H327G180006
Research continues to highlight the importance of targeting early STEM learning, suggesting the linkage to later academic gains (Claessens & Engel, 2013; Paprzycki, et al., 2017). However, much of the research on early childhood STEM learning has been focused on typically developing children leading to specific activities and curriculum which may not include adaptations for children with disabilities. Yet, it is critical to include young children with disabilities in STEM learning. In this video, we share why it is important to include young children especially those with disabilities in STEM experiences. We will also share how we are embedding an inclusion framework within early STEM learning trajectories, and identify strategies for adapting early STEM learning to increase accessibility and participation for all learners.
Chih-Ing Lim
Senior Technical Assistance Specialist
Thank you for visiting our video! Our Center, the STEM Innovation for Inclusion in Early Education Center (STEMIE, https://stemie.fpg.unc.edu ) is funded by the Office of Special Education Programs, US Department of Education. STEMIE is a partnership between Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the Marsico Institute at the University of Denver. Our work is focused on developing the evidence including instructional practices and learning trajectories for science, technology, and engineering, and further refining the well-developed math learning trajectories to ensure all young children (birth to five) especially those with disabilities can engage in early STEM learning opportunities in school and at home.
STEM is for all children and holding all children, including children with disabilities, to high-expectations is critical. What are some of your experiences in ensuring equitable STEM learning for all children?
Karen Mutch-Jones
Senior Researcher
Thank you, Chih-lng for this video and for sharing an approach to supporting STEM learning of young children with disabilities. This is important work, offering critical supports for teachers and parents. The platform (or paper materials?) appears to be easy to use and engaging. Having a pictorial-diagram that enables a teacher/parent to see stages within the learning trajectory tied to the overarching goal seems especially helpful. It can be hard to keep to pay attention to facilitate an activity, while also keeping goals in mind. I appreciated viewing the example interaction with Alaine and her mother, where you pointed out places in which she used verbal and gestural prompts and where she adapted the environment by moving materials. It would be helpful to see how teachers and parents engage, directly with the learning trajectory materials--what do they learn from them, what do the materials help them to think about in terms of where the child it "at" and what to do next to support their exploration and learning? I know this can't all be covered in a short video, so I would love to hear a bit more description of how you help parents or teachers understand and use the learning trajectory materials.
A related research question - are you collecting data on teacher/parent implementation outcomes and/or adult and child growth? Or maybe you are looking affective changes? And if so, what are you finding or what do you hope to discover from the data?
Thank you for helping us consider the STEM teaching and learning needs for young children.
Chih-Ing Lim
Senior Technical Assistance Specialist
Hi Karen, great questions! We are at the phase where we are finally able to work with our incubator sites to collect the data on what additional implementation supports families, and practitioners (both early intervention home services and classroom-based) need to use the materials, test the progressions we have drafted related to science, technology, and engineering, and learn about the process of how children learn and grow. We are also building on work done by our colleagues at the University of Denver who have developed LTs for math (https://www.learningtrajectories.org). In the meantime, we also have developed some resources for families that they can use within everyday routines and activities: https://stemie.fpg.unc.edu/resources?f%5B0%5D=field_audience%3A12&f%5B1%5D=field_resource_type%3A21
Karen Mutch-Jones
Senior Researcher
Thank you! I took a quick walk through your website to get a sense of what you are sharing, and I have a better understanding of the ways in which you are supporting families. I'll spend more time there after the Showcase too. What an excellent resource!
Christine Harradine
UNC Chapel Hill
Thank you for engaging with STEMIE, Karen! We expect to continue adding resources to our website, so please check back often.
Eric Pyle
Professor
This is a wonderful presentation - I especially welcome the use of case studies and personalization as presented in the video. Having worked with teachers to develop such case studies, they offer a broad range of connectivity to other teachers and parents. They have an especially profound impact on pre-service teachers, who are seeking to build their teaching personae but also deal with their apprehensions of the classroom diversity they are to face. Building on students' strengths and alternative approaches to instructional presentation are powerful tools for newly-qualified teachers to have on hand. Can you make any specific suggestions on professional development opportunities for current STEM teachers?
Chih-Ing Lim
Senior Technical Assistance Specialist
Thank you! Yes, we have found that using case studies and personas are especially important in helping both pre-service and also in-service teachers and other practitioners make connections to real life situations and dilemmas of practice, and also support their ability to make decisions on the selection of evidence-based practices for individualization. We have a free event, STEMIEFest the week of October 4-8 where there are opportunities for the early childhood field to engage in learning (see 2020's archived sessions: https://stemie.fpg.unc.edu/stemiefest . We also have free PD events that are focused on strategies and practices to support children's learning. Here are examples of 2 archived PD events:
We are also building E-learning PD. So stay tuned!
Jessica Amsbary
Postdoctoral Research Scholar
And a PD Event coming up geared towards families but still, PD focused on strategies and practices to support children's learning - You can register on our events page: https://stemie.fpg.unc.edu/events
Jessica Amsbary
Postdoctoral Research Scholar
Adding to Chih-Ing's discussion question:
Lindsay Palmer
It is so wonderful to see programming and research geared toward increasing STEM accessibility for students with disabilities. Great work!
Christine Harradine
UNC Chapel Hill
Thank you for visiting, Lindsay! If you have a chance, we invite you to check out our website for a deeper look into what we do and how we do it. https://stemie.fpg.unc.edu/
Scott Bellman
Thanks for sharing your video and website, and for promoting inclusive STEM learning. You have a lot of great events coming up!
Jessica Amsbary
Postdoctoral Research Scholar
Yes, Scott - we hope to see you at some of them! Please reach out if you'd like and additional info...thank you!
Jacqueline Ekeoba
Thank you for sharing this video! Exhibiting STEM learning can definitely be exhibited in a variety of different ways. I like the examples provided in your video.
I also wanted to invite to view an informal STEM experience done at University of Houston: https://stemforall2021.videohall.com/presentations/2031