2018 Chapter support for Northern Virginia School STEM Event

by Mike Pafford (Edited by Myra Parsons Gross)

Chesapeake Chapter is a proud sponsor of the 2018 SUCCESS! STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math). In its 28th year, the SUCCESS Conference is an annual event held each Spring where students in grades 5-12 are treated to a day of workshops with professionals working in Technology, Engineering, the Arts, and Math related career fields. This is the second year the Chesapeake Chapter has supported and sponsored this Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Event.

Chapter member Mike Pafford represented the Chapter at the 2018 SUCCESS! STEAM Conference and facilitated four 45-minute Systems Thinking Round Table sessions. The purpose of the sessions was to interactively introduce the Systems Engineering tool and techniques of Systems Thinking. Mike used an updated version of the Systems Thinking Round Table Guide, developed by Dr. Susan Gabriele of the INCOSE Systems Science Working Group.

During the four Systems Thinking Round Table sessions, the attendees were asked to give their thoughts on the question, “What do you think are some of the things we can do to help our children and students take advantage of STEM/STEAM opportunities?” Although the sessions were not recorded, Mike was able to note some of the thoughts of the teachers and parents including:

  • We need more than just flyers in their bookbags about upcoming STEM events.

  • Maybe it needs to be broader than just STEM?

  • Parents and Teachers all need to make a firm commitment to STEM.

  • Glad I did something like this!

  • We need to take our daughters and sons to work more; to see STEM in action.

  • Needs to be more real-world context introduced into STEM teaching.

  • Students need to be given more open-ended tasks; to practice STEM.

  • Need to introduce STEM as early as possible; early Middle School is not too soon.

  • Students need more hands-on during STEM subjects.

  • Organizations like yours [INCOSE] need to volunteer more STEM talks and events.

  • Students learn best by doing.

  • We need to educate parents—and teachers—more in what STEM is like in the real world.

 

Learn more about this Conference http://www.successconference.net/.

 

After Action Report, STEMINCOSE Chesapeake Chapter