Views & Opinion How to go about using technology to enthuse
kids about STEM Comment by Mark Byrne, Head of Corporate, Public Sector and Education Sales at Toshiba
STEM subjects are becoming increasingly important for the jobs of today. So much so that in 2013, the UK needed to double the number of recruits into engineering to meet demand. Three years on and it’s likely the need for more employees with knowledge in these subject areas is even higher, as technology continues to evolve and takes a central role in the way we live, learn and work.
Through the use of technology in education, teachers can not only engage and empower learners to be creative, collaborative and cooperative; it’s the perfect opportunity to enthuse students about STEM and the future jobs these subjects can lead to.
Below are a few key points that should be considered when looking at how technology can be used to enable learning and encourage enthusiasm around STEM skills, helping to equip students for the jobs of the future:
Be equipped with the right knowledge Technology is a powerful enabler in the education environment and can support a
range of aspects of the school day, such as bringing lessons to life for pupils. It’s important for best practice examples to be shared and available to help others illustrate how technology can be best used in environments which lend themselves to the opportunities beyond the classroom. One method of doing this is through schemes such as TeachMeets, which are events that allow teachers to share practical innovations and personal insights in the field of education technology. Toshiba has supported over 70 TeachMeets, where several thousand teachers have been able to share what works best when using technology to enhance learning.
From the classroom to boardroom – STEM skills still crucial
According to 76% of businesses, the main reason young people are unprepared for the working world is due to insufficient hands-on work experience. Providing the technology is the first step, but encouraging young people
to embrace developing their IT, maths and engineering skills is vital. For example, our Self Maintainer scheme is gaining strong momentum as it allows students to take control of their own IT maintenance, gain valuable life skills and technology expertise, and even gain an official accreditation for their UCAS applications.
Other programmes are brilliant for encouraging STEM skills, such as the Maths in Motion challenge. Now in its 16th year, the challenge sees children from across the globe use not only STEM skills such as mathematics, but also teamwork skills to develop the optimum racing car. The competition increases students’ interest and enthusiasm for STEM studies, whilst also giving them the opportunity to see how these skills could factor into a work environment. With a special challenge taking place in March to coincide with World Maths Day, the programme continues to look for ways to enthuse students about STEM and the career possibilities in this space.
School expeditions abroad – look for ELF!
Comment by Rachel Northover, African Adventures
With so many different school trips on offer, how do you possibly select the one that is right for you and your students? This process doesn’t have to be as daunting as you might expect. With the right checklist of what to look for in a host company and what you want your students to achieve, you can get it right. Here is my shortlist of what to look for in a school trip abroad. Use this as your ‘go-to’ and I am sure that you will make the right choices and reach the gold standard of school expeditions!
1) Look for a company that has accreditations relating to school expeditions, such as the Learning Outside the Classroom Quality Badge (LOtC) and School Travel Forum (STF) approval. If a company has approval from these organisations, you can trust that they are a reliable provider and this will make achieving SLT approval that much easier. In addition, check if they have approval from supporting organisations within the sector, for example ABTA and ATOL, to provide further reassurance that they are a reputable provider.
March 2016
2) Look for a company that can offer what I believe are the three key aims from a school trip – Education, Life-learning and Fun (I like to call this ELF!) It goes without saying that a school trip should be educational but I think that life-learning is something that often gets overlooked. Finally, what would a school trip be without fun? This is an essential for any school trip; after all, if a child is not having fun, they are less likely to engage and learn.
3) Choose a school trip which is a learning experience rather than just a trip. For me, this means that you are really making the most of the opportunity to develop your students in different ways. For example, how about selecting a trip which requires fundraising in preparation for the expedition? This allows even more personal development for your students and enhances the learning experience and the fun! This makes the trip much more of a ‘journey’ for your students rather than just a two-week break.
4) Look at cost and support for the trip – the key here is choosing a travel provider which offers value for money, rather than just going for the cheapest. Looks at what the company offers you in return for your money; if this is a great deal of preparation support and organisation, this must be considered a positive.
5) Know your final objective from the trip and then plan to achieve this. This will also help you when gaining trip approval from SMT, governors and parents. If student development and fulfilment are on your list of aims, you will probably need to select something relatively challenging, with the opportunity to learn, and something where your students will be able to see the impact that they have made. It is impossible to incorporate absolutely everything you will need to consider here, but this is certainly a good starting point. This will get to the stage where you have a good shortlist to work from. At this point, instinct will guide you to the right organisation and trip for you and your students.
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