Containing all of the practical tools needed to put theory into practice, STEM for All by Leena Bakshi McLean provides a roadmap for teachers, instructional coaches, and leaders to better understand the challenges that create low engagement and scores in STEM subjects and implement exciting and culturally relevant teaching plans. This book covers a wealth of key topics surrounding the subject, including classroom culture, discourse, identity, and belonging, family and community participation, and justice-centered core learning.
This book uses the Connect, Create, and Cultivate framework from STEM4Real, an organization that provides socially just and culturally relevant STEM teaching and standards-based learning strategies, combined with stories and case studies of real students throughout to provide context for key concepts. In this book, readers will learn about: - Six pillars that can throw off the foundation of a classroom, including non-inclusive curriculum and lack of equal access - Moments of triumph and resilience that can be used to navigate rocky and recalcitrant relationships - Implicit and unconscious biases that can unravel our impact despite our best intentions
STEM for All earns a well-deserved spot on the bookshelves of all educators motivated to close the STEM gap and better prepare their students for future college and career opportunities in math and science fields.
Table of Contents
About the Author xv
Acknowledgments xvii
Foreword by Dr. Tyrone B. Hayes xxi
Introduction xxiii
CRT, CRT, or CRT? Culturally Responsive Teaching versus Culturally Relevant Teaching versus Critical Race Theory xxvi
The STEM Equity Odometer xxviii
An Open Invitation to Reflect on Anti-Racism in STEM xxxvi
Part 1 Connect 1
1 What Is Your Why? Our Vision 4 Justice in STEM Education 3
Recognize 5
Dismantle 10
Rebuild 12
2 Creating Your Squad: The Professional Learning Squad 15
Everyone Has a Culture 17
Culture of Power Dynamics 18
Crafting Your Squad 19
Building Collective Definitions 22
Finding a Seat at the Table 23
Building My Own Table, through STEM4Real 24
3 Who Are My Students? The Case-Study Student Analysis 27
Exploring the Case-Study Student Analysis Protocol 28
Case-Study Student Analysis through a Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Lens 30
Why Are Students of Color Pushed Away from STEM? 34
Why Do This Part? What Does the Research Say about Case-Study Student Analysis? 36
A Window into the Student Is Their Family 37
The CASEL Framework: Social-Emotional Learning Is STEM Learning 39
Incorporating Cultural Relevance as a Tool for Engagement 40
Say My Name: Do Systems Stifle Relationship Building in STEM? 42
Implications for Increasing the School-to-STEM Pathways 43
4 It Takes a Village: The Families and Communities of My Context 45
Who Are Our Students? Leveraging Demographic Data 46
Data as a Storyteller 48
What’s Not in the Data? Conducting an Ethnographic Tour 49
Community Knowledge and Environmental Science 51
Survey of STEM Resources 52
STEM and Social Media 53
Who Is Responsible for STEM? 54
Expanded Learning Programs 55
Curriculum and Community: Consequences of Omitting the Community 55
Creating Access to STEM for All through Project-Based Learning 57
STEM through the Eyes of Community Events 57
Part 2 Create 61
5 Culturally Responsive Phenomena: Standard-Hook-Society (SHS) 63
Think about a Moment in Your Teaching. What Worked? What Didn’t Work? 64
What Is Phenomenon-Based STEM? 64
Phenomenon versus Topic 65
From Phenomenon to Culturally Responsive Phenomenon 67
Standard 67
Hook 68
Society 70
What Is the Why behind Your Instruction? 72
Additional Standards to Consider 73
The Phenomenon Find! 74
Intentional Inquiry versus Activity for Activity’s Sake and Whiz-Bang Science 74
6 Creating Justice-Centered STEM: The 3D5E Instructional Learning Sequence 77
The DO-KNOW-THINK Framework and 3-Dimensional Learning 79
Dimension 1: DO (More Than Just the Scientific Method) 80
Dimension 2: KNOW Core Learning Content through a Justice-Centered Lens 83
Dimension 3: Think across the Content with the Cross-Cutting Concepts 84
The Great Dreamstorm 86
