This book offers a new, research-based approach to STEM education in early, elementary, and middle years of schooling, concentrating on building teacher agency and integrated approaches to teaching and learning in High Possibility STEM Classrooms. Author Jane Hunter presents a globally oriented, contemporary framework for powerful Integrated STEM, based on mixed-methods research data from three studies conducted in 14 schools in language-diverse, disadvantaged, and urbanized communities in Australia. Theory, creativity, life preparation, public learning, and contextual accommodations are all utilized to help educators create hands-on, inquiry-led, and project-based approaches to STEM education in the classroom. A set of highly accessible case studies is offered that places pedagogy at the center of practice – an approach valuable for researchers, school leaders, and teachers alike. Ultimately, this text responds to the call for examples of what successful Integrated STEM teaching and learning looks like in schools. The book concludes with an evidence-based blueprint for preparing for less siloed and more transdisciplinary approaches to education in schools. Hunter argues not only for High Possibility STEM Classrooms but for High Possibility STEM Schools, enriching the dialogue around the future directions of STEM, STEAM, middle leadership, technological literacies, and assessment within contemporary classrooms.

This book offers a new, research-based approach to STEM education in early, elementary, and middle years of schooling, concentrating on building teacher agency and integrated approaches to teaching and learning in High Possibility STEM Classrooms. Author Jane Hunter presents a globally oriented, contemporary framework for powerful Integrated STEM, based on mixed-methods research data from three studies conducted in 14 schools in language-diverse, disadvantaged, and urbanized communities in Australia. Theory, creativity, life preparation, public learning, and contextual accommodations are all utilized to help educators create hands-on, inquiry-led, and project-based approaches to STEM education in the classroom. A set of highly accessible case studies is offered that places pedagogy at the center of practice – an approach valuable for researchers, school leaders, and teachers alike. Ultimately, this text responds to the call for examples of what successful Integrated STEM teaching and learning looks like in schools. The book concludes with an evidence-based blueprint for preparing for less siloed and more transdisciplinary approaches to education in schools. Hunter argues not only for High Possibility STEM Classrooms but for High Possibility STEM Schools, enriching the dialogue around the future directions of STEM, STEAM, middle leadership, technological literacies, and assessment within contemporary classrooms.

Technology Integration and High Possibility Classrooms provides a fresh vision for education in schools based on new research from in-depth studies of technology integration in exemplary teachers’ classrooms. This timely book meets the demand for more examples of effective technology integration by providing a new conceptual understanding that builds on the popular and highly influential theoretical framework of technological, pedagogical and content knowledge (TPACK). Technology Integration and High Possibility Classrooms details four rich case studies set in different contexts with students ranging from age 6 to 16. Each case study articulates in very practical terms what characterizes exemplary teachers’ knowledge of technology integration and how that is applied in classrooms. This highly accessible book clearly demonstrates how theory informs practice and provides new possibilities for learning in twenty-first-century schools.

STEM Education 2.0 discusses the most recent research on important selected K-12 STEM topics by synthesizing previous research and offering new research questions. The contributions range from analysis of key STEM issues that have been studied for more than two decades to topics that have more recently became popular, such as maker space and robotics. In each chapter, nationally and internationally known STEM experts review key literature in the field, share findings of their own research with its implications for K-12 STEM education, and finally offer future research areas and questions in the respected area they have been studying. This volume provides diverse and leading voices in the future of STEM education and STEM education research.

Practical guidance for teachers aiming to strategically support the full participation and engagement of minoritized students in STEM education. In Teaching Toward Rightful Presence in Middle School STEM, Edna Tan and Angela Calabrese Barton introduce the rightful presence framework, a multifaceted approach to instruction that enables historically marginalized students to gain agency in their science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) learning. This necessary work presents practical, justice-centered STEM pedagogy that can begin to reverse the messages of exclusion that have pervaded K–12 science education. Tan and Calabrese Barton first delve into the complex legacy of systemic injustice in education, showing how forms of racialization and colonization that are manifest in schooling practices have excluded and led to the disengagement of students who have been historically marginalized because of their race, immigration status, language, class, sexuality, or gender. Through cases and vignettes from middle-school classrooms, they illustrate real-life strategies and instructional decisions that help counteract inequalities. Reaching beyond inclusion, they suggest approaches such as coplanning, coproduction, and community ethnography that disrupt the norms of the science classroom and validate the community's powerful cultural knowledge and relevant experience. Tan and Calabrese Barton show how the rightful presence framework can foster student engagement and support identity formation. This work gives teachers and other practitioners a means to critique, challenge, and disrupt underlying power structures in middle school STEM.

