I Think I can... I Think I can...

Week six finds me quoting one of my favorite childrens' book over and over.  I think I can,  I think I can,  I think I can,  I think I can... I KNOW I CAN!

I had concerns Monday evening as I went to class.  I had not completed the literature review, even though eleven pages were written.  I seemed as though it just got longer and longer.  I was concerned that there was too much being stated.  Luckily Amy kept me calm, and after a few more hours (4) I had the paper competed and submitted, making it just before due time.  

After completion I did take a day off from the project, I needed to regroup so I did so by creating - pulling out some knitting projects.

This week I worked on Learner/Context Analysis.  This was so much easier for me to complete as I believe I do truly know my students.  As I move forward analyzing the needs assessment, I will also be administering my post assessment for the first group of students as the marking period is ending.  This cycle has moved so quickly.  I am looking forward to seeing if my students truly will be able to make the connections to STEAM/STEM concepts in Family and Consumer Science.

STEAMING Through...

This week has been one of frustration... you know those weeks when you feel like you are going to burst!

I have spent the week reading, finding links from one paper to the next, communicating digitally and I feel like I am over thinking this entire chapter of literature review.

It's frustrating when the idea seems so obvious, yet nobody has seemed to focus on it.  How will I ever make this idea come together?

Recap:  Spent about two hours every night reading anything that could possibly relate to FCS and STEM/STEAM education.  Search terms: FCS, Family and Consumer Science, Home Economics, STEM, STEAM, SMET, Science, Mathematics, Engineering, Technology; all in a variety of combinations.  Still seem to get the same results.

Saturday and Sunday found me sitting at my computer typing, writing, editing and trying to figure out APA.  Who thought the highlight of the weekend would be hemming pants, just for a break!  Of course, that's using STEM skills - technology, Engineering and math - measuring, planning, etc.

Searching with Educational Research Complete, EIRC, Google Scholar, etc, etc.  I have lots of research, but none directly.

What I know:  FCS and STEM are connected and they are directly related to 21st century skills.  Hopefully I can pull it together in some sort of order.

STEAMed up

                       STEAMed up this week.

Up in the clouds somewhere...

This week was one of lots of ups and downs.

RESEARCH:  I have spent about 10 hours searching the library databases - particularly Education Research Complete for any research that pertains to Family & Consumer Science and its connection to STEM educational initiatives.  The good news is there are a few articles written, but none seem to have research as to the level of student learning.  I follow the leads that I can find.  I have searched into each separate discipline of science, technology, engineering and mathematics and the connections to FCS also.  The good news is that most that is found is based upon the educational strategy of Project Based Learning.  I have the articles, have scanned the articles, and now am in the process of organizing, editing, and analyzing them as to the needs of my paper.  Writing will happen sometime... I hope.

Saturday Morning I spent on an American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences webinar concerning FCS and STEM - the relationship they have.  The good news is the presenters are like minded with me, so they have opened up as a resource.  They do not have the hard facts as to the student needs - so they were interested in the ideas I have.  I have been linked with them on LinkedUP for awhile now, and hope to have a sounding board from my industry as the project comes along.

NEEDS ASSESSMENTS:  I spent all day Sunday evaluating the results of the Needs Assessments my classes took the first week of school.  Of course, I forgot to create separate surveys for each class - so the results sorted as a whole.  After an hour of trying to configure results through GoogleForms, I decided to do it the old fashioned way.  It took a day, but I got the results.  The results did not surprise me at all.

Additional Research:  Since I have become so fond of MOOC's, I found one I could not turn down through EdX - Science and Cooking by Harvard.

This one allows me to work at my own pace, doing what I want, when I want.  How fun to learn scientific principles by Harvard professors.  Should be interesting as I see how they translate the preparation of food.

I'm beginning to want some steamed dumplings!

STEAM Cleaning

STE(A)M Cleaning

This week was spent with quite a few hours at the laptop.
I needed to clean up my files so that I can be sure to submit things in a proper manner.

• Research articles to review - sorted in a folder.
• Submitted assignments - sorted in a folder.
• Bookmarks - created!

Now that the files are organized I feel that I can proceed ... obviously with caution, as I don't want to get scalded!

My research this week focused on each of the disciplines that are represented by the acronym STE(A)M education.  This consisted of approximately 6 hours of searching.  Depending upon the association publication - there are a variety of methods which STE(A)M education can be implemented.  Science and Math seem to be the driving force; as those elements become the language of implementation into the fields of Technology and Engineering.  Arts become important as the Visual Literacy of the product becomes the driving force to the acceptance.

Much of the research is focused on teacher attitude and instructional strategies.  I have yet to find collaborating evidence that "learning" has improved from student results.

I had the opportunity to Skype with my international learning partner from Down Under . Jay Deagan, a doctoral candidate in Home Economics education.  She helped me identify some resources that could be helpful in my research, and spent quite a bit of time just brainstorming ways to get Home Ec (Australia) and FCS (US) into the view of the mainstream public.  Her suggestion:  Publish, Publish, Publish.
              * Thanks Amy for pushing me to find the global connections as year or so ago!

I did come across the National Academies Press which has quite a few resources that can guide me on the way to the integration of STE(A)M disciplines into FCS.  It was interesting that when I went to search on Friday evening that the site was not active due to the Gov't shut-down - just wondering... are there little people doing the search?  Seems to be up and running this morning.  

My Needs Assessments have been completed, and now I am compiling the results. From my observational checklist I found the AHA moment of the week.

As a student was deciding what to make in the way of a sewn toy - I had shown a video of lots of different completed projects, as well as some sewn items currently on sale through Etsy.  He saw a plate of stuffed fruit models - he decided that he would make a watermelon slice.  He had no pattern so he created one - using his observational

 skills, he determined the basic shape (half circle) with a oval base.  He realized by figuring the circumference of the circle he could determine the length of the oval that would become the rind of the watermelon.  Currently a work in progress - but I was thrilled that he realized a reason to use those geometric equations he had to learn in math.

The Goal!

I continue my review of my chosen research article.  After reading it through about 6 times, I am beginning to get the feel of the research and its usefulness for my paper and project.  There is certainly quite a bit of reading to do - I really do need to find a way to stream line it as I believe I may be running out of that precious resource of time!