Teaching skills for the future
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STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) has grown over the years from being an add-on within the science curriculum, to a full blown avenue for schools to explore across subjects. At NAIS Pudong, we have embedded a multi-functional science club for Year 7 and 8 students, while for Years 7-13 we offer a STEM club. This year, we have also decided to enter the Google Science Fair and pupils are working on applying science concepts they’ve learned in school to real-world situations.
I believe that most pupils do not realize how STEM subjects apply to their everyday lives; from the latest iPhone to the development of the Internet, we are in a time of exponential technology growth. Within the next 10 years, we are also looking at many computers and robots being able to take over jobs now done by humans. This means children will have to become multi-skilled and adaptable for the workplace. The addition of STEM across our curriculum allows them to think about real-world problems on a global scale.
STEM has recently developed into STEAM, with the addition of the arts, and never has this been more relevant than with the development of mobile technology and the power of programing. I am constantly astounded that pupils as young as 11 can write coded programs and start to generate working apps.
Technology plays a huge role in our students’ world, not just within the curriculum but also with how they access that material. At NAIS Pudong, we are currently in the midst of providing all Years 5-11 students with iPads. This is a great initiative that will enable pupils to have access to websites, blogs and interactive simulations. It will enhance their learning and enable them to focus on embedding skills and concepts across the curriculum.
As a teacher it will push my teaching skills to make sure I am keeping up with technology. I am already thinking how we can use a movie-editing program to film chemical reactions and how we can create “how to” guides for chemistry equipment that will benefit future students.
One can no longer expect to have the same job one’s entire life, and many of the jobs that today’s Year 7 students are now aspiring to will be obsolete by the time they leave university. The power of STEM and STEAM is that they transform how students think and give them skills to apply in whatever future career they chose, as well as the flexibility to change.
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