Supporting STEM Education in the School Library with Digital Tools

The prominence of technology in STEM education provides opportunities for teacher librarians to collaborate with teachers across multiple disciplines and embrace leadership roles through integrating digital tools for teaching and learning. This presentation will discuss work from the federally funded REALISD project which is providing professional development for K-12 teacher librarians for designing and facilitating STEM learning in their schools. Participants will learn about locating, accessing, and evaluating digital resources, along with strategies for utilizing resources to provide learning experiences in the STEM areas through both formal and informal instruction.

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Best IASL Conference 2017 Paper: Preparing Teacher Librarians to Support STEM Education

IASL Annual Conference Proceedings ◽

10.29173/iasl7145 ◽

2017 ◽

pp. 1-11

Author(s):

Melissa P. Johnston

Keyword(s):

Stem Education ◽

Teaching And Learning ◽

The United States ◽

Stem Learning ◽

Post Secondary ◽

Integration Of Technology ◽

And Mathematics ◽

Teacher Librarians ◽

New Generation ◽

Pre Service Teacher

A current focus in schools in the United States is STEM education, which prepares students for successful employment and post-secondary studies that require unique and more-technically advanced skills through teaching and learning in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). This approach is grounded in problem solving, discovery, and exploratory learning, which requires students to actively engage in a situation in order to find its solution. Students engage in STEM learning in many different ways, with technology and digital resources playing an important role. The prominence of technology in STEM education provides leadership opportunities for teacher librarians. Yet, teacher librarians must be prepared to lead in the integration of technology to support STEM education. This report presents identified needs of teacher librarians in regards to supporting STEM education and discusses implications for better preparing pre-service teacher librarians to lead in order to address the needs of a new generation of learners.

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Empowering Teacher Librarians to Support STEM Education: Preliminary Findings

IASL Annual Conference Proceedings ◽

10.29173/iasl7432 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Melissa Johnston

Keyword(s):

Problem Solving ◽

Stem Education ◽

Emerging Technologies ◽

Digital Tools ◽

Exploratory Learning ◽

Stem Learning ◽

Teacher Librarians

STEM education is grounded in problem solving, discovery, and exploratory learning, which requires students to actively engage in a situation in order to find its solution (Young, 2013). Students engage in STEM learning in many different ways, with technology and media playing an important role. Students need exposure to current and emerging technologies appropriate for STEM learning, but also instruction on how to interact with and utilize digital tools to solve problems and improve learning (Subramaniam & Edwards, 2014; Subramaniam et al., 2013).

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Taking it Outside the School Library

IASL Annual Conference Proceedings ◽

10.29173/iasl7430 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Joanne Rodger ◽

Jennifer Branch-Mueller

Keyword(s):

Instructional Leadership ◽

Assistant Principals ◽

Teaching And Learning ◽

School Library ◽

University Teaching ◽

Female Teacher ◽

Leadership Roles ◽

Leadership Positions ◽

Formal Leadership ◽

Teacher Librarians

This paper presents findings from a study of the experiences of six female teacher-librarians who are now in leadership positions as assistant principals and school/university consultants. These TL leaders were working as district consultants, assistant principals, and as a university teaching and learning consultant. All TL leaders had classroom experience, teacher-librarianship experience, and had been teacher leaders in their schools. The TL leaders were using their unique skills and experiences to provide professional development and instructional leadership. More research is needed about how the experience of being a teacher-librarian shapes formal leadership roles.

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Understanding intrinsic challenges to STEM instructional practices for Chinese teachers based on their beliefs and knowledge base

International Journal of STEM Education ◽

10.1186/s40594-020-00245-0 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 7 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Yan Dong ◽

Jing Wang ◽

Yunying Yang ◽

Premnadh M. Kurup

Keyword(s):

