Updates & Stem Education

    Welcome back, everyone! I took a hiatus from this blog as I have wanted to be fully immersed in the course to give a well-written and thought-out reflection on how everything has been. In my introductory blog, I mentioned my passion for sciences and teaching individuals in general. But, I did not fully delve into this. I have a strong passion for biology, childhood development, and something that could be uncommon to some, obstetrics. I know these are random topics, but everything in life is related to STEM. I hope this class can help expand my understanding and future teaching pedagogy with the material we will be focusing on. During these past few weeks, I have learned different techniques that can be incorporated into a classroom to make learning more enjoyable for students.

    Even from the first few weeks of this course, I understood and recognized the many external influences on STEM education. Technology is booming! Our society is now dependent on technology. With this, classrooms have integrated technology more than ever through the use of tablets, computers, games, and more, which have heavily impacted education and teaching pedagogies. Davis et al. (2019) mention that “STEM Education is not only a response to accelerating change, but it is also intended to contribute to that change… It is not about adding more math and science. It entails a dramatic rethinking of what schooling is about” (p. 8). This is super important to what we have been discussing in class. STEM enhances our everyday lives as it is constantly changing to work with new curriculums and students. It helps to have an educational conversation that can expand possibilities for individuals and society (p. 9). Technology has inevitably become such a key aspect of education that we all need to learn how to adapt and implement it into our pedagogies. 

    I remember when I was in grade six, they had already started to implement technology into the class through the use of a SMART Board. Essentially, this interactive whiteboard allows you to write and move things around, which I found very interesting as I was always used to a blackboard and chalk or an overhead projector. This huge change did not mean anything to me before, but now it is a realization that our society is changing, and now, everything has to do with the integration of technology. 

    As I reflect on my past experiences with technology, it only makes me more excited for my future as a high school teacher. I want to be able to determine my pedagogy, how I will teach my classrooms and what methods I would use to enhance the classroom environment. As a student, the ideas we create are influenced by what we are learning right now. However, when we become educators, it is normal for our pedagogies to be changed to meet the needs of our students. It is crucial to be adaptable, especially with society growing. With students changing, I hope I will be challenged on my viewpoints to help me grow as an educator. I am excited for this class to teach me new ways and practices to implement STEM in my teaching. 

That is all for now! 

Talk soon,

Victoria

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