Fostering STEM Trajectories: Bridging ECE Research, Practice, & Policy
June 13, 2016
On May 31-June 1, 2016, the Joan Ganz Cooney Center and New America co-hosted an early STEM convening in Washington, D.C. funded by the National Science Foundation. Read on for highlights from the event.
Day One
The event kicked off with a warm welcome from Lisa Guernsey, Deputy Director of the Education Policy Program and Director of the Learning Technologies Project at New America and Michael Levine, Founder and Executive Director of the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop.
In my happy place where early childhood and science education come together #STEMstartsearly @NewAmerica https://t.co/ifRGQNI0Ta
— Peggy Ashbrook (@PeggyAshbrook) May 31, 2016
Preparing for the Future: STEM Learning & Research
Presented by Joan Ferrini-Mundy, Assistant Director for Education & Human Resources at the National Science Foundation.
Young children can understand significant STEM concepts @JFerriniMundy #stemstartsearly
— Cooney Center (@CooneyCenter) May 31, 2016
.@JFerriniMundy discusses a new @NSF focal area- shaping the new human technology field #stemstartsearly pic.twitter.com/3CGArCu41g
— Laura Zimmermann (@babyexpert4u) May 31, 2016
We need to create wise investments in early STEM learning & move from research to scaled practice & policy @JFerriniMundy #stemstartsearly
— Cooney Center (@CooneyCenter) May 31, 2016
Keynote Address: The ECE Ecosystem and Early Childhood STEM Research
Presented by Deborah Phillips, Professor of Psychology and Associated Faculty for the Public Policy Institute at Georgetown University.
Deborah Phillips- early math and science play a unique role in reading, EF, concept, and reasoning skills #stemstartsearly
— Laura Zimmermann (@babyexpert4u) May 31, 2016
Deborah Phillips- You can't take STEM education out of the ecosystem in which it occurs #stemstartsearly #ECE pic.twitter.com/m4BzWvmE6q
— Laura Zimmermann (@babyexpert4u) May 31, 2016
Minimal time in Pre-K is STEM based #stemstartsearly #ECE pic.twitter.com/yN5fbkd8yo
— Laura Zimmermann (@babyexpert4u) May 31, 2016
Deborah Phillips: immigrant children are less likely to be enrolled in pre-k than non-immigrants #stemstartsearly
— Cooney Center (@CooneyCenter) May 31, 2016
Deborah Phillips: Early #STEM essential to special needs students! @CooneyCenter @NewAmerica #stemstartsearly pic.twitter.com/8WmQugNHjV
— Russell Shilling (@Russ_Shilling) May 31, 2016
Gender stereotypes are particularly potent for young learners beginning to develop their own identities, e.g. math anxiety #stemstartsearly
— Cooney Center (@CooneyCenter) May 31, 2016
Deborah Phillips- ECE wage gap Pre-K teachers salary is close to federal poverty line yet K teacher salary is double #stemstartsearly
— Laura Zimmermann (@babyexpert4u) May 31, 2016
Deborah Phillips: Teachers are developing the brain architecture that children use to learn-their stress levels matter too. #stemstartsearly
— Cooney Center (@CooneyCenter) May 31, 2016
Deborah Phillips: Teacher stress takes effective instruction offline#stemstartsearly @NewAmericaEd @CooneyCenter
— Laura Bornfreund (@LBornfreund) May 31, 2016
Response and Discussion Panel
Featuring LaRue Allen, Professor of Applied Psychology at New York University, Kimberly Brenneman, Program Officer for Education at the Heising-Simons Foundation, Andres Henriquez, VP of STEM Learning in Communities at New York Hall of Science, and Shelley Pasnik, Director of the Center for Children and Technology and VP, Education Development Center. Joined by Deborah Phillips and moderated by Lisa Guernsey.
LaRue Allen: We must understand the needs of early childhood educators and how to support their prof development #stemstartsearly
— Catherine (@cjhee) May 31, 2016
LaRue Allen: Leadership in #ECE needs to better understand what workforce needs to support #STEM education. #stemstartsearly @NewAmericaed
— Laura Bornfreund (@LBornfreund) May 31, 2016
.@AndresHenriquez: How do we use museum as a hub to create a STEM ecosystem and engage our community more? #stemstartsearly
— Laura Zimmermann (@babyexpert4u) May 31, 2016
EDC's Pasnik: Sustained, connected #edresearch needed re: teaching #STEM in #earlychildhood. @NewAmericaEd @CooneyCenter #stemstartsearly
— EDC (@EDCtweets) May 31, 2016
Shelly Pasnik: Researchers need to think about real classrooms and the language real teachers and parents use. @cct_edc #stemstartsearly
— Cooney Center (@CooneyCenter) May 31, 2016
#STEMStartsEarly at the White House
Presented by Libby Doggett, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy and Early Learning, U.S. Department of Education and Russell Shilling, Executive Director of STEM, U.S. Department of Education.
@libbydoggett and @Russ_Shilling of @usedgov discuss #stemstartsearly initiative pic.twitter.com/7TlVBxGg8j
— Cooney Center (@CooneyCenter) May 31, 2016
How can technology support young children + adults in homes + schools? https://t.co/6jQiEBpdGI #stemstartsearly @CooneyCenter @NewAmericaEd
— shelley pasnik (@shelleypasnik) May 31, 2016
.@LibbyDoggett highlights the @WhiteHouse STEM commitments. Loved hearing some future plans! #stemstartsearly pic.twitter.com/bSFadyqb09
— Laura Zimmermann (@babyexpert4u) May 31, 2016
Diana Pecina shares commitment @BedtimeMath made at the @whitehouse #stemstartsearly event https://t.co/aU5h77yANh pic.twitter.com/dHQMs5lBGA
— Cooney Center (@CooneyCenter) May 31, 2016
Overview of Background Paper and Funding Priorities in Early STEM Research
Presented by Elisabeth McClure, Research Fellow for the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop.
