Science, technology, engineering and mathematics learning is really more of a boots-on-the-ground experience.
For Kristopher J. Childs, an assistant professor of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in the College of Education at Texas Tech University, that meant getting his boots to Atlanta.
Childs will be at M. Agnes Jones Elementary School, part of the Atlanta Public Schools (APS), next week with Advancing Active STEM Education for Our Youngest Learners, a White House initiative that is a partnership between the National Council of Supervisors of Mathematics (NCSM) and Texas Tech. As a board member of NCSM, he created this commitment at the behest of the NCSM president.
On Monday (Dec. 5) he will join NCSM President John Staley and APS K-5 mathematics coordinator Stephanie Reddick to work with 75 fifth-graders to complete a mathematics-based challenge. Groups of students will compete, and the winner will receive a prize.
“The goal of this event is to expose the students to STEM problem-based, high-cognitive demand tasks and provide students with a mathematics-based, problem-solving foundation through this highly interactive workshop,” he said. “We want students to work with role models and see positive images in STEM fields, which we hope will inspire them to pursue careers in STEM.”
This is his second event as part of the White House initiative to promote STEM education. In April, Childs attended a symposium in Washington, D.C., to discuss the collaborative effort of which he is a part and learn what other schools, universities, corporate and nonprofit groups are doing to increase STEM learning among American students. In February, the collaboration will move to Orlando, Florida for an event similar to what they will be doing in Atlanta.
Childs will be live-tweeting his experiences with students. Follow him on Twitter or reach out with questions at @drkchilds.
(News release from Texas Tech University)
