of schools were unprepared to transition to distance learning
learning boosts confidence and fits the needs of the learner
dollars are available for CTE funding
There are over 665,000 computing-related jobs currently available in the US with only around 71K graduates to fill them. The number of jobs is growing rapidly. The future of this STEM-based work will require 21st-century skills (Communication, Collaboration, Critical Thinking, and Creativity). We need to prepare students differently than we used to.
However, with limited budgets and resources, it can be difficult to figure out where this new type of learning fits into your school. Luckily, 21stCentEd can be that much-needed supplement to your current curriculum. With engaging, self-paced online STEM and CTE courses and pathways, 21stCentEd provides virtual STEM-based learning that all kids need to help build crucial skills for tomorrow’s working world.
You’ll be able to turnkey a STEM solution without the cost of constructing a physical building. Any school or the entire district can now roll out virtual STEM and CTE products and services for ALL students.
We work with school districts and their community partners to develop students’ 21st-century skills by accounting for the following areas:
Our STEM resources can be accessed in-school, after-school, and out-of-school. After-school programs and partners can leverage the content to create or expand STEM offerings. Students can continue to work at home or wherever they have access.
This might just be that magic bullet to increase parent involvement. Parents can serve as mentors to students, learning alongside their child and in the process reskill and upskill themselves for a transforming world of work.
With ubiquitous access, teachers get to determine how to create a blended experience. The class can be separated to work on projects from 21stCentEd while the teacher works with smaller groups for example. Students can work independently and come together and share is another.
The 4 C’s (collaboration, critical thinking, creativity, and communication) are by far the most popular 21st-Century Skills, however, there are more. We promote adaptability, confidence, problem-solving, curiosity, perseverance, active listening, leadership, self-discipline, and self-regulation.
Project-based learning (PBL) is learning by doing. There are 10 projects in each course ensuring that student have rich PBL experience. So even if you have no other PBL opportunities, they get plenty with 21stCentEd.
The SEL framework identifies five core competencies Self-Awareness, Self-Management, Responsible Decision-Making, Relationship Skills, and Social Awareness. Our empathy warm-ups which are required before taking a course, are structured in the design thinking process using the FIDS (feel, imagine, do, share) model that fosters empathy and student agency.
With our built-in curriculum and lesson plans, the STEM/CTE-teacher shortage is not a barrier to a comprehensive STEM program. Our online platform is self-directed with guidance provided by mentors and coaches. Any teacher, community partner, or student can become a mentor or coach in-school, after-school, and out-of-school.
Equity is education is about ensuring that every student is provided an opportunity to learn and therefore reach their full potential regardless of gender, ethnic origin, or socioeconomic status. A comprehensive STEM education is providing access in a way, a place, at a time, and with people that make it easy for students to embrace STEM with the support to overcome their doubts about their abilities. With access in-school, after-school, and out-of-school, we are the ultimate STEM equity partner.
Design Thinking/Engineering Process is a framework for innovative solutions utilizing creative problem-solving. There are five stages: Empathy, Define, Ideate, Prototype, and Test. As students learn to code, start a business, or create anything for someone else, this experience is crucial for a successful outcome.
Personalized learning is designed to foster the academic success of each student by providing learning experiences that are customized—to a greater or lesser extent—for each student. Because of the variety of STEM courses we offer, students can pursue STEM according to learning needs, interests, and aspirations.
Learner-centered education ensures that each learner is unique in meaningful ways, each learner has unbounded potential, each learner has an innate desire to learn. The job of the education system is to unleash that desire. With ubiquitous access to STEM, we meet the students where they are and provide the support they need by making our courses accessible wherever they are so they can be unleashed to soar.
Voice and Choice is about letting students decide what they want to study, who they want to work with, what outcomes they expect, and where and when they do their work, according to Edutopia. Some students may want to start the STEM experience with Sound and Audio mixing, not coding. Some students may prefer to learn coding at the local community center, let them. We provide the resource and tool to help you give student voice and choice.
Digital Citizenship is about safe, respectful, and responsible use of technology and especially the internet. Every student must have this background and it’s all packed in a course.
Empathy is essential to the process of education not only for relationships between teachers, between students, and between teacher and student. Empathy is also essential to the creative process. We provide an empathy warm-up as a pre-course assignment to establish a powerful frame of mind for creating via STEM.
With 45 and counting STEM courses, we go way beyond just coding and robotics with gateway courses a such as Sound and Audio Mixing. Combined with being self-paced and project-based, and mastery-based (let them take as long as they need to get it) we are a great resource for student engagement.
If we put the right foundation under them–a classical education plus comprehensive STEM, students will have four solid options post-high school: college, work, entrepreneurship, or military. What they will decide to do will be based on preference not, preparation. That’s true college and career readiness.
To combat the STEM teacher shortage we have employed a tried and true method for learning, mentorship. Adults will mentor students, students will mentor other students, and students will mentor adults thereby developing skills in collaboration and communication.
Comprehensive STEM is needed in communities not just for education but also for the workforce and economic development. With the shortage of STEM-educated workers, community stakeholders are ready to help develop the workforce of the future.
In these uncertain times, we want our kids to get ahead, not just get by. Engaging in STEM experiences today develops key 21st-century skills that prepare them for tomorrow.