What is STEM Education in Oak Ridge Schools?
When most people first hear the word STEM, they immediately think of the acronym: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. And while Oak Ridge Schools provides numerous opportunities for students to experience STEM-specific content in Elementary, Middle, and High School, true STEM Education teaches a set of behaviors and skills that students need to be successful in the 21st century workforce. There are many skills and behaviors associated with STEM, however, the four most commonly discussed in our district are the 4C’s: Collaboration, Communication, Critical Thinking, and Creativity (creative problem-solving).
Every teacher in Oak Ridge Schools is a STEM teacher and every class a student takes from preschool through 12th grade will provide opportunities for students to learn about and practice STEM. STEM Education would not be complete without real-world connections to curriculum and problem and project-based learning opportunities. We want our students to be able to answer questions that don’t have an obvious answer, create solutions to relevant problems, successfully work with peers and community members to find answers, and be able to effectively communicate their findings. STEM is one of the powerful tools to help every student be prepared for college, career, and life success.