The world is evolving at a huge pace. So are its citizens. Today, every sector is booming at a rapid speed. And the Education sector is one of them that has caught the eyes of many. The need for better education is inevitable. And for the same reason, educators and researchers are coming up with some great initiatives. STEM Education is one such area that has seen a subsequent validation in the past few years.
The future is asking for better resources. Engineers, scientists, and educators are developing systems to ensure that the coming generation experiences the best form of education.
Though STEM Education has become a famous topic for discussion, many people are still unaware of its core objectives. It can help us win against the challenges that the future has in front of us.
In this article, we are going to share with you the benefits of STEM education, its importance, and much more. But before we head on to that, let’s understand, what is STEM Education?
Table of Contents
What Does STEM Stand for in Education?
Let us simply try to define the meaning of STEM Education. It is a curriculum that is based on educating the students in these four disciplines –
- Science
- Technology
- Engineering
- Mathematics.
And that’s STEM, in short!
In the current tech environment, we are seeing new inventions every day. And STEM has helped to catapult the same spirit to our younger generation.
With STEM, young kids are learning from an interdisciplinary approach that includes these FOUR subjects. It is designed altogether to prepare kids for the future.
Bringing STEM into the classroom is fun. By connecting different subjects, kids can make plenty of creative and smart projects. Moreover, the whole idea of STEM is to promote project-based learning rather than theory-based learning.
Listen to this podcast to learn more about STEM Education for kids.
Why is STEM Education Important?
The core importance of STEM is to meet the needs of the future. As we know, more than 70% of the jobs in the future will require kids to have STEM skills.
That’s why educating them on these topics will give them an advantage when they will look for colleges or jobs in the future.
Also, today we have a huge shortage of adequate skills in the fresh graduates. This is due to the lack of proper curriculum and skill development in schools and colleges.
To meet all these needs, schools are introducing STEM subjects in the foundational grades.
In today’s world, there is an answer to every question on the internet. We don’t need to rely on our brains to memorize an answer. Instead, education is about how to solve real-life problems and think critically. It’s about creating creators of the modern world.
Read our blog on Criitical Thinking Skills for Kids.
STEM Education makes the kids able to ask questions and solve problems on their own. It bridges the learning gap by putting students right in the scenarios where they are bound to solve problems.
Benefits of STEM Education
The world is dominated by technology. In such a situation, kids must be prepared for what comes next.
But STEM is not just about kids being able to connect with gadgets. It’s about creating a mind that can grasp whatsoever technologies the world is projecting to them.
Having STEM skills makes a kid great problem-solvers. They also learn computational thinking and critical thinking. STEM enables kids to live around technology.
STEM is changing the way kids learn. It enforces several life skills such as teamwork, leadership, and communication. Students use their creative intelligence while solving any problem, whether in school or the real world.
It also enhances experimentation and the application of knowledge. This helps in increasing curiosity and teaches kids to take initiative and risks.
Educating kids with these skills will give kids an advantage to solve real-world problems. It helps them become better versions of themselves every following day.
The Right Age to Enter the STEM Playground
In today’s world, it is impossible to not use these subjects while growing up. All these subjects are interlinked to each other if we look at them.
For example, science and mathematics are used for technology and development, which in turn, opens up doors of engineering.
These subjects are used by all. From a grade 1 student to an engineering graduate. That’s why STEM is for everyone.
Let’s have a look at a basic ROADMAP on how students can pursue STEM Education.
Elementary Level
At this level, kids can be made aware of the STEM subjects. Making kids aware of learning these subjects can be helpful in the long run. It is very important for their careers.
Initially, the awareness will include teaching them how these subjects can help solve real-world scenarios. Also, letting them know how learning these subjects can create a sense of curiosity-based learning.
The goal of this curriculum is to eradicate the traditional pattern of education, i.e, book-based learning. It will be more based on real-world experiences.
Middle-school Level
At this level, kids will have enough understanding of the pros of STEM subjects. If they are interested in these subjects, parents and teachers can encourage them to pursue or learn whatever is required.
For instance, coding is a great activity for kids at this level. And the good thing is, coding includes concepts from all these STEM subjects. Teaching basic coding to kids can help them in many ways. It will boost their confidence, creativity, and many other life skills.
If a kid wants to learn to code, basic languages like Scratch, HTML, CSS, etc are a good start. Further, they can advance with languages like Javascript, C++, and Python.
To read more about coding languages, visit this blog: Kids Coding Languages that make them Future Ready
High-school Level
At this level, the students should be given more importance to the application of what they have learned earlier. Now, they will learn the application of these subjects.
This level will be challenging. The students will be open to choosing their career pathways by now. Also, at this stage, they will start preparing for their further studies or plan out their employment sphere.
Read about Career in Coding here
Being said that it will be challenging, it does not mean that STEM will get less interesting. The definition of STEM education lies in making the whole system more fun and interesting.
Although a student can learn STEM subjects at any grade, it is important to introduce this at an early age. This will open up more opportunities for them in terms of learning. As young kids have more capacity to learn new skills, introducing STEM at this level will be the most beneficial.
What Resources are available?
Before the pandemic, schools were the most preferred place to learn. But the pandemic changed a lot of things. It impacted the education sector to a huge extent.
Today, most of the educational practices take place through remote learning. There are no boundaries at all. Students from different parts of the world can access these classes.
There are EdTech companies that provide STEM Education classes. Schools are now looking forward to introducing it more. These schools are also trying to change the whole system and make education a fun and interesting activity for the kids.
Also, the number of STEM Education jobs is growing every single day. Some of them include:
- Mechanical Engineer
- Mathematician
- Scientific Researcher
- Data Scientist
- Software Developer and the list goes on and on…
Conclusion
Countries including India, UK, Canada, the USA, are implementing STEM education for kids to give children a correct mindset right by the time they start their schooling.
And interestingly, we have seen that practical and active learning enhances the academic success rate of kids. This prepares them with the right mindset to grow and adapt to this rapidly evolving environment.
We, at Codevidhya, are one of the many companies trying to make an impact by teaching kids to code. We offer live coding classes to kids from different parts of the world. We ensure that they are well aware of their future. We teach coding to kids of different ages.
Not yet sure how it works? Book a FREE Coding Class for your Kids here.
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