SPECIAL STEM ISSUE

Teaching STEM to Miiienniai Students

By Martin Nikirk NikirMar@wcboe,k12,md,us

HE "Millennial Generation" Teaching Strategies to present material in text format includes students enrolled 1. Show graphics first. (Advice first. Now, access the same material in primary grades through for teachers and administrators) in text format: high school. These stuTech-sawy millennials are com"Studies of how people can dents are also known as fortable interpreting charts, graphs. best master tbe kinds of expertise Digital Natives, Genera^^^^ demanded by the new tion Why, the Net Geneconomy emphasize the eration, Generation Me, Just because Digital Natives learn importance of learning and i-Kids, The younger through experiences that differently from the way their parents did members of the Millencan make the power of when they were growing up doesn't mean nial Generation are the new ideas come alive. that Digital Natives are not learning. " students we teach; some Students remember only -Born Digital: Understanding the First of the older members of 10%of what they read; that generation are curGeneration of Digital Natives, 20% of what they hear; rent students' parents. 30%, if they see visuby John Palfrey and Urs Gasser The generation includes als related to what they ages ranging from apare hearing; 50%, if they proximately 7 to 30, watch someone do something while graphics, and video. In your lesson explaining it; but almost 90%, if they This is the generation who have plan, show graphics first. Here's an do the job themselves, even if only always had technology integrated example: Look at Fig, 1, Notice how as a simulation, ("Summit on Educainto their livesthey are connected quickly you can gain the main idea. tional Games: Harnessing the Power 24/7, Their experience of the world However, most of us typically tend contrasts greatly with that of adults aged 35 and older, for whom technolFig. 1Students Remember and Learn ogy is typically an add-on to life. 10% 20% , 30% 40% , 50% , 60% , 70% 80% . 90% 100%, The brains of Millennial students Reading are wired differentlya fact that is 10% important for STEM educators to be aware of and to address, STEM teachHearing ers know that it is important to teach 20% in ways that will facilitate student learning. This article presents 10 Seeing related teaching strategies that will help you visuals address your Millennial students' 30% "brain connections," Seeing & Be preparedmillennial students hearing will provide joy and many challenges 50% in your STEM classroom! Doing the job

themselves

Martin Nikirk teaches computer game development and animation at Washington County Technical High School, Hagerstown, MD.

90%
Teaching

95%

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of Video Games for Learning." 2006 Federation of American Scientists, Entertainment Software Association, National Science Foundation) Notice the difference? I think you can probably see my point. 2. Start with the end in mind. (For teachers and administrators) Author Stephen Covey developed what he described as the seven habits of highly effective people. Many of these habits apply to today's STEM students. "Start with the end in mind" is one of those habits, which educators can apply by starting with what the students should learn as a result of this lesson. Tell students (and show them) the tangible outcomes, projects, products. Teach from whole-to-part whenever possible.

take classes, work with your school's media specialist, ask your principal to schedule a training in-service at schoolor ask a Millennial student to show you how! 5. Teach behavior appropriate to business and industry situations. (For teachers and administrators) Business/industry appropriateness involves the language and behavior that an employee is expected to demonstrate in the workplace. Teachers can expect, teach, model, and demonstrate appropriate behavior. This might include: Meeting and greeting a business/industry professional or group. Presenting charts, data, and information to professionals. Demonstrating courtesy and acceptable manners. Using power verbs when speaking.

3. Start with the concrete conceptsthen move to the abstract. (For teachers and administrators) Start with what students know. Start with basic knowledge, then move to the abstract concepts. When possible, use relevant real-world examples to explain abstract concepts. Senior students Tyler and Brandon present a story 4. Integrate technology into your teaching. (For teachers) Millennials are the "wired" generation. They see the use of technology as fun! As a teacher, use technology to deliver your instructional plans include interactivity through use of multimedia, interactive storytelling, computer games, simulations, and virtual labs. In developing learning solutions, use such technology as computer software, blogs, digital cameras, and supplemental audio (keyboards and music) in the learning process. If you do not know how to effectively use particular technologies.

Understanding and using conflict resolution. Having appropriate and respectful interactions with adults and coworkers. Using trade-specific vocabulary. Using a positive, professional tone when writing memos and reports. Here, too, if your are unsure what business/industry appropriate communication entails, take advantage of learning resources available to you: Take a course, talk with human resources managers from local companies, or read books about what corporations expect new employees (our former students) to know before beginning work. Ask your business partners to teach a seminar for students in your STEM area. If your colleagues could also use some help understanding f^usiness/industry appropriateness, ask an administrator to schedule a seminar for teachers presented by business/industry people on the topic. 6. Transition from a teacher-centered classroom to a learnercentered classroom. (For teachers) "Command-and-control" classroom management does not work with the Millennial Generation in either school or work settings. No longer is teaching all about the teacherlearning is all about students. Start each day by

to Washington County Free Library patrons. Such activities give valuable skills for work situations.

Students engage in team planning to map out the user interface for a game project.

Photos by junior students Francis Weite and Justus Barger

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students collaborating on color schemes for background designs in an animation

play, and integrate computer games in your teaching. (Note that 70% of American corporations now use computer games for training and teaching purposes,) Learn to use models in your teaching. Learn to use computer animations and simulations in your teaching, 10. Engage students as teachers, project leaders, tech support, and "megabrains." From the first day of class, identify skills and strengths of eacb student in your class and integrate them as teachers, project leaders, tech support, and megabrains. Research shows that students can learn and remember 95% of what we teach and that students can be powerful teachers of other students. A student project leader actually "leads" the classleaders room project or activity. Students can serve as tech support by demonstrating tbeir outstanding skills in such areas as how to use Microsoft Word or PowerPoint, Tech support students work witb others to solve technical problems with content that the students are learning. Students who excel at problem solving may be your "megabrains," Put the two or three best student brains together to let them solve problems, then have those students teach their solution to others. Teach students bow to find resources for solving problems,

providing an overview of tbe goals and tasks to be accomplished. Clearly explain the options for extra learning available to students who finish their assigned work early. Learning is from bell to bell. Millennial students do not like to stay too long on one taskand perbaps can't stay too long on one task because of the ways their brains are wired. Millennial students like serving as project 7, Transition and teaching their peers. from group work to teamwork. (For teachers) tban ever before as the United States Teams have purpose. Team memcontinues to educate and graduate bers share the same vision and the fewer scientists and engineers yearly same goals. Together, the team acthan most other advanced councomplishes those goals. tries. Many sources note tbat public Instead of using group work, build schools have almost eliminated creteams in which students know tbe ativity because students work on the goals, tasks, deadlines, and eacb same thing at the same time and are team member's assigned responsibilexpected to get the same results in ities. The "synergy" of the team will almost every class so that students yield incredible results. And wbat can "pass the test," does synergy mean? According to Allow your students to use differStephen Covey, synergy is achieved ent approaches and processes to arwhen two or more people work torive at solutions. As a teacher, allow gether to create a better solution yourself to try different solutions to that either could alone. You might problems or implement new procethink of it as being like 1 + 1=3. dures or develop new processes, 8, Foster a learning environment in which creativity and Independent thinking are valued. (For teachers and administrators) The "thinking outside of tbe box" concept is more important today 9. Engage your learners by adding interactive content. (For teachers) Learn bow to design a storyboard and tell interactive stories. Learn bow to use and build interactive spreadsheets. Learn to evaluate.

A Look Ahead
Millennial students will provide both joy and many challenges in the STEM classroom. If you add the strategies described in this article to your teaching, I think that you will find that your Millennial students will be more engaged and successful in learning,

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