STEM Connections:

An Action Research Project

Integrating STEM education

Sydney, 28 July 2015

Deborah Palmer: Manager Curriculum (ACARA)

Kate Manuel: Manager National Projects (AAMT)

Alesha Bleakley: Cherrybrook Technology High

School NSW

The big picture

Deborah Palmer

STEM

3

This

Or this

Or even this:

STE^M

Some observations

Australia needs:

• An agreed definition of what constitutes STEM

education in schools

• A coordinated and coherent national approach

to STEM education in schools

• A curriculum that contributes effectively to

STEM

• Well-resourced, innovative and prepared

teachers

4

5

Improve and

strengthen the

ability of students

Improve

confidence and

capacity of

students

Increase student

enrolment in STEM

Encourage girls to

remain engaged

Connect classroom and

work opportunities

Why integrated STEM teaching?

Links

between

learning

areas

6

Mathematics

Science

Technologies

Engineering

STEM

Contributions of the

Australian Curriculum

Through learning area disciplines

• science

• technologies

• mathematics

Through general capabilities, particularly

• numeracy

• ICT and

• critical and creative thinking

7

Opportunities for STEM

• exist within learning areas themselves

• are strengthened when the connections between

learning areas are emphasised

• are richest when learning areas combine to find

authentic learning opportunities for students in

answer to an identified problem or in the

creation of a product

8

A significant common feature

Systems

• mathematics: consists of multiple interrelated

and interdependent concepts and systems

• science: systems as an overarching idea

• technologies: systems thinking and engineering

principles and systems

9

Why integrated STEM teaching?

10

• Connection between school experience

and the real world in authentic ways

• Mismatch between school experience and

employer / industry demands

• School learning needs relevance

11

School teams

Incorporating industry

Student Outcomes

FeedbackSTEM integration

Integrated approach

The ACARA STEM Project

STEM Connections

• Integrated delivery of STEM disciplines as

opposed to separate delivery

• Project based

• Teaching teams

• Evidence

12

The project itself

Kate Manuel

STEM Connections: The aims

• Increase knowledge, understanding and skills in

STEM

• Connections between classwork and future work

• Develop school-industry initiatives

• Improve confidence in STEM and increase

capacity to transfer skills

• Encourage girls to remain in STEM subjects

14

Schools

• Broad range of schools

• Capacity to provide teams around the

three disciplines of maths, science and

technology

• Model of delivery to suit school

• Support from school leadership

• Suitable selection of project topic

15

Project topics

• Science/sustainability

Biofuels, Water testing, Solar panels, Sustainable

garden

• Design and Technology

Mousetrap dragsters, Green wall, Engineering

• STEM Classes

App development, Environment, F1 Challenge

• Media/marketing

Cosmetic product development and marketing,

Endangered species, Student health

16

Models

• Whole year level roll-out, fully integrated,

teaching team

• Several classes, separate disciplines,

incomplete overlap of students

• Special class(es) (G & T, D & T) with one

main teacher, guest lecturers

• Special class with teaching team

17

Expectations of schools

• Participate in introductory two-day workshop

• Submit project plans, respond to feedback

• Meet timelines

• Arrange school visits

• Engage in filming Illustrations of Practice (with

ACARA and ESA)

• Submit final report, assessment tasks, student work

samples

• Participate in final two-day workshop

18

The real deal:

one school’s experience

Alesha Bleakley

Cherrybrook Technology High

School

20

Background

• 2000 students year 7-12

• 140 Staff

• Science- 18 Staff (1 HT)

• Technology- 23 Staff (3 HT)

• Mathematics- 18 Staff (2 HT)

• High performing school

• Non selective

21

STEM Team

22

Alesha Bleakley

CTHS STEM Coordinator

Technology/ Engineering

George An

Science

Yetsum Yang

ScienceEddie Woo

Mathematics

Stage 5 STEM Class

• 22 Students

• 15 Male/ 7 Female

• 12 Year 9

• 10 Year 10

• Timetabled class 6 periods/ cycle

• 53 minutes/ period

• Semester course

• 1 core teacher

23

Project Brief

• In groups, students are to investigate the effect of overpopulation

within the Cherrybrook Technology High School environment,

particularly addressing the area of the school referred to as the top

playground. Using scientific and mathematical tools, you are to

devise a potential solution to ameliorate the targeted aspect of the

school environment. The solution is to be presented in groups of 2-3

students in a virtual model and some aspects of a physical model.

• Our project addresses the increasing urbanisation of our local

community, as visible within our school grounds through the

degradation of our common spaces and topsoil erosion. There are

other significant effects that are not as tangible, such as congestion

within the school between lessons as students move from one class

to another, as well as children not being able to remain physically

active due to the lack of available space during recess and lunch.

24

Activities• Lateral thinking challenges

• Field of Mars excursion

• Athletics carnival canteen

• Calculating irregular shapes

• Guest speakers

– Longen Lan (past students studying advanced science & Law)

– HT Administration (tour to explain trees and factors affecting design)

• Traffic flow observations

• Soil sample testing

• Introduction to SketchUp

• Idea generation activities

• Budgeting

• Time management

• Long term planning

• Project presentation evening

25

Speed bumps

• Assessing integration

• Time

• Class swapping (fine for short term)

• Keeping faculties up to speed

• Co-ordination was more complicated than

usual (cross faculty)

• Large project

26

What Worked?• The project was something the students could connect with

and felt passionate about

• Having a dynamic STEM team who were prepared to be

flexible and collaborative

• Fortnightly STEM Team meetings

• Having external presenters attend when needed in the

program

• 6 periods of timetabled classes

• Expectations are suspended

• Extra effort for staff reaped positive rewards

• On the school plan

• Creating a CTHS STEM ethos

27

CTHS STEM Ethos

28

Thank you