• Mr. Fawks meets Bronwyn MacFarlane
     

    STEM at Confratute 

    This summer from July 11 through July 17, Mr. Fawks worked as a Confratute Management Engineer at Confratute which is held annually at the University of Connecticut, Storrs Campus. Confratute is a combined CONFerence, and an instiTUTE with a lot of FRATernity in between. Confratute is geared toward providing educators with research-based practical strategies for engagement and enrichment learning for all students, as well as meeting the needs of gifted and talented students.
     
    When Mr. Fawks was not working, he had an opportunity to meet Bronwyn MacFarlane, Ph.D., associate professor of gifted education at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock (UALR) in the Department of Educational Leadership and the editor of the newly released book entitled, STEM Education for High-Ability Learners: Designing and Implementing Programming.  Mr. Fawks attended a Special Topic Session presented by Bronwyn MacFarlane entitled STEM Programmatic Design: Creative Teaching for Technical Talent Development.  In this interactive and experiential session, participants learned about specific elements critical to the design and implementation of STEM programs for advanced students and application to local settings.  Emphasis was placed on developing articulation plans with best practices for high ability students in Stem programs.  To develop STEM talent, gifted students need programs that provide rigorous articulation of multiple elements - curriculum, instruction, assessment, creativity, and more.  Ideally, a differentiated STEM educational program should begin during elementary school and continue seamlessly through secondary education with interdisciplinary and applied approach.
     
    As a result of this Special Topic, Mr. Fawks plans on incorporating these best practices into the design and implementation of the STEM program.   Mr. Fawks also took advantage of the opportunity to get his copy of the STEM book signed by Bronwyn MacFarlane, PhD.
     
    STEM Book Cover
     
    STEM Education for High-Ability Learners: Developing and Implementing Programming 
     
    STEM Education for High-Ability Learners: Designing and Implementing Programming focuses on the rigorous articulation of quality STEM education programming to develop STEM talent among high-ability and gifted learners.  The intent of this book is to provided a comprehensive resource for educators designing and implementing each of the supports within STEM education by providing a discussion of each critical component for inclusion in a planned, coherent, and high-quality sequenced system.  This edited volume provides a cutting-edge discussion of best practices for delivering STEM education by experts in the field.  The contributing authors provide a differentiated discussion and recommendations for the learning experiences of gifted students in STEM education programs.  
     
    Part I     Foundational Theories, Research, and Best Practices in STEM Education
     
                  Chapter 1:  State Residential STEM Schools: A Case Study
                  Chapter 2:  S is for Science Education at the Elementary Level
                  Chapter 3:  S is for Science Education at the Secondary Level
                  Chapter 4:  T is for Technology Education: Developing Technological Talent and Skill
                                     Through Curriculum and Practice
                  Chapter 5:  E is for Engineering Education: Cultivating Applied Science Understandings and
                                     Problem-Solving Abilities
                  Chapter 6:  M is for Mathematics at the Elementary Level
                  Chapter 7:  M is for Mathematics at the Secondary Level
                  Chapter 8:  Assessing Aptitude and Achievement in STEM Teaching and Learning
                  Chapter 9:  Infrastructure of Comprehensive STEM Programming for Advanced Learners
     
    Part II    Applications to School-Based Practice With Gifted Education
     
                  Chapter 10:  Connecting the Common Core State, Next Generation Science, and Gifted
                                       Programming Standards With STEM Curriculum for Advanced Learners   
                  Chapter 11:  Biography Builds STEM Understanding for Talented Learners
                  Chapter 12:  International STEM Education and the Integrated Role of Second Language Study
                  Chapter 13:  Integrating the Arts and Creativity in STEM Education: Emerging Talent Using STEAM
                  Chapter 14:  Neuroscience and Gender Issues in STEM Education and Among High-Ability Learners
                  Chapter 15:  Designing and Developing an Exceptional Living-Learning Environment for the Highly
                                       Able Student: A Grassroots Approach to a Statewide Initiative 
     

    Best Practices Are Good For All Students!