article

Student example of completed map.

Integrative Virtual STEM:

Ensuring Access in Distance Learning
by Tandrea Fulton, Daniel Edelen, Lybrya Kebreab, Molly Greer, Jennifer Caton,
Jacob Brewer, Sarah B. Bush, and Margaret J. Mohr-Schroeder

A
s teachers, we aim to provide grated Science, Technology, Engineering, vant. Quality integrated STEM education is
students with experiences that and Mathematics (STEM) tasks. Integrated vital for the future of our students and their
will ground content standards STEM tasks enable students to expand worlds (Becker & Park, 2011). It is impera-
through contexts that are mean- critical-thinking skills that are required for tive that students still receive opportunities
ingful and interesting to our students. One careers in our evolving economy while to engage with integrated STEM tasks even
way to accomplish this is through inte- making learning more engaging and rele- in distance-learning environments, and not

22 the elementary STEM journal December 2020

doing so in remote learning settings can scaling, and multiplicative thinking, we Students joined a large video conference
further broaden inequities. chose to focus on the Standards for Math- meeting, and we were able to engage them
ematical Practice (SMPs; NGA & CCSSO, simultaneously in a synchronous manner.
Distance learning has become more preva- 2010). Our task created opportunities for We used Google Slides to organize the
lent during the current pandemic. Recently, students to use several SMPs, but we fo- task so that students could work through
with the abrupt shift to online learning, cused mostly on the following two: 1. Make it sequentially, beginning with a self-made
teachers have been forced to develop ways sense of problems and persevere in solving introductory video that introduced students
to engage students in online to the problem under inves-
learning platforms. Notably, tigation. We have provided
these virtual environments My name is Simone. I am a third-grade student at your elementary school. an example of the letter
have their own challeng- Mrs. Rizzo is my teacher. Since Covid-19 closed down the school, it has not (Figure 1) that we used
been easy to stay on top of completing my assignments because I spend
es, such as engagement, with students to develop
so long walking to get food for my sister and me. We appreciate that you
understandable distractions are sending a bus to our apartment complex, but it only stops at Complex empathy and buy-in for the
in home environments, and B, and we live at Complex A. We cannot make it over there in time to get task. We also had a fellow
our assignments done and meet the food drop-off. We actually have not
student motivation. Yet, teacher act as the principal
been able to get any food from the bus drop-offs because it is a very long
the quality of teaching and walk. My parents have to work because they are essential. Luckily my and prerecord a video read-
the tasks provided must sister is in high school, so she can watch me. Do you think you could have ing the letter to diminish
a drop-off closer to us so that we can meet it in time to get food? It would
be maintained the best we really help us get our assignments complete!
reading-level concerns.
can. Students still need
opportunities to engage in Sincerely, The overall task required
content-rich STEM tasks Simone - 3rd-grade student students to plan where to
that employ critical thinking park the elementary school
and innovative ideas. The Figure 1. Letter to the Principal. buses. We provided them
purpose of this article is to with a digital mock-up of
provide strategies and tips the school neighborhood
to implement meaningful STEM tasks in a them and 4. Model with mathematics. We area. This can be seen in Figure 2.
distance-learning environment. paired these with the Next Generation
Science Standards (NGSS) Crosscutting We used a second prerecorded video to
food distribution during explain that the provided digital mock-up
was not to scale; thus, they needed to
the covid-19 pandemic recreate it based on the provided scale.
This provided students the opportunity
As an example, we will share our own
to use a ruler and practice measurement
experiences implementing a virtual
and using a scale.
STEM inquiry. The task was designed to

span Grades 2-4. Our students were a
After students recreated their maps,
part of a STEM summer camp focused
they worked to understand Simone’s
on broadening access to STEM in sever-
situation. They used the context clues
al areas in the United States.
from the letter to model and determine
why Simone was not able to get her food
The task centered around planning
from the drop-off site. This again gave
for food distribution from one fictitious
Figure 2. Elementary school neighborhood. students an opportunity to use scaling as
school to the school’s community.
multiplication. Here, it was an opportu-
Importantly, this STEM task was imple-
Concept of Scale, Proportion, and Quantity nity for students to justify their reasoning
mented during the pandemic, so our stu-
and the Science and Engineering Prac- using their mathematical thinking. We then
dents had recently encountered how their
tice of Developing and Using Models and invited students to select better areas to
own schools were providing food during
Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating park the school’s twelve buses. We provid-
distance learning. While our mathematical
Information (NGSS Lead States, 2013). ed students with Figure 3 to help in parking
content explicitly focused on measurement,