Elisabeth McClure @CooneyCenter: 2 things about children learning STEM 1) they can 2) they should #stemstartsearly pic.twitter.com/BY3UFQSjnW
— Laura Zimmermann (@babyexpert4u) May 31, 2016
OER, Federal Research, and STEM: A Briefing
Presented by Lindsey Tepe, Senior Policy Analyst of Education Policy for New America.
.@l_tepe of @NewAmericaEd discusses the open licensing policy @usedgov #stemstartsearly pic.twitter.com/p6QNW2FUPc
— Laura Zimmermann (@babyexpert4u) May 31, 2016
.@EDCtweets @WheelockCollege #ECSTEM #stemstartsearly More deep learning thru conversation w/ #ECE thought leaders pic.twitter.com/LwTgQH2pKx
— Peggy Ashbrook (@PeggyAshbrook) May 31, 2016
Day Two
.@mlevine_jgcc kicks off day 2 of Fostering STEM Trajectories and reviews the task ahead #stemstartsearly pic.twitter.com/6yzNMzGEHN
— Cooney Center (@CooneyCenter) June 1, 2016
Why Framing the Issue is So Important
Presented by Nat Kendall-Taylor, Chief Executive Officer for the FrameWorks Institute.
.@nkendalltaylor helps us frame the problem. Discussing the "you say they think" or the "lost in translation effect" #stemstartsearly
— Laura Zimmermann (@babyexpert4u) June 1, 2016
.@nkendalltaylor: “All outcomes are affected by the way you frame information” #stemstartsearly @FrameWorksInst pic.twitter.com/iiJmf1QqOC
— Cooney Center (@CooneyCenter) June 1, 2016
.@nkendalltaylor of @FrameWorksInst challenges the group to design a field-wide strategy to change #stemstartsearly #ECE discourse
— Laura Zimmermann (@babyexpert4u) June 1, 2016
Using "vulnerability" value makes people less supportive of child mental health policy #stemstartsearly pic.twitter.com/pctCsnHzrQ
— Laura Zimmermann (@babyexpert4u) June 1, 2016
Check out some of the early childhood development work from @FrameWorksInst: https://t.co/qhZufKXB1Z #stemstartsearly
— Laura Zimmermann (@babyexpert4u) June 1, 2016
STEM Teachers: Learning from Inside and Outside the United States
Presented by Douglas Clements, Kennedy Endowed Chair in Early Childhood Learning and Executive Director of the Marsico Institute of Early Learning, University of Denver, Mike Smith, Visiting Scholar at the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, and Vivien Stewart, Senior Advisor of Education for the Asia Society. Moderated by Michael Levine.
Some of my favorite educators. Lt to rt: Michael Levine, Doug Clements, Mike Smith, Vivien Stewart #stemstartsearly pic.twitter.com/udF3diTYZd
— Andres Henriquez (@AndresHenriquez) June 1, 2016
Thinking internationally ought to be part of national research agenda says Vivien Stewart, Senior Edu Advisor @AsiaSociety #stemstartsearly
— Cooney Center (@CooneyCenter) June 1, 2016
Vivien Stewart: US teachers have far lower math scores in lower secondary as compared to other countries around the world.#stemstartsearly
— Andres Henriquez (@AndresHenriquez) June 1, 2016
.@DHClements: On the false dichotomy of play and STEM- We need playful STEM and STEM induced play #stemstartsearly
— Laura Zimmermann (@babyexpert4u) June 1, 2016
Mike Smith's challenge: if we are commited to #stemstartsearly, then set a real goal. 2 yrs of preschool for all kids by 2020. @NewAmericaEd
— shelley pasnik (@shelleypasnik) June 1, 2016
.@LisaGuernsey on @NewAmericaEd work "From Crawling to Walking" which ranks states on policies in the infant toddler space #stemstartsearly
— Laura Zimmermann (@babyexpert4u) June 1, 2016
Here's a link to the map on state policies (& it extends up to 3rd grade): https://t.co/isTUNcfvSw
— LisaGuernsey (@LisaGuernsey) June 1, 2016
One video portrait of Next Gen Preschool Science: https://t.co/MlVT0qwwx8 @First8Studios @SRI_Education @EDCtweets #stemstartsearly @NSF
— shelley pasnik (@shelleypasnik) May 31, 2016
Program Ann: Exploring Science Teaching in Elementary School Classrooms @cooneycenter @newamerica #stemstartsearly https://t.co/s7IgLXahV4
— Russell Shilling (@Russ_Shilling) June 1, 2016
Vivien Stewart of @AsiaSocietyEDU on the next steps: making sure all kids are confident in math and science #stemstartsearly
— Laura Zimmermann (@babyexpert4u) June 1, 2016
Looking to the Future
In the wake of the wonderful insights and discussions shared during the Fostering STEM Trajectories event, the Joan Ganz Cooney Center and New America are compiling a comprehensive report to be released this fall, featuring a national action agenda and formal recommendations for funding agencies focused on early STEM.
We welcome your insights on the priorities that should shape STEM education. What do you think are the barriers to bringing STEM learning to young children? Please send your thoughts to cooney.center@sesame.org.
If you missed Fostering STEM Trajectories at @NewAmericaEd this week, the archived video is here: https://t.co/dP728MuYCX #stemstartsearly
— Cooney Center (@CooneyCenter) June 3, 2016