Knowledge Base ◽

Stem Education ◽

Structural Equation ◽

Mathematical Problem ◽

Equation Model ◽

Chinese Society ◽

Stem Learning ◽

Chinese Teachers ◽

Teachers Beliefs ◽

K 12

Abstract Background China has great student participation in STEM education. Chinese society has a progressive and positive attitude towards STEM as it is considered to provide more opportunities in life. Teachers play a vital role in the success of any STEM program in K-12 schools. However, teachers are facing instructional challenges because of the interdisciplinary nature of the STEM curriculum and the current typical school structure. The success of the STEM programs depends on teachers’ beliefs and their knowledge in adapting to instructional implementation of STEM concepts. Results The data (n = 216) was collected from STEM primary and secondary teachers from 25 provinces in mainland China. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was applied, and Pearson’s correlation analysis was used to examine the correlation between Chinese STEM teachers’ beliefs, knowledge, implementation, and the intrinsic challenges of STEM education; t tests and analysis of variance (ANOVA) were performed to ascertain whether there were differences. The structural equation model (SEM) was applied to identify interrelationships. The results indicated that Chinese STEM teachers encounter higher-level intrinsic challenges to instructional implementations based on their beliefs and knowledge. Teachers who utilize their experience of teaching science as their main discipline and then attempt to integrate STEM using mathematics and engineering are likely to encounter higher-level intrinsic challenges in implementation. Conclusion The intrinsic challenges perceived by Chinese teachers in the practice of STEM education can be predicted by their beliefs and knowledge base. Teachers who understand the nature and pedagogy of STEM education are more likely to encounter lower-level intrinsic challenges of STEM teaching, while teachers who utilize their main discipline when conducting integrated STEM learning activities through modeling based on science, technology, engineering, and mathematical problem situations are more likely to encounter higher-level intrinsic challenges. This study also reveals that there are some significant differences in the level of STEM teachers’ beliefs, knowledge base, instructional practice, and their intrinsic challenges based on their teaching grade, seniority, and experience of STEM training and teaching.

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HOW TO MAKE LEARNING IN STEM MEANIGFUL FOR THE MILLENNIUM GENERATION

10.33225/balticste/2019.41 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Dagnija Cedere ◽

◽

Rita Birzina ◽

Tamara Pigozne ◽

Elena Vasilevskaya ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Young Adults ◽

Data Analysis ◽

Stem Education ◽

Teaching And Learning ◽

Real Life ◽

Learning Problems ◽

Stem Learning ◽

Teaching Learning ◽

Learning Principles ◽

To Receive

The education of today more and more encounters the teaching and learning problems of young adults therefore it is topical to find out how to make the teaching/learning of the Millennium generation meaningful. This issue is especially important in STEM education. The survey involved Grade 10-12 students of Latvia, in total 256 students. Spearman’s correlations and Kruskal-Wallis test were used in the data analysis. The obtained results showed that students- millennials as regards the learning of STEM subjects can be described as real-life oriented, digitally educated who want to participate actively in the teaching/learning process and who want to receive the feedback. Keywords: meaningful learning, Millennium generation, teaching and learning principles, STEM learning.

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Social distancing meet social media: digital tools for connecting students, teachers, and citizens in an emergency

Information and Learning Sciences ◽

10.1108/ils-04-2020-0134 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 121 (5/6) ◽

pp. 341-352

Author(s):

Christine Greenhow ◽

Amy Chapman

Keyword(s):

Social Media ◽

Learning Community ◽

Online Teaching ◽

Teaching And Learning ◽

Civic Participation ◽

Digital Tools ◽

Health Crisis ◽

Content Type ◽

Social Distancing ◽

K 12

Purpose In a public health crisis where social distancing, or physical distancing while in public spaces, is the new normal, social media offer respite from being alone. Recent statistics show spikes in social media usage worldwide during the Covid-19 pandemic. More than just easing loneliness, such freely available digital tools offer affordances for education in an emergency. Design/methodology/approach This paper summarizes insights from literature reviews of over a decade of research and recent case studies on the benefits of teaching with social media in K-12 education. Findings The authors highlight three affordances of social media for fostering active learning, community building and civic participation and describe how social media can be used in conjunction with conventional learning management systems. Furthermore, the authors argue that the unprecedented health crisis that is faced today requires the participation of responsible citizens of all ages; K-12 public education is on the front lines of preparing informed and active citizens and the integration of social media as part of remote education plans can help. Practical implications The paper includes instructional guidelines for K-12 teachers and instructional designers in various settings who seek to integrate social media as part of their strategy for teaching students at a distance and facilitating their civic participation. Originality/value This paper fulfills an identified need for evidence-based and pragmatic approaches to K-12 online teaching and learning using technologies already widely in use (i.e. social media).

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Considering Young People’s Dislocation From STEM Education: Looking Beyond the Narrow Focus of Teaching and Learning Practice Within School

Frontiers in Education ◽

10.3389/feduc.2021.678613 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 6 ◽

Author(s):

Sharon Fraser ◽

Nicoli Barnes ◽

Sue Kilpatrick ◽

John Guenther ◽

Georgie Nutton

Keyword(s):

