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Final P2P Activity: Organize a STEM careers event or activity

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Final P2P Activity: Organize a STEM careers event or activity

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It looks great! I would like to try to organize a Teen Science Cafe - it seems that it is not very hard to organize it, students meet STEM professional and they might have very good discussions.

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Planning - establishing objectives is essential because it shapes the whole event.
Implementation - update team on accomplishments and next steps is important because all the team members should be 'on the same page' during the implementation phase.
Post event activities - aknowledge appreciation by fwd-ing thank you notes to all involved is important because all the people involved contributed to the success of the event. People need to know that their work was important and appreciated by others. It motivates them to organize the next event.

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All of these activities are suited for my students (they are high-school students) - as they all are connecting them with STEM careers. However, I think Career talks / workshops / seminars give more chances to students to deeper discuss with STEM professionals; face-to-face communication is also making communication easier.

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In my community, there is taking place, each year, a Science Festival.The Festival is a national science competition included in the timetable of the Romanian Ministery of Education in the section for extracurricular activities and it has been organised in the community, open to general public, by the Cluj County School Inspectorate and Science on Stage Romania.
This year, we have organized in my city the MATh.in.JEANS congress for high-school students.

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Benefits: students gain work experience and can link what they have learnt in school with real life.
Students can be hired by the company at the end of their internship. Students learn a lot during in the internship.
The students have better opportunities in finding a job.
Disadvantages: the company's staff have their own work to do, they don't have (enough) time to support the students during the internship.

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In my city there are many internship opportunities (mainly in IT and and HR - see https://optcluj.wordpress.com/) and there are different companies (e.g. Bosch, KPMG) which have different programmes for university students.

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Studenţi - Locuri de muncă şi cariere - Bosch

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Studenţi Pentru toate scopurile practice

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I usually  connect with the business community in my city  by asking parents, friends, my family or my connections, by officially contacting different institutions (e.g. the Facultaty of Mathematics and Computer Science, the Astronomical Observatory). I can bring to school IT professionals (web-developers, web-designers, soft-developers, etc.), financial experts (financial auditors, credit officers, probationary officer, bank manager etc.), researchers in mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, etc. physicians, (medical doctors), experts in environment issues.

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Our students are mainly part of the “coasters” and “meanderers”—receive strong support but are less motivated - and "high-achievers". What we should do? Try to find ways to motivate them (intrinsic motivation - as their external motivation is pretty high because of their families and competitiveness promoted by the school).

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I'm working in a high-school which offer 2 specializations: mathematics and computer science & natural sciences. Most of the students (and parents) are interested in STEM careers. However, when I worked in another school (lower secondary education) - the parents were an issue. I organized sort of 'STEM evenings' for parents & students - they had to explore together some challenging problems .... and there was a lot of fun

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During the lessons in the Statistics Unit (10th grade) I would invite statisticians who work in different companies/ institutions (e.g.:  economic management, research institutes, a brokerage, insurance companies) as role models/ STEM mentors.

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I'm not thinking to invite a VIP role model. Instead, probably I would invite a researcher from the Mathematics or Physics Research Instutite in my city.

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I use the tutoring role (pastoral support - when a student asks for support) and sometimes teaching role (within the subject). In Romania, we don't have CEL or career advisers (as described in the study “Teachers and Careers: The role of school teachers in delivering career and employability learning”). There is a teacher who is responsible for the class, and this teacher have some of the responsibilities listed in table 2, for the career teacher. If a teacher is not responsible for a class, he/ she has no career guidance responsibilities.

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I'm not aware of any  project, awareness campaign or initiative related to STEM and gender equality in Romania, but I know that Romania is taking part in the European Girls’ Mathematical Olympiad

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The European Girls' Mathematical Olympiad is an international mathematics competition similar in style to the International Mathematical Olympiad, with two papers taken on consecutive days. Participating countries send teams consisting of four female mathematicians of school age.

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Ada Lovelace (Lady Byron)- 1815 - 1852 ... while translating an Italian mathematician’s memoir analyzing an analytical engine , she went beyond completing a simple translation and included a method for calculating a sequence of Bernoulli numbers; this is now acknowledged as the world’s first computer program.

