New Ideas for STEM Collaborations

by Suzanne Sannwald

In the 2015 One-Question Survey "What Has the STEAM Initiative Changed about Your Library?," there was an "uneasy" finding that about 30% of respondents reported "nothing has changed because of STEAM." The most substantial area of change was regarding collection development, but Gail Dickinson argues this is "a passive act, and will never create educational change" since it does not necessarily focus "on the teaching and learning processes in libraries." Meanwhile, only 25% of respondents identified change with regard to collaboration, a notable percentage but not as high as we might expect or desire.

Several years have passed since that survey, and my hope is that the results would be more favorable today. After all, reflecting on this recent school year, I have personally forged new STEM-related collaborations born from pandemic disruptions that will hopefully translate into continued opportunities. For instance, when our manufacturing classes lost access to their large workshop, the teacher and I collaborated to develop at-home projects such as having students research how to design and build small xylophones and the results were amazing. Similarly, when our district's Health Career Pathways program participants could no longer complete in-person internships, the coordinator came up with the idea of having medical-themed book studies. Teacher librarians across our district have been hosting the book studies, and they have been so successful that the coordinator plans to make these a permanent requirement for pathway completion.

Reflecting further, I realize that I have been curiously following even more fundamental shifts that my own math and science teachers have been undergoing over the past several years. With math teachers, they have been strategically implementing a multi-year transition to an integrated, problem-based instructional approach, and for my science teachers, they continue to embrace Next Generation Science Standards with increasing nuance. As they learn to grapple with many of the new changes, even teachers with years of experience are finding that they need to update and explore new practices. This period of disruption has provided some unique entry points for collaboration as teachers are being forced to experiment with and reinvent learning experiences to be more participatory. For instance, when biology classes were studying the environment, the teachers and I designed a public service announcement project positioning students as advocates for their issue of focus. With an earth science teacher, we explored ways for students to virtually immerse themselves into the study of plate tectonics by using Google Earth.

I feel like I'm still just scratching the surface when it comes to my STEM collaborations, especially when I think about my personal lack of success with math teachers in particular. Fortunately, there are plenty of other practicing school librarians with ideas and examples for inspiration. Below are a few reflections on approaches to STEM-based learning that I have helpful:

• In "Making STEM More Engaging and Inclusive," Chris Anderson and Ben Owens advocate for STEM approaches that focus more on "developing problem-solving skills and creativity." Science teachers at my own school have been actively discussing ways to make their instruction more inclusive, and this is an area for collaboration with them that excites me.
• In "Ambitious Science Teaching," Melissa Braaten describes how the Ambitious Science Teaching framework is one way to ensure greater equity with science learning experiences, and school librarians have a wonderful opportunity to contribute as collaborators with this teaching model.
• In "Climate Change and Active Citizenship," BJ McCracken shares about a particular climate change unit collaboration, but the big takeaway is the idea of finding ways for students to see their potential as not just well-informed, but active citizens, discovering their personal ability to make an impact.

Collection development may be a natural starting point for addressing STEM-related needs, but it doesn't mean there isn't room to be creative and go beyond the simple ordering of books alone.

• In "Forging a Path into Math," Stacy Gilbert provides a number of concrete starting points for finding resources when collaborating with math teachers, including looking at technology tools and social media.
• In "Enter the OER Ninja," Sue Ballard, Amee Godwin, and Cynthia Jimes share how school librarians can powerfully contribute to the curation of STEM curriculum.
• In "Game Changing Strategies during Distance Learning," Stacy Brown shares a number of technology-based resources for building community. Inspired by needs that emerged during distance learning, these strategies would be effective with in-person learning, as well.

Of course, at the same time that we look at resources, it is essential that we always keep students and their learning experiences at the center of our work as exemplified with this final trio of articles:

• In "Bridging Books and STEM with Design Challenges," Jennifer Tazerouti discusses ways to integrate design challenges into makerspaces to ensure that making is genuinely driven by student inquiry.
• In "Reimagining Library Pursuits," Jordan Mroziak and Kristen Rowe share how their CREATE Lab partnership between a university program and school librarian supported successful robotics learning for students.
• In "Becoming a Scientist," Sam Northern shares how the opportunity to be a "Teacher at Sea" enriched the learning of students and inspired them, as well.

While we may not all have the opportunity to go on sea expeditions ourselves—and as someone who gets horrible sea sickness this is definitely not something I plan to do—we all have the potential to stir up our students' curiosity when it comes to STEM. Please share your favorite STEM collaboration ideas by sending me a message!