" Integrating STEM Teaching and Learning Into the K- 2 Classroom is a critically important contribution toward advancing STEM teaching and learning. It blazes a trail for early elementary classroom practitioners to reflect the latest thinking in STEM education, and it provides a means by which early elementary educators can meaningfully contribute to America' s STEM education movement." -- Jeff Weld, former senior policy advisor on STEM education, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Here' s proof that STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) isn' t just for the big kids! This book' s 10 chapters are a mini-course on blending authentic, phenomena-driven, integrated STEM teaching and learning into busy K- 2 classrooms. Based in both research and real-world experience, Integrating STEM Teaching and Learning Into the K- 2 Classroom provides professional learning experiences that help you make connections between STEM topics and the everyday activities you' re already doing with your students. The book answers the following questions: * How is K- 2 STEM education different from what you' re already doing, and how can you do it without squeezing more into your already-full schedule? * What are the key elements in an integrated STEM classroom, and how do they work together? * How do you use STEM in concert with your core reading block? To show you how it all works in real life, the book provides descriptions of four completed projects from actual classrooms-- projects with names like " Baby Bear' s Chair" and " A Pond Habitat." An easy-to-follow template shows you the process for developing your own STEM experiences. The final chapter describes how one district created a culture of STEM teaching and learning when education partners committed to working together toward a common goal. Researchers agree that STEM education is important in early childhood. Integrating STEM Teaching and Learning gives you the background and strategies to engage your young students in STEM without overloading your day-- or overwhelming yourself.

Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) are cultural achievements that reflect our humanity, power our economy, and constitute fundamental aspects of our lives as citizens, consumers, parents, and members of the workforce. Providing all students with access to quality education in the STEM disciplines is important to our nation's competitiveness. However, it is challenging to identify the most successful schools and approaches in the STEM disciplines because success is defined in many ways and can occur in many different types of schools and settings. In addition, it is difficult to determine whether the success of a school's students is caused by actions the school takes or simply related to the population of students in the school. Successful K-12 STEM Education defines a framework for understanding "success" in K-12 STEM education. The book focuses its analysis on the science and mathematics parts of STEM and outlines criteria for identifying effective STEM schools and programs. Because a school's success should be defined by and measured relative to its goals, the book identifies three important goals that share certain elements, including learning STEM content and practices, developing positive dispositions toward STEM, and preparing students to be lifelong learners. A successful STEM program would increase the number of students who ultimately pursue advanced degrees and careers in STEM fields, enhance the STEM-capable workforce, and boost STEM literacy for all students. It is also critical to broaden the participation of women and minorities in STEM fields. Successful K-12 STEM Education examines the vast landscape of K-12 STEM education by considering different school models, highlighting research on effective STEM education practices, and identifying some conditions that promote and limit school- and student-level success in STEM. The book also looks at where further work is needed to develop appropriate data sources. The book will serve as a guide to policy makers; decision makers at the school and district levels; local, state, and federal government agencies; curriculum developers; educators; and parent and education advocacy groups.

How do you create effective STEM classrooms that energize students, help them grow into creative thinkers and collaborators, and prepare them for their futures? This practical book from expert Anne Jolly has all the answers and tools you need to get started or enhance your current program. Based on the author’s popular MiddleWeb blog of the same name, STEM by Design reveals the secrets to successful lessons in which students use science, math, and technology to solve real-world engineering design problems. You’ll learn how to: Select and adapt quality existing STEM lessons that present authentic problems, allow for creative approaches, and engage students in meaningful teamwork; Create your own student-centered STEM lessons based on the Engineering Design Process; Assess students’ understanding of basic STEM concepts, their problem-solving abilities, and their level of engagement with the material; Teach STEM in after-school programs to further build on concepts covered in class; Empower girls to aspire to careers in STEM and break down the barriers of gender bias; Tap into STEM's project-based learning style to attract and engage all students. Throughout this user-friendly book, you’ll find design tools such as checklists, activities, and assessments to aid you in developing or adapting STEM lessons. These tools, as well as additional teacher resources, are also available as free downloads from the book’s website, http://www.stem-by-design.com.

This book provides a platform for international scholars to share evidence for effective practices in integrated STEM education and contributes to the theoretical and practical knowledge gained from the diversity of approaches. Many publications on STEM education focus on one or two of the separate STEM disciplines without considering the potential for delivering STEM curriculum as an integrated approach.This publication analyzes the efficacy of an integrated STEM curriculum and instruction, providing evidence to examine and support various integrations. The volume focuses on the problems seen by academics working in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and provides valuable, high quality research outcomes and a set of valued practices which have demonstrated their use and viability to improve the quality of integrated STEM education.

STEM Integration in K-12 Education examines current efforts to connect the STEM disciplines in K-12 education. This report identifies and characterizes existing approaches to integrated STEM education, both in formal and after- and out-of-school settings. The report reviews the evidence for the impact of integrated approaches on various student outcomes, and it proposes a set of priority research questions to advance the understanding of integrated STEM education. STEM Integration in K-12 Education proposes a framework to provide a common perspective and vocabulary for researchers, practitioners, and others to identify, discuss, and investigate specific integrated STEM initiatives within the K-12 education system of the United States. STEM Integration in K-12 Education makes recommendations for designers of integrated STEM experiences, assessment developers, and researchers to design and document effective integrated STEM education. This report will help to further their work and improve the chances that some forms of integrated STEM education will make a positive difference in student learning and interest and other valued outcomes.