4 Ways STEM Meets Your Equity Goals
Educators pour endless hours of heart and thought into carefully crafted instruction. As student-teacher ratios continue to rise, it's difficult to determine whether those lessons are equitable for all. Still, resilient educators like you continue to ask:
How can I give all learners the right support and resources to foster their unique needs?
We have your answer! Incorporating genuinely equitable instruction into your daily lessons is simple with the following four key considerations:
- Programmatic Equity
- Achievement Equity
- Resource Equity
- School Climate Equity
Read on to discover how the right STEM program can address these four areas at once, providing equitable, high-quality experiences with everything your learners need to succeed.
Discover Podcasting is one of our many programs that effortlessly combines each component. Guided by industry experts who have impacted the popular media platform, this immersive experience introduces learners to the process of creating and managing a podcast. Let’s explore examples from this exciting program.
1. Programmatic Equity
An equitable environment offers learners the best programs suited to their individual needs. Whether in an out-of-school program or a traditional classroom setting, there’s always a wide range of academic abilities. STEM provides diverse learning opportunities for all, allowing learners to digest content in different ways.
Thanks to its inclusive design, Discover Podcasting helps break down such barriers. Let’s look at how its lessons provide educators with appropriate accommodation suggestions.
Special Education:
Everyone has a story to tell. For some, finding their story or even reading aloud can be a challenge, making recording their first podcast feel like an overwhelming task.
To help such learners, Discover Podcasting encourages them to practice the art of storytelling using famous fables, folklore and fairytales! This kind of low-stake reading practice is a great way to boost learners' confidence while still meeting both Speaking and Listening and English Language Arts standards.
Gifted and Talented:
Podcasts are the perfect outlet for those with deep passions and new ways of thinking.
Use the guided questions provided in every lesson to push your learners’ thinking to the max.
Afterward, challenge them to complete one of the many lesson extensions for added discovery to further develop their storytelling skills.
English Language Learner:
Visual aids and simple revision strategies can make a world of difference for anyone learning a new language.
Discover Podcasting employs a sticky note storyboarding strategy used by industry professionals!
Rather than bogging down podcasters with lengthy directives, this technique uses brief, color-coded, moveable notes. This allows them to easily read or swap story plans and sound cues.
STEM makes it easy to provide equitable access and inclusion that facilitates the academic success of all learners.
Photo courtesy of Karin Patterson & the Dragon Kids
2. Achievement Equity
Achievement equity is about improving the academic performance and outcome of all learners, regardless of circumstance. No matter their home life, cultural background or the challenges they face, it’s important that each learner receives the support they need to meet their learning goals. STEM activities provide ample, appropriately supported, high expectations for learning and achievement.
PCS Edventures programs are standards-aligned with activities that can be modified to your learners’ needs. Discover Podcasting turns education standards into tangible learning experiences. Hands-on learning allows educators to continuously assess learners' progress and teach to desired outcomes in real time.
While it is vital to help learners reach core standards to close achievement gaps, it is equally important to help them imagine themselves as successful individuals. STEM role models can help! Throughout the program, learners study videos and podcasts created by people of many diverse backgrounds. Hearing unique stories from people with similar life experiences inspires learners to share their own stories.
Discussing diversity in STEM is so important to learners’ success. Download these STEAM in History posters and trading cards for a fun way to start the conversation.
3. Resource Equity
Gathering everything or anything from a school supply list isn’t always feasible. Difficult home-life situations may affect learners' access to necessary resources. That’s why investing in programs that provide all the necessary materials, including technology, is essential to achieving true equity.
Discover Podcasting comes with all the supplies needed for 30 students to complete each activity. That’s everything from printed student notebooks to microphone isolation shields! We even include 30 sets of headphones so that each of your learners feel prepared to participate without worrying about supplying their own. Best of all, the assembly instructions in the instructor manual make it simple to set up the equipment.
See for yourself!
4. School Climate Equity
All learners need a safe and supportive learning environment to thrive in. One way to provide this is by helping them establish caring relationships with their peers.
When learners work together, they develop respect for one another and gain an understanding of each other's learning styles. STEM facilitates individual, paired and group activities. As part of Discover Podcasting, learners explore production team roles and create podcasts through collaborative learning. From planning their podcast pilot episode to recording and reviewing podcast segments as a group, they learn from one another. Everyone brings different strengths to the recording booths, but each is important for the final product's success. Throughout 12 immersive lessons, teams develop strong relationships, supporting and learning from one another.
What’s more, Discover Podcasting helps educators foster an emotionally safe, healthy learning environment. Learners have a voice and platform to share their thoughts, unique experiences and perspectives. As explained by the National School Climate Center (NSCC), “Making the effort to know students both culturally and as individuals is fundamental” (Ross 2013). Podcasting is a fun and inviting way for learners to discover more about themselves and others.
Equitable, Inclusive and Fun for All!
STEM education offers something for everyone, making equitable learning accessible to all. As you plan for the coming year, consider whether or not your current lessons are the best way to provide equitable access and inclusion. Do they meet each of the four goals we’ve explored?
Educators love the collaborative, supportive approach used throughout Discover Podcasting. When equipped with the right resources and experiences, each unique learner receives exactly what they need to succeed.
If you’re ready to foster equity in your learning environment, click below and connect with one of our helpful STEM Program Specialists today.
Contact STEM Program Specialist
Author: Jessica Ventre
An experienced elementary educator and science instructional coach, Jessica’s passion for STEM instruction and student-led learning is always at the forefront of her lessons and professional development workshops.
