8453
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2012-06-19T10:15:50
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<mdoxml version="1.0"><p><strong>NRICH has designed tasks which show how maths is used in other subjects and which provide authentic contexts in which students can use their maths.</strong><br></br>
</p>
However there are many legitimate concerns which you may have about increasing STEM in your classroom.
<p><br></br>
<strong>You may be worried about:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>being expected to teach outside your standard subject knowledge</li>
<li>not being an 'established expert' - feeling deskilled</li>
<li>pupil inertia and disjointed '50 minute' thinking.</li>
<li>both teachers and students feel they have to 'know' the answers or know exactly what to do before feeling safe and comfortable</li>
<li>that cross-curricular coordination is needed to provide links across departmental SoWs, eg Y9 are taught the parallax error months before maths has covered any trigonometry</li>
<li>possible differences between exam boards' specifications at KS4 as to content relevance</li>
<li>needing maths in SET (eg time, reading scales) which was supposed to be covered at primary school</li>
<li>assumptions that certain concepts and content are being covered 'elsewhere'</li>
<li>changes in exam syllabuses</li>
<li>differences in 'abilities' or interests of students in different STEM subjects - DT often taught in mixed ability groups, where maths and science are set, maths and science sets may not be the same</li>
<li>different teaching groups for maths, science and technology lessons.</li>
<li>timetabling and matching topics across subject areas</li>
<li>ease of communication between staff, especially if there are separate departmental staffrooms</li>
<li>some key teachers being resistant to change or sceptical about the value and importance of the 'other' subject(s).</li>
<li>timetabling making planning meeting difficult.</li>
<li>needing specialised equipment or technology for STEM lessons</li>
<li>funding - for resources, for time to meet, ...</li>
<li>finding time to talk to other STEM colleagues</li>
<li>physical location of necessary resources in large school</li>
<li>differences in time allocated to matching topics across subjects.</li>
<li>students complaining that they've done something before in another subject</li>
<li>students claiming 'This isn't maths!' or 'This isn't science!' or 'We don't do maths in DT!'</li>
<li>needing the backing and understanding of SLT.</li>
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Key obstacles hindering cross-curricular teaching
Introducing and developing STEM teaching in the classroom.
Applications
STEM - Teachers
Admin
STEM teachers