How Time Flies.....

Since my last visit....

1. I have lost a hard drive and all its data (it is a painful story.... its best not to talk about)
2. I learned a really important lesson

My hope is to share that lesson here.  The loss of the hard drive has put me in non stop recreating mode, not to mention continually reoccurring moments that go like this; "I can send that document...... oh wait no I can't"!!!

So, what has losing a hard drive taught me. Back up, Back up, Back up (By the way, I was backing up to time machine and none of the files copied). The real lesson: it has been refreshing to be forced to reflect on the work I do.

We always hear that being reflective is the key to good teaching, but what good is reflecting if we don't actually invigorate ourselves with the freshness of something new, something different, something better.

Assessment, Assessment, Assessment!!!! We all claim that we assess in multiple ways, but is it reflective assessment that allows both student and teacher to understand what they know and what they don't know.  Maybe a better question: Are the assessment tools you use allowing your students to know what they don't know????

I am not advocating change for change's sake, rather advocating that internal reflection on your own best practices is a necessity.  Not every new trend that comes out is best practice, but neither is every tried and true trick from 2003!!  Search for new ways to do old things, but also include old reasons into new means!!  After all you did it for a reason.... make the reason shine by incorporating into a new method that reaches more, if not all, your students!!

Having lost 13 GB worth of files and documents was not that fantastic, but I had a lot of it in email and in class posts, so I recovered quite a few items --- which reminded me why it is so great to share information rather than hold onto it for yourself!

I have spent a lot of time re-engineering, if you will allow me the pun (Since I am at a STEM academy), documents, forms, databases and other items pertinent to my job. I have been quite enthralled by reclaiming the inspiration and uniqueness of the original material. I know that the "new" docs will not be identical to the old ones.

Even more critical is that the "new" materials will be peppered with multiple reflective based items that the originals were missing....

Here's to hoping I will be here a little more regularly now :)

I am STEM, I am STEM

Let me first say that I am very fortunate in my position to work with STEM Professionals from all over different parts of the country. Most recently LEGO Education and TechSmith. If you are not familiar with the resources of these companies, I encourage you to look into them now! They are amazing products presented by excellent people.

I gave this post the "I am STEM" title, because in all of my travels this year, I continue to hear many folks trumpeting the "I am STEM" mantra. I am not attempting to discredit anyone else's way of doing things or bang my chest in greatness. I am only posing one question:

What does authentic, dynamic STEM learning really consist of?

If the world around us is ever changing and ever growing in its competitive nature for resources, then why do educators and foundations try to claim their existing way of STEM learning is the correct way? Even more concerning why are the efforts to prove that their way is the only way.

We will truly ever achieve the massive expectations of a 21st Century STEM Based workforce, when the people responsible for engineering the approach to its teaching are focusing their efforts on being the "first" to trumpet STEM Education.

Common Core is dominating everything education; summers are booked with professional development; even I am giving a presentation on STEM & Common Core this summer (Leadership U 2013 via Professional Educators of Tennessee).

The key to dynamic, authentic STEM learning will always be transdisciplinary learning that focuses on three key skills: problem solving (of an authentic, real STEM scenario), critical thinking (differentiated for all learners) and presenting of student generated solutions to a variety of audiences in a variety of medias.

Transdisciplinary learning is the blurring of all content/curriculum without targeted efforts to extract or prove the existence of the separate content areas. In other words, students should be engaged in all content areas within the scope of 1 properly created STEM learning scenario.

My main hope for this post is that all educators, regardless of tenure or title, will start wrapping their minds around this concept:

STEM learning that is TRANSDISCIPLINARY IS COMMON CORE!!!!

Until next time.........

Here Goes!

For some reason or another I have decided to add a blog to my life's daily activities. Not sure of its necessity, but I have been told for the last 15 months to write, write and write some more!

I am a high school teacher and coach. I serve as the Dean of STEM at a stand-alone magnet STEM academy. I teach engineering courses and authored our signature course (STEM 1-4) that is a co-facilitated problem based learning course that focuses on developing 21st Century work skills.

I have presented nearly 20 times this year to various organizations, with a huge focus on STEM As A Way of Thinking. STEM learning in its most dynamic form is all about the mindset and approach to critical thinking, problem solving and presenting the solutions at every turn.

I hope you will follow me and help me learn and grow.

Mark Smith
Dean of STEM
L&N STEM Academy