When evaluating my current teaching setting, Agora Cyber Charter School, by the criteria Bybee (2013) presents in The Case for STEM Education: Challenges and Opportunities, I would identify my setting as running a version of STEM 1.0, or even 0.75. The reason Agora receives this rating is because it “has a standards-based K-12 programs for all students in the content areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. In STEM 1.0, the disciplines may be separate” (Bybee, 2013, p. 82). However, I lowered the rating to a 0.75, because there is no apparent engineering component or said technology program. Additionally, students continue to struggle to acquire necessary skills as seen on standard-based testing which leads one to believe
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which was also our managing company until the 2015 – 2016 school year. K12 curriculum has gotten mixed review from both parents and the professional world. K12 Inc. (2016) believes it provides a “high-quality, individualized education” (para. 1). However, K12, Inc. creates its curriculum for various states and does not always follow Pennsylvania state standards, nor does it follow the Next Generation Standards. This has created a struggle for teachers to create their own effective curriculum for students to meet both state standards and STEM practices. Reeves and Brown as cited by Li and Irby (2008) claim, “Modification of materials to adjust to this new online environment is not an easy task, and instructors need to be extremely organized, dedicated, and committed” (p.454). Moreover, engineer is not included in the K12 curriculum and the NGSS are being followed which diverges from STEM progress. Since both STEM integration and online learning are both new learning frontier, there are many obstacles to overcome to create a STEM curriculum tailored to this special environment. In order to progress in STEM programming, Agora needs to use and/ or develop a curriculum that meets the unique learning needs of cyber-learners. This curriculum needs to include best practice in STEM integration including the NGSS and the eight STEM …show more content…
When viewing Agora’s school report card for the 2011 – 2112 school year, it is evident some aspects of the school are not work. The number of students at any grade level scoring advanced and proficient on any assessments measure in math, reading, and science is consistency below 50% (Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, 2012). Is our lack of instruction aligned with Next Generation Standards and the eight STEM practices inhibiting progress? Vasquez (2013) concludes, “ Combining science and math with technology and engineering – integrated STEM learning – not only has great promise to enable students to learn concepts and skills more rapidly and more deeply, but will provide both the motivation and the disposition to apply what students learn to issues that they find relevant and important”(p. 57). So many strategies and programs have been emplaced to save and improve Agora. Could STEM integration be a viable method of
which was also our managing company until the 2015 – 2016 school year. K12 curriculum has gotten mixed review from both parents and the professional world. K12 Inc. (2016) believes it provides a “high-quality, individualized education” (para. 1). However, K12, Inc. creates its curriculum for various states and does not always follow Pennsylvania state standards, nor does it follow the Next Generation Standards. This has created a struggle for teachers to create their own effective curriculum for students to meet both state standards and STEM practices. Reeves and Brown as cited by Li and Irby (2008) claim, “Modification of materials to adjust to this new online environment is not an easy task, and instructors need to be extremely organized, dedicated, and committed” (p.454). Moreover, engineer is not included in the K12 curriculum and the NGSS are being followed which diverges from STEM progress. Since both STEM integration and online learning are both new learning frontier, there are many obstacles to overcome to create a STEM curriculum tailored to this special environment. In order to progress in STEM programming, Agora needs to use and/ or develop a curriculum that meets the unique learning needs of cyber-learners. This curriculum needs to include best practice in STEM integration including the NGSS and the eight STEM …show more content…
When viewing Agora’s school report card for the 2011 – 2112 school year, it is evident some aspects of the school are not work. The number of students at any grade level scoring advanced and proficient on any assessments measure in math, reading, and science is consistency below 50% (Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, 2012). Is our lack of instruction aligned with Next Generation Standards and the eight STEM practices inhibiting progress? Vasquez (2013) concludes, “ Combining science and math with technology and engineering – integrated STEM learning – not only has great promise to enable students to learn concepts and skills more rapidly and more deeply, but will provide both the motivation and the disposition to apply what students learn to issues that they find relevant and important”(p. 57). So many strategies and programs have been emplaced to save and improve Agora. Could STEM integration be a viable method of