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Science and Mathematics Education Commons

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Full-Text Articles in Science and Mathematics Education

Full Steam Ahead: Creating Interdisciplinary Informal Learning Opportunities For Early Childhood Teacher Candidates, Sara L. Hartman, Danielle Dani Feb 2020

Full Steam Ahead: Creating Interdisciplinary Informal Learning Opportunities For Early Childhood Teacher Candidates, Sara L. Hartman, Danielle Dani

Journal of STEM Teacher Education

Early childhood teacher candidates benefit when presented with opportunities to engage meaningfully with their clinically-based school community. Informal learning events that are hosted after school hours but within school settings present a valuable way to provide these opportunities. Too often, content areas exist in isolation in classrooms, a stark contrast to the real world where content is connected and overlapping. Additionally, while many early childhood teachers express insecurity about their ability to teach STEM content, an integrated STEAM (STEM + Arts & Humanities) approach may help to promote comfort with STEM content and presents an authentic example of content integration. …


Fab Fridays: Fostering Elementary Teacher Candidate Preparation Through Informal Stem Events, Jennifer R. Meadows, Jane Baker, Stephanie Wendt Feb 2020

Fab Fridays: Fostering Elementary Teacher Candidate Preparation Through Informal Stem Events, Jennifer R. Meadows, Jane Baker, Stephanie Wendt

Journal of STEM Teacher Education

Informal STEM learning opportunities offered outside of the structured school day have been gaining popularity in today’s STEM-oriented culture. These are venues where children and their families gather to engage and explore in science, technology, engineering, and math —together. For a number of years, faculty from the College of Education at Tennessee Tech University have been promoting these events for the local community, free of charge, to encourage and foster a love for STEM Education. Methods professors recognize these events as golden opportunities for teacher candidates enrolled to learn about STEM content while aiding in the development of their pedagogy. …