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As in my classes there are far more girls than boys (26 girls vs. 6 boys or 27 girls vs 4 boys), in the instruction I never divide students by gender. Somehow, I have to 'take care' of boys - as yhey really feel like a minority in the classroom.

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I teach high-school students (natural sciences specialization). In these classes, out of 30-32 students, only 4-6 students are boys. After graduating the high-school, students mostly take STEM careers (and medicine). However, even if girls choose STEM carriers in Romania, there are few who advance in their career (if they graduate IT, they have big chances to get a 'tester' job) - only in chemistry and biology women are pretty well represented.

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I already use:
- incorporate authentic research
- integrate experiential activities in the classroom
- citizen science.
The practices which I am NOT currently using but would like to implement in my classroom are:
- utilize career materials in science texts/journals/articles
- invite guest speakers
- expose students to worksites and outside opportunities.

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The video below shows how I use STEM carrier activities. The researcher is attending our workshop 1 time/ month (during the school year). What I should do more? Connecting the dots and focusing the students' reflection on the STEM carriers (not only on their research process)

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MATH in JEANS/ MATinJEANS/ Matematica in blugi

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I like Skillage (if I have to choose one) - because you don't need to register. However, all the tools are focused on IT skills.

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IT specialists - they need to have at least Bachelor degree in Computer Science

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I'm using Scientific inquiry/Inquiry Based Science Education within an elective course - see the syllabus of Doing Math As Researchers Do It.
Results are great - students learn a lot of math and are happy when doing math.

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MatLan - Learning math and languages through research and cooperation

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Intelectual outputs and multiplier events

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Within the MatLan project, we have jointly developed: - a set of assessment tools and procedures of mathematical and transversal skills and guidelines for teachers who use the assessment tools and...

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The 3 soft skills which are the most important, in my opinion, within the STEM fields:
1. collaborative problem solving
2. presentation skills
3. time management.
How I address them in the classroom? Mainly by using project based learning/ inquiery-based project approach, through:
- team working on challenging problems
- team presentation of the project work in the classroom/ school/ different events
- clear deadlines for the students' work/ tasks.

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Interactive guide on future technology careers
https://www.thetechpartnership.com/tech-future-careers
Teen Science cafe http://sciencecentremalta.net/portfolio/tsc-oct/
Big Bang Fair https://www.thebigbangfair.co.uk/
Microsoft’s Careers https://careers.microsoft.com/
Amgen Scholars http://www.amgenscholars.eu/

Community Partners: Making Student Learning Relevant https://www.edutopia.org/practice/community-partners-making-student-learning-relevant

Education to employment: Getting Europe’s youth into work http://www.mckinsey.com/industries/social-sector/our-insights/converting-education-to-employment-in-europe

Parental influence on child's science-career decision

https://phys.org/news/2010-02-parental-child-science-career-decision.html
Encouraging science at home https://www.edutopia.org/blog/encouraging-science-at-home-bob-pflugfelder
Parents and STEM 2 http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/013.nsf/eng/00001.html
Parents and STEM https://hackbrightacademy.com/blog/6-ways-parents-can-encourage-love-science-tech-kids/ Hypatia project http://www.expecteverything.eu/hypatia/
10 Groundbreaking Women Scientists Written Off By History http://listverse.com/2013/10/14/10-groundbreaking-women-scientists-written-off-by-history/
Female scientists http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/ten-historic-female-scientists-you-should-know-84028788/#2EScWgUsCxmO5s6d.99
project based learning https://www.edutopia.org/blog/what-heck-project-based-learning-heather-wolpert-gawron and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFySmS9_y_0 and
Inquiery based learning in science https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbqPaKTsDIU
Build STEM skills https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ghzp9IKlOKw
Conceptual framework for integrated STEM education
https://stemeducationjournal.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s40594-016-0046-z

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Just what skills do students need today to succeed in the future? We asked 7 leaders in STEM education what they think classroom teachers should focus on to prepare kids for jobs we haven't even conceived of yet.

