January 27th was a day full of hands-on learning in the grade 3/4 classroom. Students have been focusing their learning in science on Simple Machines. As a class, we have discussed many examples of simple machines that we use daily, especially ones that are used on the farm. In order for students to participate in the STEM day, it was crucial to build their background knowledge about simple machines so that they could apply their learning to new situations. Our class is so lucky to have a group of parents so willing to donate supplies to this specific science unit, but also spend the day volunteering.
STEM stands for: Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. Students used each of these skills in 5 separate stations throughout the day. As part of our science unit, students had to build a variety of objects that move. STEM tasks encourage students to think outside of the box to find a solution for a problem or task. Students have to think logically about the task and think through it in a creative way. I believe that students learn best when they use their hands and are involved in the process, so it was heartwarming to see how students applied their knowledge to new situations.
As with science experiments, sometimes STEM tasks are not successful for every student. This is not a negative thing by no means because students have to reflect on the design process and determine what went wrong, what they could change, or determine the specific reason why their product isn't doing what they predicted. Another bonus of STEM tasks is that you see students naturally working with each other and problem solving each challenge that they come across. In combination with the hands-on tasks, students apply the scientific method when they make predictions about the task, test their product and record their data.
As a teacher planning STEM tasks, there are many benefits. However, in order for such tasks to be successful, students need to have enough background understanding to logically think through the task. If students are lacking this aspect, then adult intervention becomes more necessary. Teachers also need to be organized and prepare the task so that students can be successful. In this specific event, it was important to have the necessary materials for each specific station. Oftentimes, students are required to bring in materials to use, and not all students will do so, therefore extra materials are needed to be provided so that no child is left out. Most times, students are very engaged in STEM tasks and minimal behavior problems arise. However, some students may not be able to handle the unstructured environment. The goal is for the teacher (or any other adult) to step back and let the students take initiative, but not all kids are able to manage this freedom. In my opinion, the benefits outweigh the downsides greatly. I strive to create these experiences for my students to make learning engaging, memorable, and fun.
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