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STEM Professional Learning Plan for Secondary Teachers
Enhance your practice with Cool.org's STEM Professional Learning Pathway. This year-long plan is designed to build your skills and capabilities in Teaching STEM, ultimately transforming you into a STEM Innovator.
The Four Zones
We’ve mapped out a staged pathway that will prepare you to integrate STEM education effectively, adapt to technological advancements and inspire students to succeed in a rapidly evolving world.
Step 1: The
Step 2: The
Proficiency Zone
Step 3: The
Mastery Zone
Step 4: The
Innovation Zone
How it works
The professional learning plan is designed to scaffold your learning through the four stages above to the level of STEM Innovator by completing at least 8 STEM Professional Learning courses over a year (or longer if you need to - you make your own rules!).
| Level | Category | Course |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Foundation | Introduction to Primary STEM |
| How to Teach Science More Effectively | ||
| 2 | Proficiency | Digital Tech for STEM Classrooms |
| Inspire Young Scientists in the Primary Classroom | ||
| How to Teach Creative Thinking for STEM | ||
| 3 | Mastery | Advocating for STEM |
| Save the World with STEM | ||
| 4 | Innovation | Integrating STEM Through Project-Based Learning |
| Get Creative With STEM |
Scaffolding your learning and development
The pathway builds on an adapted Zones of Learning model and everyone's favourite, Bloom's Taxonomy, to create a structured, year-long professional development plan for STEM educators to become STEM Innovators. By progressively building on each stage, you can enhance your STEM teaching skills and develop critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving abilities in your students while also addressing your own individual learning needs and goals, ensuring continuous growth.
| Stage | Zone of Learning | Bloom’s Taxonomy Level | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Foundation | Remembering |
Reflects a base level of knowledge and comprehension, establishing a solid
groundwork. Define, duplicate, list, memorise, repeat, state, classify, describe, discuss, explain, identify, locate, recognise, report, select, translate |
| Understanding | |||
| 2 | Proficiency | Applying |
Highlights the development of practical skills and the ability to break down
information and apply it effectively. Execute, implement, solve, use, demonstrate, interpret, operate, schedule, sketch, differentiate, organise, relate, compare, contrast, distinguish, examine, experiment, question, test |
| Analysing | |||
| 3 | Mastery | Evaluating |
Signifies advanced competence, where the ability to critically assess and make
judgments is emphasized. Appraise, argue, defend, judge, select, support, value, critique, weigh |
| Evaluating | |||
| 4 | Innovation | Creating |
Indicates the highest level of proficiency, where the creation of new and original work
demonstrates expert understanding and capability. Design, assemble, construct, conjecture, develop, formulate, author, investigate |
| Creating |
What is STEM?
STEM integrates science, technology, engineering, and mathematics into learning. It is incorporated into the Australian Curriculum in various learning areas and general capabilities.
Technological advancements are transforming how students learn and connect. Skills acquired through STEM education provide a foundation for success in school and beyond. International research shows 75% of the fastest-growing occupations now require STEM skills. Therefore, it is crucial to equip young people with the skills to thrive as successful, engaged citizens in our complex, dynamic society. (Source)
Why Become a STEM Innovator?
• Strengthening your STEM teaching capabilities enhances educational outcomes, and
• Teaching these key STEM skills through hands-on real-world applications is crucial for preparing students for future careers and a rapidly changing world.
Teaching STEM
The STEM Connections research project by ACARA found that STEM understanding, knowledge and skills are strengthened when connections between learning areas are emphasised and when learning areas combine to find authentic learning opportunities for students in answer to an identified problem or in the creation of a solution.
Goals for Teaching STEM
When teaching STEM skills and projects it is also important to:
emphasise the value of knowledge and skills across STEM subjects
boost students' confidence and ability to apply STEM knowledge and skills in various contexts
highlight connections between classroom STEM learning and future career opportunities
encourage strategies to keep girls engaged in STEM subjects
develop guidelines for school-industry STEM partnerships
promote collaboration on integrated STEM programs.
Aspects of STEM education and teacher skills to consider:
Give consideration to learning across the curriculum and having high expectations for all students.
Be willing to give students significant autonomy and responsibility for their own learning, including:
choosing their projects
selecting modes of communication
determining findings and solution materials
planning and conducting investigations and strategies.
Length of allocated class time needs to sustain deep thinking, investigation and an integrated approach.
The value of working across learning areas and with digital technologies.
Collaborating with colleagues in planning, preparation and teaching.
Developing rich assessment task that cross learning areas.
Being prepared to manage long-term student group work, including the provision of direct guidelines about working in groups.