STEM is an acronym for science, technology, engineering and math.   It is an educational movement to help children become better prepared to enter the workforce and solve problems that exist in the real world. The movement is gaining momentum and as a children’s writer I wanted to understand its implications. I looked up the definitions of the four components of STEM in Webster’s dictionary:

 

Science – systematized knowledge derived from observation, study, and experimentation carried on in order to determine the nature or principles of what is being studied.

 

Technology – applied science; a method, process: etc. for handling a specific technical problem.

 

Engineering – the science concerned with putting scientific knowledge to practical use; the planning, designing, construction or management of machinery, roads, bridges, buildings, etc.

 

Math – the group of sciences (including arithmetic, geometry, algebra, calculus, etc.) dealing with quantities, magnitudes, and forms, and their relationships, attributes, etc.

 

I was surprised by the definition of technology. Previously, I had a limited view of the word.  Now I realized technology encompassed more than computers and programing.

 

Not totally satisfied, I began to search the internet for more clues to help me understand what STEM meant.  When I discovered Anne Jolly’s article “Six Characteristics of a Great STEM Lesson” things began to fall in place. Jolly defines science as the study of our world, math as the language of numbers, shapes, and quantities, and engineering as the process used to solve problems. She feels that any product created to solve a problem or meet a need is technology.

 

I also discovered the following websites:

 

California STEM Learning Network

http://www.cslnet.org/our-agenda/what-is-stem/

This site has an excellent video entitled “STEM Integration in K-12 Education.” After watching the video I realized that the pillars of the STEM movement are Math and Science.

 

Engineer Your Life

http://www.engineeryourlife.org/

This colorful and fun site is a guide to engineering for high school girls. The sections on why engineering, meet inspiring women, and find your dream job gave me a lot to think about.

 

NASA for Educators

http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/index.html

This impressive site provided a tremendous amount of information. I watched with amazement the video of astronaut Scott Kelly playing “Liquid Ping-Pong in Space” and was inspired by Kate McCourty, the branch Chief of Operations and Engineering at NASA, talk about STEM.

 

When I finished searching the web, I felt I had a better understanding of what STEM stood for and began to think about what stories I might undercover using STEM as criteria for researching people I might write about.

 

What ideas do you have for applying your writing talents to STEM?