How is STEM changing how teachers teach—and students learn?
That was the focus of a recent conference on Chaminade’s campus organized by the Hawaii Science Teaching Association (HaSTA) and Hawaii Council of Teachers of Mathematics (HCTM).
Nearly 70 participants gathered for the event, entitled, “Power of STEM: Operations and Observations,” which encouraged teachers to explore the intersection of science and mathematics in their classrooms. The day included collaborative sessions and a keynote address from natural resources educator Jackie Frietas, who was named Hawaii’s Teacher of the Year for 2024.
Katrina Roseler, Ph.D., a professor of Education and director of Teacher Preparation Programs at Chaminade, said attendees walked away with new ideas and pedagogical approaches for fostering STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) literacy in today’s classrooms.
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One of the biggest takeaways for many educators was the importance of hands-on learning.
“Participants valued creating more interactive, hands-on, and exploratory experiences for students that connect learning to real-life contexts,” she said, noting those experiences could include labs, games, classroom stations and field-based activities.
“Another strong theme was the importance of integrating math, science, and other disciplines, using inquiry-based approaches to deepen connections and engagement. Teachers highlighted strategies that promote active engagement, collaboration, and thinking classrooms, such as … purposeful games.”
The conference comes amid a broad push to not only integrate more STEM learning into classrooms, but look for ways to help students develop tools for critical thinking and problem solving for a fast-changing world and workforce. Roseler said one key theme in the conference was encouraging teachers to leverage existing resources and partnerships to enrich classroom instruction in actionable ways.
“The conference provided an energizing and practical learning experience, equipping educators with strategies they can immediately implement in their classrooms,” Roseler said.
“The sessions reinforced the power of leveraging diverse resources and partnerships—from digital platforms to community organizations—to enrich teaching and learning. Finally, participants were inspired by the energy and modeling of the presenters, leaving with renewed enthusiasm and actionable ideas to bring back to their classrooms right away.”