b'6 Partner News Spring 2021IET updatesTeaching STEM can be scaryAn interview with Tess Strauch from Bethpage High School, Long Island, New York.Teaching STEM topics is a trend that willIn 2020, Bethpages science director only grow in scope as we move into therecommended that Strauch take a training world of digitalisation and the rate ofcourse and evaluate the merits of Siemens technological change continues to increaseEngineering Design problem-based learning multi-fold. The speed of innovation is(PBL) curriculum. PBL is a method that impacting everyone in our society, fromStrauch is familiar with from prior teaching heads of state to heads of industry, andexperiences, but she confessed that as a everyone in between.teacher, it can be terrifying, to give up the traditional way of teaching in which Faced with the responsibility of preparingstudents learn by reading, discussing students for the jobs of tomorrow, its noand taking notes on a subject and then wonder STEM teachers find it dauntingtypically taking a test on the content. to keep pace and feel less than confident about their ability to deliver the rightPBL requires teachers to outline a real-curriculum. world problem that students must solve.Working in groups, students must organise So, how is it possible to enable teachersthe project, and then create and present and their students to be successful whileunique solutions. The PBL approach simultaneously being inundated by achanges the way students learn, and deluge of digital technology? allows them to define, explore and acquire knowledge along the way. Additionally, We spoke with Tess Strauch, who teachesthe collaboration required in PBL helps Marine Biology, Physics, AP Physicsstudents to develop other important skills, 2, and Introduction to Engineering atsuch as brainstorming, team building, Bethpage High School, to learn how shedecision-making and project management.is approaching the challenge herself.We learned that the answer lies inBy the end of Strauchs training course, collaboration. Collaboration with othershe felt prepared to introduce the course teachers, with industry partners, and evento her 11th and 12th grade students. The with their students in real-time. curriculum is super clear and very wellKitchen tool engineering notebookthought out, engaging for students, and Strauch stressed, that to successfullyhas been extremely beneficial to me in teach STEM in the age of digitalization,the classroom, she said. Learning a new teachers not only need to be open andsoftware is a challenge that has to bethey are very engaged and often stump willing to learn new topics, but they alsoovercome, but Solid Edge was very easy tome with great questionswhich they then need to learn new ways of deliveringlearn and to use. explore together! instruction.Teaching from a prescribed text may provide a reasonably currentStrauchs students seem to be having theStrauch concluded by sharing, the reference, but it fails to help studentsbiggest benefit from her training course. Tostudents are really learning a lot and she develop the critical-thinking skills which aredate, they have completed and presentedhopes to prepare them to obtain Siemens essential in the workforce today. four to five separate projects. In additionSolid Edge certification by the end of the to accessing Solid Edge at school, all theschool year.Bethpage has a strong track record forBethpage students have a free Solid Edge collaborating with others, often workingstudent license that they can use at homeFor more information on Siemens with other academic stakeholders in theirto complete assignments and continue self- Engineering Design curriculum or Solid ecosystem, such as Hofstra University andguided learning. Strauch shyly reported,Edge for Educators and Students, St. Johns University, and STEM programsthey love the class, it has been very easyplease visit solidedge.siemens.com/en/such as FIRST Robotics. for them to learn about engineering design,solutions/users/educators'