“C&K see children as thinkers and theorisers rich in ideas and knowledge and recognises childhood as a critical stage of development where children are loved, happy and secure; have the freedom to think, express themselves, experience fun, and feel they belong.” Reimagining Excellence 2017
At Forestview we recognise that being an active global citizen is now a consideration for all children growing up in the 21st century. The world has changed, and this requires us as educators to reconsider how and what we learn and teach.
STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) Education is an interdisciplinary approach to learning where academic concepts are coupled with real world problems and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics is applied in contexts that make connections between school, community, work, and global enterprise. C & K Stem Practice Guide
WHAT IS STEM?
Children are building their knowledge of the world, critical thinking, prediction and problem-solving skills. They are learning to find solutions, are open to communicating and collaborating with those around them and are developing dispositions to persist with challenging thinking tasks.
At Forestview we know children are innately curious, willing and keen to actively explore and make meaning of their world. When STEM is viewed through the lens of early childhood education, educators often weave science, technology engineering and mathematics into play-based experiences that are naturally engaging and meaningful to children.
At Forestview we also recognise that for young child, learning is not divided into distinct discipline knowledge or curriculum areas such as science, mathematics, engineering or technology learning. Daily learning experiences engage children in exploring and learning about:
- earth and space sciences e.g. comparing and contrasting natural materials like rocks and soil or watching the seasons change
- physics e.g. rolling balls across the room and rolling cars down ramps
- biological sciences e.g. caring for animals and looking through a magnifying glass to count how many legs are on a bug
- chemical sciences e.g. combining materials to interact such as adding bicarb soda to Anzac biscuits
- technology when using simple machines like gears, wheels and pulleys; computers, iPads, interactive boards to research, code and create multimedia representations
- engineering when planning and designing structures with blocks, Lego, marble runs and other construction toys
- maths when counting, matching shapes, making patterns, measuring with tape measures or body parts. C & K Stem Practice Guide.
WHY DOES IT MATTER?
Children are expanding their knowledge of the world as they develop their dispositions to be curious, take risks, persevere and be open to new possibilities. At Forestview, providing opportunities for all children irrespective of age or gender to participate in STEM learning is important for educators.
STEM is not a new concept. Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples have longstanding scientific knowledge traditions. These traditions have developed knowledge about the world through observation using all the senses; through prediction and hypothesis; through testing (designing, making and appraising); and through making generalisations within specific contexts. These scientific methods have been practiced and transmitted from one generation to the next and contribute to ways of knowing the world that are unique as well as complementary to western scientific knowledge. Science, technology, engineering and mathematics are permeating modern life. There are driverless cars, medical procedures by robotics, the Internet of Things. C & K Stem Practice Guide
Through an inquiry-based approach that is meaningful and relevant to a child, learning opportunities in STEM alongside the Arts, language and literacy, supports children to learn and apply their thinking to everyday situations.
Through play and hands-on meaningful experiences, children lead and co-design their learning with their peers and educators.
At Forestview Community Kindergarten we introduce key STEM skills by teaching them to:
- ask questions
- work together
- think creatively
- solve problems
- explore and take calculated risks
- test solutions to problems
- discover new ways of doing things.
By encouraging your child to ask questions, we are allowing them to take an active role in their own learning and helping them understand the world around them.
When children are encouraged to ask questions, they are developing their critical thinking skills and building their STEM capabilities.
When a child asks…. Why?
We try to not provide the answer.
Instead, we respond with alternative questions and ideas, and encourage them to search for answers and solutions themselves.
So, what are some of the recent STEM experiences we have been exploring at Forestview and what does STEM look like in action at Forestview.
- Science, Maths and Technology – How long does it take a piece of ice to melt experiment – While playing in the mud kitchen a child shared their understanding and knowledge around how putting water in the freezer would turn it into ice and then taking it out returns it to water. The children were encouraged to share what they knew about this and one child suggested we time how long it takes. Educators encouraged children to estimate how long they thought it would take for the ice to melt and then compare these estimates with findings and observations of the experiment. We have now frozen water in larger sized containers and will use our knowledge from this experiment to adjust our estimates accordingly.
Maths – Sorting family pictures into like groups (comparing and contrasting which groups contain the most, least, same or more.
Engineering – Testing a bridge to see if the walls of the river will hold.
Science – Testing an idea/theory…If you put sand on the bridge, will it tickle our feet when we walk on it?
Maths – Using a tape measure to measure the height of our plant and then document the height of our Sunflower plants on our growth chart as they grow each week.
Engineering – Marble run towers
Maths – Sorting our teddy bears who attended a teddy bears picnic into size groupings, small, big, middle sized.
Science – Flower drinking experiment
Science and Engineering – Working out how far a car or water will travel down a pipe system.
Science – Planting seedlings and exploring how seeds germinate
Science – Creating ping pong volcanoes using just the right amount of water pressure to explode the balls from a container.
Engineering – Perspex block building
Engineering – Balancing blocks to build a tower to the ceiling.
Engineering – Designing a city within a 3-lane highway.
Maths – Talking about number and measurement and using the mathematical language when we are creating recipes in the Mud Kitchen.
Science – Hypothesising about what might happen when we mix red and blue ice colours – making a prediction about what new colour will be made.
There are lots of exciting things you can do at home or when you are out, making learning enjoyable for everyone. Please see below a link to a resource from Western Australia that provides a very clear and simple to follow format of STEM ideas you can easily incorporate into home activities and experiences.
