How do I envision my Kenan Fellowship experience impacting my students?

There are so many ways that my summer experience has broadened my ideas on how to develop my new STEM curriculum. One of the main components that I see myself branching into more, are stronger math connections. Many of my mentors that I have worked with have spoken about how students are lacking some basic math skills that impede their learning process at the college level. Skills such as using tools for measurement in the correct manner, being able to work with fractions and converting them into decimals, and even basic concepts such as using a formula and plugging in the correct information. I know students are being taught this information in schools – so what is it that is causing them to not retain it? How can I help students to not only learn the concepts, but remember them and keep it stored for easy access later in life?

One way I will attempt to address this issue is by developing more real world application in my curriculum. I want my students to not only be able to work problems on paper and find solutions – but use those skills as adults would use them later in life and out in the field with a career. My goal now is to take a look at the curriculum I’m being asked to work with, and develop units that can allow students to get ‘down and dirty’ with these math concepts. Have students learn these math processes not by me simply showing them the process and having them follow along, but exposing them to the real world problems that require these skills to find a solution. I need to develop instances for my students that  allow them to struggle with the content and skill sets, not only to try them – but to try and fail, and then re-try again. I need them to learn what doesn’t work and how using a skill incorrectly alters their results and end products. I hope that by designing material that shows them the need for the correct use of the skills, they will retain the information at a higher rate allowing them to use it later in life when it is necessary. Working with LCC has truly shown me that real world application is the way to go when teaching true STEM in my classroom.