De La Salle University - Dasmarias

College of Engineering, Architecture, and Technology

Engineering Department



What Really Matters in STEM?



Submitted By:
Masagca, John Phillip L.
MEE31

Submitted To:
Engr. Wilfredo G. Vidal



Machine Elements 1 Lecture
1st Semester 2014 - 2015
Date Submitted: September 3, 2014












Background of the Article
The article is mostly summed up by the exchange of opinions of each side. The event
started at April 23, 2014 in Washington D.C. where a lot of highly known and educated
people gather to discuss about STEM and how it really matters in our society today.
STEM or as everyone knows stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and
Mathematics. Getting a STEM education is quite difficult now a day because of the
growing demand and the inflation of ideas and philosophies in the field of STEM. The
panellist discussed and focused more on high school students or middle school
students because in that stage there comes a time where they develop and manifest the
passion for STEM and that makes middles school a critical time for STEM educators.
The debate is started by John Hockenberry where he emphasized a girl who loves to go
to science fairs and gets good grades but she wants to know why everyone is pushing
her towards STEM. Madiha Kotb said that Getting good grades is not enough. You
have to have the passion for it. This statement is quite frankly true because good
grades doesnt measure the students capabilities it his/her passion that sets everyone
apart. Kenneth Williams said that when their parents are poor in mathematics there will
be reflection on their sons/daughters. So the solution Kenneth Williams came up is to
engage him/her to physical activities where he/she likes it and eventually talks about
mean, median, and mode. Hal Salzman think that were pushing them to take STEM
education thinking there is a career option on it. While, Arthur Levine stated that there
are two languages in this country and around the world, one word and the other
numbers. Everybody must be fluent in numbers. Its mostly true because even if other
countries cant communicate there is something that we call numbers and we can
communicate our knowledge into that. Ioannis Miaoullis said that engineering should be
a part of the regular curriculum so that kids would know how a car runs, how a faucet
works, or how a plane flies. I partly disagree on this. Because, not all kids have the
passion to learn how everything works only those who have the passion should pursue
engineering but he has a point. On the other side, Regis Matzie said that It is important
for teachers to show the relevancy of math or science by applying it in real life. As the
debate heats up Hockenberry asked a question on the other side What technology
would you buy for your school? Tamara Hudgins said that she would buy a 3D printer
because it would be great if the students would see their ideas printed and out of the
world. Again Hockenberry would heat up the debate and asked Arthur Levine if he
becomes a STEM teacher and whose wife lost her job. You have a job offer that pays
almost twice your teachers salary. What would you do? Levine replied that he would
quit his job as a STEM teacher because he wont pay his bills and he wants his children
to go to college. And then Hockenberry asked the Former Governor of Vermont if he
would sign a bill to rise up the salary of STEM teachers and the governor replied and
said It depends on what else was in it. As the debate ends, Michelle Lezama said that
in order to get a competitive job one should pass the ACT or SAT and at least a four or
five in AP test. Lastly, Irene Neequaye said that STEM teachers should be paid more
and giving them better resources.




What is your opinion of the idea presented?
In my point of view, STEM is really important nowadays especially with the growing
demand of highly educated people in the field of Science, Technology, Engineering, and
Mathematics. Also, with the capabilities of our future technologies we may need a good
labor force to company with the growing demand of STEM graduates.
Why STEM Education Is Important For Everyone?
Science, Technology, Engineering and MathematicsSTEM, and therefore, STEM
educationare vital to our futurethe future of our country, the future of our region
and the future of our children. Besides, STEM is everywhere; it shapes our everyday
experiences.
Have you considered how often we experience STEM in our lives? Science is our
natural world sun, moon and starslands and oceansweather, natural disasters,
the diversity of nature, animals (large, small, microbial)plants and foodthe fuel that
heats our homes and powers transportationThe list is almost endless. In todays
world, technology means computers and smartphones, but it goes back to television,
radio, microscopes, telegraph, telescopes, the compass, and even the first wheel. Yes,
engineering designs buildings, roads, and bridges, but it also tackles todays challenges
of transportation, global warming and environment-friendly machines, appliances and
systems. We only have to look around to see what improvements to our lives and our
homes have been engineered in the last decade alone. We encounter mathematics at
the grocery store, the bank, on tax forms, in dealing with investments and the family
budget. Every other STEM field depends on mathematics. STEM is important, because
it pervades every aspect of our lives.
Reccomendations
My recommendations for STEM is simple High quality teachers. Dedicated, high
quality teachers are central to ensuring high quality STEM education for all students.
We will continue to lose the best and brightest potential STEM teachers from our
schools until we pay them at a level more closely aligned with salaries available to them
in STEM areas. The labor market provides those with STEM training greater
compensation in occupations other than teachinga fact that is driving STEM teachers
out of teaching. Second would be World-class resources and assistance for
teachers Even the best teachers need instructional materials, technology, and
resource specialists to assist them. A teacher should not have to develop all of his or
her own tools for teaching STEM. Third would be An early start in science. The
earlier children are exposed to STEM concepts, the more likely they are to be
comfortable with them later in life.
STEM core concepts and ideas should be included in Head Start and other early
education programs.
Improving the extent and quality of elementary school STEM education should
become a priority.
And lastly would be Communication, coordination, and collaboration. Local
excellence, national coherence, and global relevance in STEM education can only be
achieved if all relevant stakeholdersincluding, most importantly, parentsare involved
in achieving these goals.