I would like to share my thoughts on raising awareness about STEM education in my area.
In my opinion, STEM education is both a mindset and a process that empowers individuals to transform their thoughts into action.
Our current education system in rural areas primarily encourages individuals to pursue careers as engineers or doctors. Teachers emphasized exams, making it difficult for students to explore other fields, particularly practical knowledge in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).
Top universities in Western countries, such as MIT, Harvard, Stanford, and others, have actively supported STEM education. They share their knowledge with society, empowering children in those nations to develop skills and contribute to their country's technological progress through comprehensive training.
Under the Atal Innovation Mission, the government of India is providing funding to explore new technologies for students. However, children are not receiving proper training due to a lack of trained professionals. Some organizations, like Dassault Systems and Vigyan Ashram, are raising awareness about this issue among teachers. Nevertheless, teachers struggle to explore this field due to limited prior knowledge, passion, and motivation.
I completed the Fab Academy course at Vigyan Ashram and discovered the potential of STEM education. I have started working with local schools to promote STEM education through initial lectures. The students enjoy learning and engaging in DIY activities such as making airplanes and RC cars, Scratch programming, and design thinking. The school management is now aware of the importance of STEM education.
Students have started participating in various programming and project-based competitions and activities. Teachers and parents have observed changes in their problem-solving approach, leadership skills, and communication abilities. As a result, they have now begun endorsing STEM education.
The mindset of school teachers still tends to favor traditional, book-based teaching and learning methods. Unfortunately, they may not fully recognize the significance of programming skills, computational thinking, and physical computing in education. Moreover, we often encounter resistance when engaging students.
Furthermore, there are challenges related to the necessary infrastructure, such as access to computers, 3D printers, and adequate working space.
The Indian government's implementation of the New Education Policy (NEP) 2020 marks an important step forward by mandating teachers to integrate STEM education into their curriculum. This initiative holds immense potential, especially in rural areas of India.
One important result is that students become better at analyzing and addressing local issues. STEM education helps them think creatively and solve problems. Students actively participate in brainstorming sessions to find solutions to the challenges in their communities.
Students readily embrace technological tools to seek information and develop practical solutions. This enhances their academic capabilities and equips them with a valuable skill set that is increasingly relevant in today's technology-driven world.
The Fab Lab in our college has sparked a maker's attitude among engineering students. They are now actively involved in training sessions for school kids. Students are participating in various competitions such as Scratch programming, Project competition (Arduino or DIY Model), and Robotics competitions, and achieving success. This has led to parents demanding STEM training, putting pressure on school teachers.