To Infinity and Beyond!

STEM and PBL work hand in hand with the task of bringing education to the level the 21^st century framework proposals. If you examine the components of a STEM lesson plan ( creativity, creative thinking, problem solving, communication and collaboration), they are also the major components of PBL especially critical thinking and collaboration. STEM is interdisciplinary covering not only classic science but global awareness, economics, technology and civil  literacy.  PBL can cover all areas or topics within a framework of skills useable in all areas of a student’s life as well. We are always facing problems in our lives. We can always use a good solid base for analyzing and solving them. I think teaching students these basic skills will help them gain confidence in other areas of their lives.

The 21^st Century framework stresses the teaching of life skills- skills not only necessary in school but in a student’s life beyond education. These life skills are important in all aspects of living in our world. Who could argue that having social and cultural skills in our global world and economy are not essential? Adaptability is the key to evolution, not only in the classic natural sense but also in the ever changing world in which our students will live in. One of the main focuses of 21^st century education is to prepare our students for life in the real world. We need to model the life skills ourselves as educators. How can students become interested in all that they can investigate when we don’t show the curiosity or enthusiasm ourselves? We need to bring relevance to our students, not just in their own lives but also how their world is an interesting and curious place to be.

The NASA organization began the enthusiasm of space exploration and ignited the spark of curiosity in so many, both child and adult alike. I love to show my students the movie October Sky. It epitomizes not only the space race but also the simple love for knowledge about space. NASA and the space race may have started over competition between the US and the Soviet Union to become the first nation to go into space but no one can deny the dreams of so many children to become an astronaut. Being so close to Halloween, I am sure that in the early 1960’s the most sold costume had to be an astronaut!  I remember so many times gathering in the theater or just in a big classroom, huddled around a black and white TV, shouting the count down along with the commentator. What an exciting time it was! Our students have grown up with the space shuttle as a common part of their lives. When I ask them when was the last time they saw a space shuttle launch on TV, often the answer is seldom or never but not because they weren't interested but because it has become so commonplace.In spite of placid acceptance, NASA continues to inspire the space and technology curiosity. After conquering the moon, the goal was Mars and now beyond our solar system. Asking my students if they think we will ever colonize either the moon or Mars, they look at me incredulous that I was even asking such a silly question. Of course we will. I always smile because the answer never changes. They don’t follow the politics or the downturn in our economy or even cutbacks in funding. They still see space as a frontier and with Hubble and other data collecting objects we have put into space, there is no doubt in their minds that we will find the answers we seek- time travel, inhabitable planets outside our solar system, even alien technology at Groom Lake J  

Whatever spin we want to put on it- call it STEM, PBL or 21^st century education, we need to continue to spark that interest and curiosity. We need to teach our students to become not only good US citizens but good global citizens. They will be faced with many problems in their lifetimes and having the skills to solve these problems will make their lives happier and healthier. I tell my students that science is not a subject, it is knowledge and technology is not the development of gadgets but the application of the knowledge we have gained and the start of all of this is to ask themselves “How” not just “What”. They are the ones who will continue the Hows as long as we can teach them the skills to be effective problem solvers. STEM and PBL are a good start.