STEM: Applying Frameworks Across Disciplines

The most impactful teaching strategies that emphasize critical thinking and inquiry are rising to the surface and are reaching outside of their intended subject areas to positively impact learning across curriculums.

Creating Equity in Science Education Through Standards-Based Programs

The National Science Foundation recently awarded a third round of funding to Data Nuggets—a program designed to improve data literacy for K-16 students through relatable, real-world examples of scientific research. By incorporating critical thinking and inquiry-based learning, programs like Data Nuggets help students engage deeply with scientific practices while supporting educators in enriching and aligning their STEM curriculum, and fostering skills essential for understanding and addressing real-world challenges.

Why it Matters —

Tools and programs that meet established education standards help alleviate the challenges that districts face to effectively provide equitable, quality education across the curriculum spectrum. By offering turnkey resources and programs that engage students without sacrificing depth of learning, programs like Data Nuggets allow educators to effectively incorporate real-world applications into their lessons, helping students develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills that are essential in today’s world.

Deepening Transferable Mathematical Knowledge Through Conceptual Learning

In the last edition of Education Matters, we explored how real-world application in Civics Education encourages deeper learning. A similar approach can be applied in Math instruction, where focusing on understanding concepts, rather than just following steps, can lead to stronger understanding of the applied skill. In fact, research shows that a student who gets the wrong answer may still have a stronger understanding of the concept than the student who gets the right answer just by following procedural steps. This raises an important question: How can teachers tell if students truly understand the concepts being taught? By encouraging reasoning, problem-solving, and inquiry-based learning, teachers can help students build confidence and a deeper understanding of math, even when mistakes are made.

Why it Matters —

Teaching methods that focus on understanding rather than rote procedures are in high demand and apply to all subject areas. This real-world approach to learning can enhance students’ ability to connect to the learning process, boosting their overall academic performance and problem-solving skills across the curriculum.

Great Expectations for Meeting New Standards in the Science of Reading

The struggle to adapt to new standards and methods ultimately falls on classroom teachers and variations in teacher support, training, and resources can lead to inconsistent classroom implementation. An article from Education Week discusses the challenges districts face in implementing the “science of reading” due to the complexity of aligning new curricula with existing practices, the need for continuous professional development, and the varying quality of support provided to classroom teachers by their districts.

Why it Matters —

There is a continued challenge for school leadership to meet growing demands and expectations—the search for tools that help to build knowledge and offer proper training for teachers is ongoing and key to launching and maintaining new practices in educational standards like the “science of reading.” Without steady support from district leadership, teachers will struggle to adapt, causing uneven application of new methods in classrooms. Ongoing professional development helps teachers stay up to date with best practices and apply them more consistently and equitably.

Teacher Spotlight: Mr. Rogers Inspires Civics Learning in Early Education Classrooms

Emotional literacy and community values can be applied to civics education in early childhood. As Angela Evans, a K-3 teacher from Philadelphia, notes, teaching children to manage emotions, show empathy, and understand their roles and the importance of all members of a community starts as early as kindergarten. Evans, who is often faced with big questions from small children, relies heavily on the philosophies taught by the one-and-only Fred Rogers of “Mister Roger’s Neighborhood.”

While it’s been nearly 25 years since the last episode of the beloved show aired, the influence of Mister Rogers can be readily found in the foundations of Social-Emotional Learning and the CASEL model (Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning), which stresses the importance of developing self-awareness, social awareness, and responsible decision-making in students.

“Developing a classroom democracy is another excellent way to teach students about voting, decision making, and respecting differing opinions.”

Why it Matters —

The integration of SEL in the K-12 market reflects a growing recognition that these skills can have a positive impact on academic knowledge in preparing students for the complexities of modern life. As schools increasingly adopt SEL frameworks, educators like Angela Evans are finding creative ways to engage young students to be compassionate and engaged members of their communities.

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