Impressions of a Middle Grades STEM Integration Program: Educators Share Lessons Learned from the Implementation of a Middle Grades STEM Curriculum Model

Micah Stohlmann, Tamara J. Moore, J. McClelland, Gillian H. Roehrig

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

31 Scopus citations
Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)32-40
Number of pages9
JournalMiddle School Journal
Volume43
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Sep 1 2011

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
The authors of this paper would like to acknowledge the support given by the 3M Foundation for this work. The opinions expressed here are the opinions of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the 3M Corporation.

Funding Information:
(see Figure 1), but the school implemented only three of these: (1) Design and Modeling, (2) Science of Technology, and (3) Automation and Robotics. Statewide assessment results suggested that students needed to improve their conceptions of measurement in mathematics and science. The Design and Modeling and the Science of Technology courses both emphasize measurement and were chosen, in part, for this purpose. Other goals of Johnson Middle School for implementing Gateway to Technology were to help improve students’ math and science test scores and to address the new engineering standards that were incorporated into the Minnesota K–12 Academic Standards for science. During the summer of 2009, the teachers involved in the program participated in two weeks of required curriculum training provided by PLTW. A key element in the implementation of the PLTW curriculum at Johnson Middle School was a school-university partnership, made possible with funding from the 3M Corporate Foundation. The 3M STEM Education Fellowship Program funds graduate students to work with schools to help bring research-based practices involving STEM integration into K–12 classrooms through curriculum development, implementation, and assessment. During the school year, graduate

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