Many of our interviewees cited a diverse range of skills, but we challenged them to name at least one key ability they believe will be more critical than the rest in order to succeed in future STEM fields.

We were surprised by the equal mix of "soft" and more traditional academic skills mentioned, from creativity to statistics. Read on for more of what our experts had to say:

1. Statistics

"If I were to choose one specific discipline for students to study, it would be statistics, a course that can be applied across all STEM fields. You don't need higher levels of calculus or physics for all STEM careers, but you do need statistics. A deep understanding of statistics means understanding probability and error rates, concepts that cut across almost any type of problem you want to solve in STEM."

- Gregg Fleisher, president, National Math and Science Initiative, Dallas, Texas

2. Problem-Solving

"What binds together the STEM movement is the notion of modern skills. Employers talk about problem-solving. Society requires problem-solving. Doing your taxes requires problem-solving. Those are the types of skills that really matter. A practicing engineer will tell you, 'I didn't use the calculus I learned to solve problems on paper, but the way it taught me to solve problems and to think about problems was really important.'"
-James Brown, executive director of the STEM Education Coalition in Washington, D.C., and a nuclear engineer by training
3. Creativity

"Creativity can be simple and complex at the same time.We don't always teach to think outside of the box. You've got to look at a problem from a different perspective sometimes. Teachers can nurture this by asking open-ended questions. In math and science, you can show different models so students get varying ideas of how it might look to bring together one idea. Or don't show a model at all and leave it a little open-ended so they have to come up with a solution on their own. Ask: 'Why do you think this is?' Reflecting and explaining what they did to solve a problem can foster creativity and teach collaboration -another important skill."

- Jenny Nash, education sp ecialist with in Boston, former middle school teacher and teacher-preparation instructor

4. Argumentation
-Eric Brunsell, associate professor of science education and director of the teacher education program at University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh
"The act of arguing is using evidence to support a claim. In the STEM fields, this means using analytical and critical-thinking skills to look for patterns in data, trying to determine what those patterns mean, and then using that data to support a claim. This skill transfers across all disciplines. In an elementary school science class, for example, if you give students a lot of different experiences with noisemakers-everything from tuning forks to speakers to whoopee cushions-they have the experience of collecting data. And then they will be able to use that data to make the argument that sounds are caused by vibrations."

5. Intellectual Curiosity
-Ted Wells, vice president and chief strategy officer at STEMconnector®, in Washington, D.C.
"The days of coming into an organization and having the same role forever are over. Many people will have two-year stints and then are moved into a different role. That's the nature of modern career paths. Beyond mastering content, individuals need to be innovators, learn from failures and keep moving on. You need to cut across disciplines and be able to ask the questions that help build connections. People need to be lifelong learners and be driven by an intellectual curiosity to try to figure things out."

6. Data-Driven Decision-Making

"Students need to be able to make a decision not just based on what they think or feel, but on scientific data that supports the best solution. Everyone needs to know how to do this. It doesn't matter whether you go on to a career in STEM or not-you need to know how to use data to make informed decisions in your life."

- Stacy Klein-Gardner, director of Center for STEM Education for Girls at Harpeth Hall School in Nashville, Tennessee. She is a biomedical engineer and on faculty at Vanderbilt University.

7. Flexibility

"People are now required to adapt quickly to new demands and new situations. They need quantitative skills to manipulate data well. They need to be able to communicate clearly. There is a broad set of skills that, I would argue, everyone needs. Just look at the sheer number of people in manufacturing who were skilled at what they did but who now need a whole new set of skills, often late in their careers, to be viable in the job market. They need to know statistics, technology, quality control. They need to understand programming and systems to ensure the automated production technology is operating correctly. The trick for teachers is to give their students authentic problems to tackle in school, problems that require students to draw on different areas of knowledge and skill."
Teachers, what are your thoughts? Do you have any focus skills that you particularly try to instill in your students? Please share in the comments!
- Claus von Zastrow, chief operating officer and director of research for Change the Equation in Washington, D.C.

