Education
STEM Education Trends
There is currently a strong policy emphasis on STEM innovation in the education sector. A number of initiatives have been set up to strengthen most countries’ STEM education system.
Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) is an education grouping used worldwide. The acronym refers to the academic discipline of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
More than that, STEM is going to represent a unique approach to teaching and learning when it enters around individual student learning styles, unlike traditional education experiences in which subject areas are concentrated separately.
STEM moves beyond simple test performance and focuses on developing higher level thinking skills by connecting classroom learning to real world examples, collaboration, communication, research, problem solving, critical thinking and creativity. It also impacts on STEM students to engage, explore, explain, elaborate and evaluate their studies and experiences.
School 1 (Hong Kong)
With the Government of the HKSAR allocating funds to local primary schools for the development of STEM education, its popularity has further enhanced and it seems to be an inevitable trend in the future educational development. Yet what schools do to fully cater for students’ needs and unleash their potential? A primary school in Hong Kong shares their…
METAS STEM Curriculum
METAS STEM Curriculum is divided into four stages, according to both ages and the learning ability of the students. The four stages are Lower Primary, Upper Primary, Lower Secondary and Upper Secondary & Tertiary.
During the Lower Primary stage, simple sequential procedure, basic electronic components, basic control circuits and tooling will be introduced to the children.
Different types of material and building skill will also be used.
Once the children get used to the various tools or entering the stage of UPPER PRIMARY, visual programming like Scratch or Snap will be introduced to them.
Kids would learn basic coding concepts and computer concept like variables, command, looping, IP address, keyboard and mouse etc. After learning the visual programming coding skill, simple textual based program like Basic would be introduced.
During the Lower Secondary stage, App Inventor will be used as the tool to learn mobile coding and the IOT (internet of thing) concept will be taught. Various IOT projects like smart house and smart traffic will be used as real world example for the learning. Python will also be introduced for real world application.
During the Upper Secondary & Tertiary stage, students learn how to use various IOT cloud to control the real world electronic appliances and building hybrid virtual and real world IOT networks using CISCO packet tracer Networks simulation tool. Creativity skill will be taught to the students. Engineering design process, computational thinking and problem solving skills are the main focus for these students.
METAS Young Maker Club
The concept of STEM is associated with reality, for example, understanding sustainable development and global warming issues and solutions. Students will be exposed to energy-saving devices and projects.
Students will work on several projects and will discover, that aside from the battery and switch, by adding sensors it can trigger lights and doorbells when someone passes by. By participating in Metas projects, students would be able to see the physical parts, instant reaction and responses and can develop and invent their own projects. This will certainly create and motivate their interest and the next step is to explore more.
In METAS Young Maker Club, it is our intention to provide an avenue for young and aspiring students to use their imagination to create a product that may, one day, help the community and mankind.
