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During the previous academic year, I conducted more than 100 visits to classrooms within the expansive 3,000 square miles encompassing Benton and Linn counties in Oregon. Surprisingly, not a single one of those visits took me to a special education classroom. It was a realization that struck me as a significant missed opportunity. Consequently, in this new academic year, I have redirected my efforts in STEM education outreach towards special education classes.
SPECIAL EDUCATION STUDENTS ARE UNDERSERVED
Historically, students in special education have often received inadequate attention in the realm of STEM education. This discrepancy can be attributed to a range of factors, including the absence of inclusive approaches, limited resources, insufficient training, and a lack of expertise.
Regrettably, one of the primary culprits behind this disparity is the persistence of misconceptions and biases regarding the capabilities and needs of special education and youth transition program students. These unfounded beliefs lead to lowered expectations regarding their involvement in STEM subjects, resulting in a lack of encouragement and support for these students to pursue these fields. This prevailing perspective places more emphasis on their weaknesses rather than their strengths, ultimately doing these students a disservice.
Through the inclusion of a wider spectrum of STEM activities in the special education curriculum, we reorient our attention towards capabilities rather than limitations.
In contrast to commonly held beliefs, numerous special education students exhibit an inherent aptitude for STEM endeavors. Neurodivergent children and adolescents possess distinct perspectives and often possess unique strengths, such as:
- Exceptional pattern recognition skills
- Robust visual memory capabilities
- A keen attention to detail
- Resilience in problem-solving
- Hands-on learning abilities
In addition to emphasizing these abilities, the hands-on, student-centered approach of STEM cultivates active participation while concurrently nurturing student self-confidence and self-esteem.
BENEFITS OF STEM ACTIVITIES
Engaging special education students in STEM activities offers numerous benefits and is essential for their overall development and success.
Benefits:
- Inclusivity
- Hands-on learning
- Multisensory approach
- Encourages creativity
- Promotes problem-solving skills
- Builds collaboration & communication
- Real-world relevance
- Enhances technological literacy
- Boosts self-esteem
- Expands career opportunities
- Reinforces academic concepts
- Fosters independence
- Provides joyful learning
As a parent of a high school student in special education, I'd like to emphasize the importance of four key advantages that I believe play a significant role in facilitating a successful transition to life after high school.
These four benefits of STEM education primarily revolve around employability and life skills, encompassing:
- Enhanced problem-solving capabilities.
- Improved communication skills.
- Experience in collaborative group work.
- An elevation in self-esteem and confidence, nurturing social and emotional development.
I view each of these benefits as integral components of a pathway leading to a successful life and transition beyond high school. Currently, my STEM outreach efforts primarily target middle and high school special education students, with the goal of instilling these four advantages in the STEM activities I facilitate.
CONCLUSION
Engaging students in STEM activities is crucial for promoting their academic, social, and emotional development. It creates a supportive and inclusive learning environment where all students can thrive, build valuable skills, and prepare for success in various aspects of life.
STEM activities empower special education students to explore their potential, embrace their unique strengths, and become active and engaged learners.
Message from our CEO, Liz Gallo
In my education journey, I started out as a technology teacher, teaching STEM to ALL students in the school. Then my career path took me to a school designed specifically for students with learning disabilities and ADHD, where I continued to teach technology and gained a degree and certification in special education.
After my experience teaching in special education school, I learned a lot of great strategies to help all students learn. And I learned that each student needs something different to be successful. Going forward in my classes some students used guided notes, some students were given pipe cleaners to fidget with during instructions, some students stood in the back of the room, some students sat while soldering, some students got the instructions repeated after the class started working. I developed tremendous amounts of empathy to support all students to learn. I realize, I cannot blame it on the child, I could only hold myself accountable to recognize the whole story of that child and provide what that student needs in the moment.
For a few years of my teaching career, I had a class of 5 middle school students who had autism spectrum disorder and were nonverbal. We did all sorts of amazing things! We built kites, we raised caterpillars into butterflies, we built birdhouses by cutting with the band saw, we built IKEA furniture and donated it to the social worker, we practiced colors, numbers, hand-eye coordination, being safe and following directions and being creative. The students were always so proud of their work! The aides were always so impressed with what the students did. I LOVED the class and always asked if I could have them the whole year!
Unironically, in all my teaching experiences and schools, the students with special needs always seemed attracted towards my class. They wanted to be making and creating before school, at lunch, after school, they were on the robotics team, in the maker club and everywhere in between. It gave them a sense of pride and success that they often did not feel in the rest of their school day.
Over and over and over again students with special needs benefited immensely from my technology and STEM classes. I know we have a huge readership of active STEM teachers, I want you to be aware of which students are NOT getting STEM and advocate for them to get STEM.
These stories above are some of the reasons I started WhyMaker; to make every kid feel pride, success and joy through their whole school day. Thanks for doing what is best for kids! We are here to support you in continuing to provide high quality STEM to ALL kids!
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