Student Engagement ◽

Young People ◽

Stem Education ◽

Teaching And Learning ◽

Methodological Approach ◽

Stem Learning ◽

Children And Young People ◽

Post Secondary ◽

Methodological Considerations ◽

Rural Work

Rural, regional and remote (RRR) communities and industries in Australia cannot currently produce or attract the workforce needed to survive, making skills and qualifications in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) increasingly important. Yet student engagement in STEM education in RRR schools remains low, with limited numbers of young people either moving into further STEM education post-secondary, or accessing readily available STEM-related jobs in RRR areas. Currently many rural children and young people are not exposed to, nor recognize the diverse ways in which STEM knowledge is required and used in their world. We propose that if young people are to increasingly engage with STEM and continue onto STEM-related careers, they must be able to see connections between their “school” learning of STEM and the STEM knowledge that is enacted in rural work and life. We also suggest that for this to change, there should be increased visibility of “place-based” knowledges, including Aboriginal STEM knowledges, in RRR communities to promote enhanced student engagement with STEM. In this paper we explore these ideas by drawing on Foucault and Bourdieu understandings to develop a methodological framework – the Place-based STEM- alignment Framework for the purposes of exposing alternate STEM knowledges. We argue that the nuanced and critical methodological approach applied in the development of the Place-based STEM-alignment Framework, is necessary in order to generate this analytical tool and provide data that will allow us the scope to “reset” current understandings of STEM knowledges. The framework design provides us with the methodological vehicle to identify possible reasons for the invisibility of STEM knowledge and practices in the local fabric of RRR communities and to examine enablers and/or barriers to engagement in STEM learning. The framework must be a practical tool for use in the field, one that can be used in RRR communities to engage, children and young people, in STEM, in a way that is meaningful and that aligns with their everyday experience of RRR life. Finally, the framework has to work to enable alternative perspectives to be exposed that will advance methodological considerations of STEM.

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The School Library as a Dynamo within the Learning Community of the School

IASL Annual Conference Proceedings ◽

10.29173/iasl8083 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 231-238

Author(s):

Elizabeth Greef ◽

Yvonne Jenkins

Keyword(s):

Learning Community ◽

Teaching And Learning ◽

School Library ◽

Knowledge Society ◽

Bloom's Taxonomy ◽

Internet Research ◽

Bloom’S Taxonomy ◽

Information Skills ◽

Teacher Librarians ◽

Intellectual Power

This paper demonstrates how a school library can be an intellectual power centre, a dynamo within the school, helping to build citizens of a knowledge society, using a variety of research-based units of work designed by teacher librarians at St Andrew's Cathedral School in collaboration with teachers across the curriculum. The types of units are information-skills-based units, units based on Bloom's Taxonomy, PowerPoint units, Internet research-based units. The paper also discusses the advantages of and strategies for using an Intranet to support teaching and learning as well as elements helpful for nurturing a culture of collaboration and a vital relevant library.

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Engaging learners in STEM education

Eesti Haridusteaduste Ajakiri = Estonian Journal of Education ◽

10.12697/eha.2017.5.1.02b ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 5 (1) ◽

pp. 35-58 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Joseph Krajcik ◽

İbrahim Delen

Keyword(s):

Problem Solving ◽

Learning Environments ◽

Design Process ◽

Stem Education ◽

Practical Knowledge ◽

Student Thinking ◽

Stem Learning ◽

Problem Solving Skills ◽

K 12 ◽

Support Students

In this manuscript we focus on how to develop STEM learning environments, and how STEM can be implemented in K-12 schools. We focus on the following question: “How can we support students in building a deep, integrated knowledge of STEM so that they have the practical knowledge and problem solving skills necessary to live in and improve the world?” We also discuss criteria for evaluating STEM learning environments and the challenges teachers face in implementing STEM. We define STEM as the integration of science, engineering, technology, and mathematics to focus on solving pressing individual and societal problems. Engaging students in STEM also means engaging learners in the design process. Design is integral to student thinking in the STEM world. The design process is very non-linear and iterative in its nature but requires clearly articulating and identifying the design problem, researching what is known about the problem, generating potential solutions, developing prototype designs (artifacts) that demonstrate solutions, and sharing and receiving feedback. With the integration of design, STEM education has the potential to support students in learning big ideas in science and engineering, as well as important scientific and engineering practices, and support students in developing important motivational outcomes such as ownership, agency and efficacy. Moreover, students who engage in STEM learning environments will also develop 21st century capabilities such as problem solving, communication, and collaboration skills.

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Promise of MOOCS

IASL Annual Conference Proceedings ◽

10.29173/iasl7857 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Jennifer Branch-Mueller ◽

Joanne De Groot ◽

Michael Stephens ◽

Kyle Jones ◽

Kandise Salerno ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Teaching And Learning ◽

Information Science ◽

School Library ◽

Online Course ◽

Library And Information Science ◽

State University ◽

San Jose ◽

Massive Open Online Course ◽

San Jose State University ◽

Teacher Librarians

This research paper presents the findings from a final survey of those who registered in The Hyperlinked Library MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) offered by the School of Library and Information Science at San Jose State University in the fall of 2013. The survey questions analyzed deal specifically with the development of a sense of community within the MOOC. Key findings include: purpose (shared interests and shared experience), people (connecting with others – participants and instructors and those outside the MOOC), participation (reading, writing, sharing, joining, responding, etc.), pedagogy (decisions about teaching and learning in the MOOC are so critical) and platforms (spaces for collaborative learning inside (BuddyPress) and outside (social media). School library organizations should look to the power of MOOCs to connect teacher-librarians with each other and provide professionaldevelopment.

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