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The 7 Most Important STEM Skills We Should Be Teaching Our Kids

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We asked 7 leaders in STEM education what they think classroom teachers should focus on to prepare kids for jobs we haven't even conceived of yet.

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I'm using technology in the classroom pretty often. I have tablets for students (a tablet for each pair of students), my tablet and a video-projector, and wi-fi connection. In my teaching, I use different ICT tools (a Moodle platform & Google drive - for the students e-portfolios). I also use and I encourage students to use Geogebra - as it is a great for visualising mathematics.
I also use the eTwinning space with one of my classes which is involved in an eTwinning project.

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Career cluster and Explore STEM careers https://www.stemexplore.org/careers

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Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics Career Cluster

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IT specialists - they need to have at least Bachelor degree in Computer Science

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As predictions may differ from reality (predictions may be just an 'imagination exercise'), I'm focussing my answer on what we should teach for preparing our students for whatever future STEM jobs. At 1st, we should try to keep our students in the educational system as long as possible - educated people have more chances to get a job. Then, we should focus our teaching on the skills/ competences' development and on critical and creative thinking.

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We should develop higher-order thinking skills, critical thinking skills, collaborative problem-solving skills. We should encourage creativity and innovation and we should organize exploration/ investigation activities.

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The 4th Industrial Revolution will completly change our lives - in my opinion, we will loose the 'physical' aspect of the world & quintessential human capacities  and we will gain the benefits of the technology advancements. 'It will change not only what we do but also who we are. It will affect our identity and all the issues associated with it: our sense of privacy, our notions of ownership, our consumption patterns, the time we devote to work and leisure, and how we develop our careers, cultivate our skills, meet people, and nurture relationships.' https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/01/the-fourth-industrial-revolution-what-it-means-and-how-to-respond/

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The challenge which is most present in my daily professional activities:
- teacher knowledge of science careers; to overcome it,  school- industry collaboration should be set up and a sort of data base of STEM careers should be available.

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1) Do you think there is a lack of STEM skills in Europe?
No.
3) If not, why are employers finding difficulties to employ workers?
An explanation to this situation is given in the publication EU skills panorama: Analytical highlight - Focus on Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) skills. The authors consider that:

From 2003 to 2013, the number of people working in STEM occupations grew by 12%, three times as much as total EU-28 employment. STEM occupations now account for 7% of all jobs.

Much of this growth occurred from 2003 to 2008. However, there are signs of a recent upturn, which is creating recruitment difficulties in most EU-28 countries.

Demand for STEM skills is anticipated to increase in the short and medium term. Whilst the numbers of STEM students and graduates are both increasing, some employers report that they are not ‘job ready’ and do not possess the ‘right’ skills, especially soft skills.

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I'm a math teacher, so, from my point of view, math (and STEM) education is essential. Why? Because we have to prepare our students for the 21st century society - a society in which technology, innovation, adaptation, critical thinking, problem solving are essential. Most of the students are asking themselves (and their teachers) why do they have to study math. In a STEM education approach, students would identify the utility of math as a tool for solving problems. 'In a STEM-based learning environment, the relevance of math will be shown and used often, demonstrating its purpose, transforming its perception, removing its mystique, revealing it as another way to help solve problems.' (http://www.edisonmuckers.org/the-importance-of-stem/)

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The school where I teach is one of the best in my town. The students are pretty motivated to learn and most of the parents are interested in the education of their children.

This year I teach students from three classes (science specialization): the 10th, the 11th and the 12th grades. Class sizes are between 25 - 31 students. The students interest in learning math is average (most of the students want to study medicine after graduating the high-school).

I have my own classroom - and it has a video-projector. I have a tablet (it has been provided by the school), and we have wi-fi in our school. Students have tablets (each pair of students have a tablet)

In my teaching, I use different ICT tools (a Moodle platform & Google drive - for the students e-portfolios). I also use and I encourage students to use Geogebra - as it is a great for visualising mathematics.

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I'm math teacher at Colegiul National Emil Racovita from Cluj-Napoca, Romania. I teach high-school students (15 - 19 years). I'm working also on many national and international projects - as I think the best teacher is the one who is an excellent learner.