Integrating STEM Education Through Technological Design and Inquiry

该项目正在为中学阶段的科学、技术、工程和数学（I-STEM）综合课程开发一个模型，该课程与社会和人文学科研究相交叉。学生学习科学、技术、工程和数学（STEM）在日常生活中的相关性，并获得解决问题的技能，为他们解决未来的全球问题做好准备。作为第一步，一个跨学科的核心教师小组正在通过在他们自己的课堂上实施技术设计项目来启动STEM课程模式的开发。这些经验为拟议的I-STEM课程模式的发展提供了信息。该项目包括在附近的一所高中对实验模型进行测试。一旦该模型得到验证，PI计划使用他开发的材料世界模块（MWM）程序的现有基础设施进行现场测试并在全国范围内传播I-STEM课程。MWM项目在47个州拥有500多所学校的网络。拟议的项目正在帮助改革中等科学教育，使其不受学科限制，更多地反映现实世界中发生的事情，在现实世界中，解决问题需要学科的综合方法。PI计划证明，技术设计是将学科联系在一起的纽带，能够在科学、技术、工程、数学等传统学科之间实现真正的跨学科工作，并包括扩展到其他学科，如历史、社会研究、语言、艺术、信息技术和商业。该项目正在为科学教师和学区提供证据，支持在他们的课程中纳入强有力的I-STEM课程模式，并提供模板和课程指南，使他们能够做到这一点。最后，PI还计划通过他帮助创建的材料世界网络，向五大洲其他国家的学校介绍I-STEM课程。

The project is developing a model for an integrated science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (I-STEM) course at the secondary level that intersects social and humanities studies. Students taking the proposed course learn the relevance of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) in their everyday lives and gain problem-solving skills that will prepare them to address the global issues of tomorrow. As a first step, a cross-disciplinary core group of teachers are initiating the development of a STEM course model by implementing technological design projects in their own classes. These experiences are informing the development of the proposed I-STEM course model. The project includes a beta test of the experimental model at a nearby high school. Once the model is proven, the PI plans to use the existing infrastructure of the Materials World Modules (MWM) program that he developed to field-test and disseminate the I-STEM course nation-wide. The MWM program has a network of over 500 schools in 47 states. The proposed project is helping to reform secondary science education to be less discipline restrictive and more reflective of what happens in the real world where problem solving requires an integrated approach of disciplines. The PI plans to demonstrate that technological design is the strand that can tie subject matter together and enable true cross-disciplinary work among the traditional disciplines of science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and include extensions into other subjects such as history, social studies, languages, arts, information technology, and business. The project is providing science teachers and school districts with evidence to support the inclusion of a robust I-STEM course model in their curricula and the template plus curriculum guidelines to enable them to do this. Finally, the PI also plans to introduce the I-STEM course to schools in other countries on all five continents via the Materials World Network that he has helped to create.