The 5E Instructional Design 87
The 3D5E Instructional Learning Sequence Planner 89
What Culturally Responsive Teaching Is Not 91
7 Anticipate and Assess: Bursting the Bubble 95
Creating a 3D Assessment 96
The Do-Know-Think Frame 98
Brainstorm All the Ways to Elicit Student Sense-Making 98
What Do Students Already Know? 99
It’s Not about the Answer; It’s about the Question 99
CER and the Evidence-Gathering Organizer 102
Project-Based Learning 104
Student Voice and Student Choice 108
Modeling Iteration: Assess, Revise, Assess Again 108
The Worksheet Is Not Working: STEM Notebooking 111
Anticipate Student Responses 113
8 Observe and Debrief: Opening Our Classrooms for Student Learning 119
Creating a Mindset for Open Doors 121
Creating Indicators for Observation 122
Forms of Data Collection 126
The #4Real Observation Tool: Observation in Collaboration versus Evaluation 126
Universal Design for Learning and Teaching for Robust Understanding 128
Case-Study Student Analysis: Observation Stage 131
Observation and Anti-Racism 132
Debriefing the Observation: From Evaluative to Collaborative 133
How Does Your Observation Connect to the Student Work Artifact? 134
9 Diving into Student Work: How Are Students Demonstrating Their Understanding? 137
Recap of Our Journey: From Connecting to Creating 138
A Note on Equitable Grading 139
Grading versus Analyzing 141
Refer Back to Your 3D Learning Goal 142
Reconnect to the Lesson Debrief 145
Tools for Self-Assessment 147
Universal Design for Learning and the CAST UDL Guidelines 147
NGSS Evidence Statements 148
Metacognition 149
Example Meta-Strategic Questions 150
Analysis of Student Work as an Act of Justice 150
Part 3 Cultivate 153
10 Classroom Culture, Discourse, Identity, and Belonging 155
Audit 155
Belonging 157
Cultivate the Culture 159
It’s Never Too Early for STEM! 160
Special Education: Co-Plan, Co-Teach, Co-Assess, Co-Conspire 162
Emergent Multilingual Learner (EML) Instruction and Newcomers 163
Alternative Populations, Community Schools, and Court Schools 166
Putting It All Together: Discourse: Giving Them Something to Talk About 168
Academic Discourse around Social Justice Issues 170
Discourse Connected to the Science and Engineering Practices (Do) 171
11 The Culture of STEM: Indigenous and Ancestral Knowledge 177
Honoring Indigenous Cultures 178
Immerse in the Culture 180
Redefine the Native Narrative 181
Explore the Similarities and Differences 181
Storytelling and Wayfinding Protocol 182
The Nā Hopena A‘o (HA) Framework 184
Is the Environment Racist? Environmental Justice 185
Community, Culture, and Normalizing STEM 187
Tokenization of Indigenous Cultures 188
Nurturing and Creating an Authentic Sense of Belonging 189
12 STEM Teachers Are Not Exempt: Anti-Racism, Anti-Bias, and Cultural Responsiveness 191
Use of Street Data versus Standardized Data to Inform and Revolutionize 192
Black Students Matter 192
Black-Escalation Effect 193
Changing the Narrative through Reframing 194
Conduct the Racial Stereotypes Activity (Modified for STEM4Real) 195
LGBTQ in STEM 195
Revolutionary STEM Teaching 197
Service Learning as an Act of Anti-Bias in STEM 198
STEM or STEAM? 199
Make It Happen with Maker Education 199
Computer Science, Coding, and AI in STEM 201
Hip-Hop Hooray! 202
Hip-Hop Ed Argumentation Protocol 203
Anti-Racist Collaborative Work via Student Grouping 204
Expanded Learning Needs to Expand 206
Critical Race Theory as the Boogeyman 207
The Systems Game 208
Part 4 Commit to STEM for All 211
13 Leading and Coaching 4 JUSTICE: Transforming STEM Education 213
Recognizing Systemic Racism 214
Recognizing Situations 215
Dismantle Inequitable and Racist Systems 217
Examples of Dismantling 219
Rebuild 220
Multi-Tiered System of Support: Focus on STEM 222
The “Can’t Fail” Experiment: A Tool for Innovation 224
Questions to Ask Your Organization 226
Next Steps: Standards, Initiatives + Anti-Racism & Justice: You Don’t Have to Choose 226
STEM and Early Learning 227
School-to-STEM Career Pathways 228
Sitting in Compliance or Standing Up for Justice 229
Afterword 231
Stem for All, #4real 233
References 235
Index 237
