Science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) subjects are gaining tremendous importance throughout our education system. The World Economic Forum stated, “65% of children entering primary school today will ultimately end up working in completely new job types that don’t yet exist.” In a rapidly changing world, it is important for students to increase their STEM literacy and strengthen their critical thinking and problem solving skills to better prepare them for the future workforce.
Even if your child is not going to fill a STEM job in the future, understanding these key concepts will have many benefits for them throughout their lives. STEM education has many benefits for students in their education, careers, and daily life. For example, STEM learning promotes technology literacy. Regardless of a future career, students understanding and being able to effectively use technology will make them more competitive in an interview and more efficient in their role.
In this article, STEM Sports® walks through how STEM education is preparing students for future careers. As a parent or educator, this article is helpful in understanding why you should be an advocate for quality STEM education starting as early as kindergarten.
How STEM Education Has Changed
As STEM education continues to rise in importance, the way it is being implemented is changing, too. Many classrooms are putting a larger emphasis on STEM learning and many are using cross-curricular lesson plans to connect STEM to other major subjects – such as English. There are even charter schools and private schools that target students who are looking for advanced access to science, technology, engineering, and math curricula. This shift can be accredited to the changing job market and technological advancements in society.
Many of the STEM lessons being taught to students did not exist 20 years ago. For example, coding and computer science courses are very popular now. This was done to match the increased need for coders and programers in the workforce. Another example is driverless cars. Ten years ago, this was not something people thought would exist. Now, there are engineers devoted to this topic. This creates a need for educators and parents to emphasize the importance of engineering education, giving children the resources they need to succeed in this area.
STEM education is progressive and continues to evolve. For educators, it can be a difficult and daunting task to keep up with these trends. STEM Sports® believes that education never stops. One way to keep up with the changing STEM landscape is to continue learning about technological advancements, subscribe to STEM education blogs, and learn how to create an effective STEM lesson plan that can be implemented into classroom curricula.
How STEM Education Prepares Students
STEM education prepares students for the future workforce, regardless of if their job is directly related to STEM. STEM skills are used in a variety of different industries, so acquiring these skills prepares and shapes individuals to enter the workforce.
STEM education prepares students and ensures they have a competitive skillset and advantage. As stated above, the STEM workforce is rapidly growing. The only way to fill these roles is to create qualified and passionate individuals who want to pursue STEM-based careers after finishing their education.
The STEM education process does not have to be drastic – it can still have a lasting impact. Children are better in the digital space now as they grow up with the technology, but STEM education furthers this understanding. By teaching them the background of technology and allowing them to learn about its intricacies, children are in a better place to think critically and evaluate how this can be used in the future. The use of technology in the classroom is common, and many educators do not know the potential of what they are implementing.
Currently, the United States does not rank as highly as other leading nations on standardized math and science scores. This creates a concern when it comes to the future standing of our country and its ability to innovate. STEM education is a key way that we can help change this startling statistic. Starting STEM education early and making STEM literacy a focal point for classroom lesson plans will have a lasting impact on students, our nation, and the world.
STEM Curriculum by STEM Sports®
STEM Sports® is a STEM education company that uses sports as a way to facilitate K-8 STEM curriculum. Each curriculum leads students through eight (8) easy to implement turnkey lessons that connect to real world examples. When applicable, the lessons align with Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), Common Core State Standards (CCSS), and National K-12 Physical Education Standards. This makes the curriculum a great addition to classrooms, summer camps, after school programs, and at-home learning.
If you are an educator or administrator looking to implement STEM, go to STEM Sports® and learn more about the curricula offerings.
