Dead Poet's Society
I try to follow this mantra, but fall short on a cotidie (Latin word of the day, means 'daily') basis. There are rare occasions when I can combine a mixture of ambition, luck, energy, nerves, and relentless support from many amazing people to 'pull off' something worth wile. I had the opportunity to speak in a session at the Schools of the Future Conference (SOTFC) at the Hawaii Convention Center yesterday. I agreed to this last school year because Hope asked me to give it a shot. I thought, what the heck, I can talk about PLTW and what we do in the classroom. I've had countless visitors to my class over the past two years; what's the harm in speaking about this to a room of people. No sweat... Right...
Now we Fast-forward: wife gets pregnant (of which we were intentionally trying for several years, so Yay!), decided to go back to grad school (of which I am forever grateful and appreciative, even though it may drive my wife a bit nuts), preemie baby, baby's home, we're trying to learn how to be parents (of which I can say Luca's still thriving and he smiles every day... that's more on him than on us... we lucked out with this lil one), family visits (mostly good with the usual crazy mixed in), school year starts, juggling 27 plates at a time.... then....
Oh, right, I did agree to speak in front of a room full of my peers about PLTW, NGSS, and CCSS...
So I whip-up what I can. I have the awesome support of my PTT, Hope, my co-worker Stacy, and we get it done. I feel relieved the second it's over and I'm talking to some of our awesome STEMS^2 peeps after the 'show.' Tara, Joe, Eo, Waynelle, Kaai, and of course Hope; you all showed me the love and support through your actions and words. We are so lucky to have a learning family like this! Big Mahalos to you all for taking the time to be with me! Just knowing you were there, and sorry Eo, Waynelle, and Joe... I did't see you at first, but was so happy to see you there.. what can I say, Tara naturally has people gravitate toward her - like a nice shiny sun; I guess I'm no different.. ha
Being a very small part of the SOTFC was a humbling and honored experience. I had a room with about 50 participants, in a conference of over 1,500 educators, administrators, parents, and professionals from various public and private entities. For a short time, these 50 or so people were giving me their time and energy. I was trying to give them back all they deserved and wanted to respect their efforts by providing a total experience.
The power of our voices and actions are evident in times like these. Through my presentation, I had so much running through my head which I wanted to share. I attempted to sneak in some ideas I feel represent a small slice of STEMS^2 while respecting the platform and venue I was a part of. I mentioned A'o as a vital concept in what PLTW does; Project LEAD the Way's design supports and encourages students as leaders in the classroom. This is not just a line, I believe it and try to make it happen in my classes. I spoke about the real connection between engineering education in the K-12 setting connected to our University trying to attract and keep local engineers here to create and expand current industry. I also mentioned the importance of collaborative teamwork which is embedded in the PLTW system; another tenant of our STEMS^2 experiences. I tried to connect the PLTW curriculum, with its initial stories which lead into the projects and activities, with the need for a more connected and represented cultural component. Our new PLTW lead, Diana Papipi Warren, is dedicated to create more meaningful connections between the PLTW curriculum and our host culture across Hawaii's schools. Through this small window of time, I hope my words were appropriate and from my heart.
What is so refreshing and reassuring is how our state has this conference EVERY YEAR. The establishment and continuation of this event is a true public-private partnership. Yes, there are political, ethical, and cultural impacts and I'm not saying this conference is the best example of what STEMS^2 stands for. It's not..yet.... but, I guess my challenge is, if we feel a conference of this magnitude is a useful platform to share our STEMS^2 ideas and agenda, why are we not proliferating our message to the masses? How can we use amazing events like this to spread our information and causes to the rest of the state? After experiencing this for the first time, I think the SOTFC provides a safe and useful platform for us STEMS^2ers to engage, challenge, and inspire others.
So, next year, who's commin' with me? What is your STEMS^2 passion? How can you capture that passion, compress it into one of the various platforms offered at this conference (poster sessions, speaking sessions, activity sections), and spread some STEMS^2 all over that bread!? Just a suggestion and a minor call to action for the next 50 or so STEMS^2 cohorts... make this SOTFC, or other conferences like it, part of the STEMS^2 curriculum. Embed the opportunities and challenges of public presentations in educational settings as part of the STMES^2 learning process. This may have dual ramifications and I'd like to invite discussion and debate on this issue. In no way do I think this suggestion is a solution to a problem. It's more of a idea of possibility for the future of STEMS^2 and how it is seen/heard/felt/and sensed in our place. In the comments below, feel free to share your ideas, questions, or comments.
Check out these links if you like!
Schools of the Future Conference: Homepage
My PLTW, STEM, NGSS Presentation
As always, I appreciate my learning family! It is an honor to be a part of this experience and share it with you all; thanks for reading!
