to students in our school and throughout our communities.

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What aspects of STEM learning would you like to see in your system?

I would try to focus on the aspect of real world application. I think many different aspects begin to spin off of or tie into this such as collaboration, teamwork, and problem based learning. Kids do their best learning when they have to struggle a little bit. I think this is true for adults in the real world. STEM allows for a safe and secure environment in which students can try and fail and then begin to try again.

What is your vision for STEM in your classroom? School?

My vision for STEM in my own classroom is based on the idea that there is a place for everyone in STEM. I would love to have students working collaboratively in groups in a way that is both meaningful and educational. I think each individual has some important aspect that they can bring to the table. This could promote a community of learners that thrives on innovation and thinking outside the box. This would help develop career-ready skills that students could take and use for the rest of their lives.

What is one concrete way that you will advance this vision in your school, classroom or system?

I am going to be helping with an upcoming STEM project in my building. It has been interesting to attend meetings and see the perspective of a STEM-minded group of people and how they plan to carry these things out to the students. I would like to continue to be more involved in larger scale projects like this going forward.

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1. What aspects of STEM learning would you like to see in your system?

The aspects of STEM learning that I would love to see in my system are relating STEM to students' every day lives and engaging students in hands-on and group activities. I think it is super important for students to see how what they are doing relates to real life. Often times there is a cool and interesting example you can use to tell your students why this topic is influential to their lives. I love doing hands-on and group activities because it allows for collaboration, which is a skill needed for STEM careers.

2. What is your vision for STEM in your classroom?  School?

My vision for STEM in my classroom is to create a space where my students are working together and critically thinking. I want to encourage students to become problem-solvers through experimentation, projects, and real-world challenges. All while emphasizing critical thinking, creativity, and collaboration. I would also want to promote STEM for all students, encouraging participation from underrepresented groups and fostering an environment where everyone feels capable and valued.

3. What is one concrete way that you will advance this vision in your school, classroom or system?

We just did a poster board project where they picked someone who has made contributions to the STEM field. (I was happy to see that several women were chosen!) I believe that doing projects like this can open their minds to the world of STEM. Perhaps taking a part of a Friday class to do a STEM challenge would be another way to advance my vision. This could be an independent or group hands-on activity to get them thinking. Having a science or STEM fair at my school would also be something really fun to get the whole school involved.

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Conlan Gilmor- STEM Learning Environment

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Conlan Gilmor- STEM Learning Environment

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1. What aspects of STEM learning would you like to see in your system?

I would love to bring a tactile way of learning where students work in groups to solve real-world problems with multiple solutions. This allows groups to create their design and project rather than following directions which can give students a sense of creativity that they so desperately want in a project. It would be important to involve all four disciplines in my lesson by showing students the history of the project and having them create a journal of their progress throughout the day.

2. What is your vision for STEM in your classroom?  School?

My vision is to allow students to feel like they are scientists or engineers by allowing them to go through the engineering process. This involves projects that can last a couple of days where students are progressing on their projects each day. I would envision my classroom being designed in a way where students are grouped and have a designated workspace that they can use to progress on their projects. I have met with many schools with some having their own designated building for STEM which helps show that STEM is becoming more relevant in early education and that it has been shown to help students in the long run.

3. What is one concrete way that you will advance this vision in your school, classroom or system?

The one way that I will advance this vision in my classroom is by having diverse projects that students will complete each year. Constantly researching and improving your lessons is important for students to stay up-to-date and on top of current issues that are going on around the world. Giving students real-world problems that are going on can help them feel connected to the lesson and want to find a strong solution to the everyday problem that they might be seeing.