1. Awakening Your
STEM School
Dr. Aaron L. Smith
July 16, 2015

2. Disclaimer

3. What is the Aviation Academy?
The Aviation Academy is the magnet
program for Denbigh High School
• A total of 355 students
Some possible STEM careers:
• Aerospace
• Physics
• Computers
• Aviation
• Engineering
• Airline & Airport
• Operations
• Navigation
• Meteorology
• Flight Surgeon

4. Located at KPHF!

5. What is STEM?
STEM is…
• STEM – Science Technology,
Engineering and
Mathematics
• Becoming a popular trend in
public schools
• Easier to earn grants if STEM
based
• Needed in the workforce to
generate new products
Overall Benefits of STEM…
• Embed more critical thinking
skills
• Establishing skill sets in a
variety of courses
• Exposure to new technologies
and methodologies
• Company and Industry trends
are easier to fuse with this
concept
• Higher student interest
5/17/2015 6

6. Major Benefits For Stakeholders
Businesses
SchoolsCommunity
• Employee with strong skillset
• Less time to train employee
• More incentive to remain in
area and recruit locally
• Stabilizes tax base
• Greater chance in
keeping business
• Less crime and
other local concerns
• Higher graduation rate
• Less time needed
to provide remediation
• More time to do
innovative and
meaningful lessons

7. Core Beliefs For STEM
5/17/2015 8
Core Beliefs
for a STEM
School
Be safe
Be
attentive
to details
Be clean
Be
prepared
and
organized
Be
committed

8. Areas of Focus – Soft Skill
Targeted Objectives Examples
Formal conversations
 Interviews
 Public speaking
 Presentations
Informal Conversations
 Day to day work
 Phone calls
 Emails
Professionalism
 Attire
 Courtesy & Respect
 Giving Back
5/17/2015 9

9. Area of Focus – Hard Skills
Written Expression
 Resume
 Cover letter
 Reports & Outlines
Project Based
 Critical Thinking
 Creation of an ePortfolio
 Real world scenarios
Preparing for
the next level
 College applications
 Grants & Scholarships
 Preparing and maintaining
a budget

10. Area of Focus – Education / Experience
Courses
 Dual enrollment
 Course concentrations
 Experience with tools, &
vocabulary
Industry Standards
 Certifications
 Internships, mentorship & site
tours
 Safety & Cleanliness
Research &
Development
 Teaming with partners to develop
new products & models
 Trying to fail
 Exploration of ideas

11. Getting our tools together
• 5 ways to teach with
inspiration
• 8 features to embed into
your curriculum
• 4 considerations in the
development of teachers
• Identify & implement STEM
in a School / Class
• Championing contributions
from business partners

12. 5 Ways To Teach With Inspiration
• Build their spirit for the
work. Make them feel part
of a winning team
• Include as many challenges
& real life scenarios
• Review and rejuvenate
lesson plans frequently
• Help students release their
creativity
• Seek out peer support

13. 8 Features To Embed Into Curriculum
• Frequent use of technology
• Hands-on learning
• Encourage & reward
curiosity
• Higher level questioning
• Build on prior knowledge
• Fuse career & CTE skills
• Identify pathways for post
secondary education prior
to graduation
• Project & product based

14. Connecting Curriculum& Real Life Experiences

15. 4 Considerations For Core Teachers
Core
Beliefs
What does
Success Look
Like?
Currently in
Place?
Integrate
Instruction with
partners?
When are
things better
for students?

16. Identifying & Implementing STEM in School
5 Goals that can be connected with Virginia SOLs
– Interdisciplinary lessons are the norm
– Share student centered lessons and products
promoting differentiation
– Improvement on instruction that concentrates
on data and student work

17. 5 Goals that can be connected with Virginia SOLs
– Create Positive relationships which foster a
nurturing environment
– Classroom innovation and creativity fuses
industry practices with planning and delivery of
instruction
Identifying & Implementing STEM in School

18. Best of Both Worlds
STEM
Goals
TDEP
Goals

19. Where do you begin?
• Complete your Self
Assessment
• Consider beginning with
one lesson, one subject
• Review current plan
• Find / refresh plan
• Utilize resources from
– www.stemschooldr.com

20. Time To Begin Dreaming
Remember you are only as limited as your imagination….

21. Time To Work

22. Prepare a game plan
Setting up a plan to initiate STEM in your class / school
Easy To Do Needs Some
Work
Needs Extensive
Planning
Short Term
(1 – 3 months)
Mid Term
(4 – 6 months)
Long Term
(6 – 12 months)

23. 10 Ways to Create Ownership
• Announce
accomplishments
• Raise the mark
• Give Professional
Development to all
• Share within the
classroom for
constructive criticism
• Get students to take
pride

24. 10 Ways to Create Ownership
• Compile a list of
successful stories each
year
• Get a plan that adds
instant value
• Know when to publicize
• Find money
• Post success
throughout the building

25. Championing contributions from partners
• Have a plan already in mind
– Mentoring, field trip, etc
• Start from within your building
– Teachers, parents
• Contact the public relations department
– Email is ok, but phone or personal contact is
optimal

26. Championing contributions from partners
• Find grants from local companies
– Check eligibility requirements
– Inform administration of intent
– Ask questions to the POC of grant
• Contact the president or executive staff
– Ask for an appointment
• Ask for help in creating a technical panel
– In curriculum updates
– Provide real life scenarios, and products
• Invite business partners in for a tour of school
– Prepare agenda

27. Where to find more info?
• Follow me
– Twitter @stemschooldr
– Facebook – Awakening Your
STEM School
– Web –
http://stemschooldr.com
• Sign up for blog
• Email
aaron.smith@nn.k12.va.us
• Awakening Your STEM
School
– Available at Barnes & Noble,
Amazon and others
• August 1, 2015