This is part of a series of monthly columns about STEM in Juneau.
One of the best sounds to my ears is listening to students enthusiastically discussing solutions on how to slow down a marble as it rolls down a ramp: “We can add a curve here” or “Let’s add a spiral turn there.” The skeptical students in the group respond, “Will that work?”
These students are working on a STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Math) project. Each group of four or five students were tasked with building a tower in which they would all roll a marble down a track. The goal is to take as much time as possible for the marble to get down. Students were given parameters: the ball should begin rolling down 48 inches from the ground, they need to build on the provided platform, they couldn’t create a blocking mechanism, the marble needs to continuously move down the tracks. You would be amazed at the skills used during this weeklong project.
The education system and the world around us is changing. We live in global society filled with global thinking. Today’s workforce is tasked with creating solutions to problems that have not yet been identified. Employees are asked to work collaboratively to solve a task with partners spread throughout the globe, thinking “outside the box” so that a company can make or design a product to enhance the lives of their consumers. Now it is time for students to be asked to complete similar tasks.
The Juneau School District has been working over the past year to adopt a new Science Curriculum based on the Next Generation Science Standards. These standards incorporate engineering principles, math concepts and technology. If we want students to be prepared for careers in science or engineering, we need to use instructional practices that allow them to act like scientist and engineers. Some of the most engaging and energetic classrooms I have visited were at times when students were involved in science or engineering. I love to listen — to the words of students explaining their thinking and learning, to students get excited when a solution works, even listen to students when their ideas fail. The most important thing is their enthusiasm for learning.
If you’re interested in being on a volunteer list for or receiving emails from the STEM Coalition, please contact juneaustemcoalition@gmail.com.
• Kristy Dillingham is a Juneau STEM Coalition Member and Principal of Mendenhall River Community School.