December 2020 the elementary STEM journal 23

article
was made • Know the platform. There are mul-
especially tiple platforms that you can use to
meaningful implement your STEM task. Choose a
Things to Remember When Parking the Buses
by focusing platform that works well with you, your
• We do not want anyone to walk more than one (1) mile to get their on using task, and your students. Take the time
food. You will need to measure all of your bus placements to be sure mathemati- to familiarize yourself with the features
that you are helping families in all neighborhoods and apartments.
• How can you represent the buses? Think about using items such as: cal thinking and the limitations before you imple-
M&Ms, small coins, cut-up pieces of paper. to address ment the task.
• In what ways can you organize the distances for each neighborhood the needs • Conduct a trial run. Before implement-
and apartment to help you make decisions for where the buses need
to go? of families ing our STEM task, we conducted a
• Some of the neighborhoods are larger than others. Should this im- affected by complete trial run. Some of our team
pact your choices for your bus parking? the current acted as instructors, while the oth-
global er members acted as students. We
pandemic. completed the task and tested all the
The task features just as we would on the day of
Figure 3. Things to remember when parking the buses.
we created the live task. There were many things
was intend- that we were able to catch and correct
their buses. Students concluded the task ed to develop content, key skills, and empa- because we conducted a trial run.
by justifying their parking locations to the thy, which must be built from experiences • Think critically about access by ask-
entire group. (Edelen, Bush, Simpson, Cook, & Abassian, ing “What if…?” Dismantle barriers to
2020). We took into account the experienc- access the STEM project. When con-
meaningful tasks within es of our current students and included this ducting our STEM task, we found that
lens in our integrated STEM task. many students did not have access to
virtual STEM Google Drive, and we prepared for this

There are several frameworks available tips to implement a STEM by having backup files. Try to consider
all of the barriers that may prevent stu-
for use in planning and implementing a task in a distant learning dent access, and develop a solution.
meaningful integrated STEM task in a
virtual environment. For instance, we used
platform • Reflect. After implementing the task,
take a moment to reflect on the
NGSS—which was developed to support Through our experience with implementing
successes as well as areas that can
teachers in providing a high-quality science STEM tasks in a distant format, we have
be improved. Make note of what can
education that can be applied throughout developed a list of tips that may help you in
be done to make the task better and
students’ educational and professional your setting:
prepare to improve the next time you
careers—to set goals for students to learn • Plan as a team. It was helpful for us to
implement the task.
both content and key skills (i.e. communica- work in collaboration and brainstorm
As you prepare to execute your STEM task,
tion, collaboration, inquiry, problem solving, together. Our overall task is a represen-
take the time to ensure that you are pre-
and flexibility; NGSS, 2013). Further, NGSS tation of all of our ideas. While plan-
pared to give your students the best version
calls for educators to support students’ ning, consider what other stakeholders
of the STEM task possible.
learning of content in meaningful and en- you might include such as: teachers,
gaging ways through complex tasks that in- instructional coaches, and families. For
tegrate mathematics under the umbrella of our team, we had elementary, middle, concluding thoughts
STEM education (Tan, Nicholas, Scribner, & and exceptional education teachers.
In teaching, we know that things will not
Francis, 2019). Although we created a new • Be prepared for things to not go as
always go according to plan. We must do
task for this project, classroom teachers can planned. With technology as well as
our best to be prepared and provide access
use mathematics integration to enhance, as with students, unexpected things often
to each and every student. When planning
opposed to augment, existing curriculum to happen. Create backup files and have
a task, keep all of your students in mind,
authentically expose students to the inter- a plan in place so you can smoothly
and make sure the STEM task you select
dependence of the STEM subjects (Bryan, transition if necessary.
creates a meaningful learning opportunity
Moore, Johnson, & Roehrig, 2015). Our task

24 the elementary STEM journal December 2020

for each of your students. If the task does NGSS Lead States. (2013). Next generation Jennifer Caton is a
not go as planned, keep trying and think science standards: For states, by states. graduate researcher
about ways that you can make it better. Do Washington, DC: The National Acade- at the University of
not throw out effective pedagogy because mies Press. Central Florida. She can
of one failed lesson attempt. There are Tan, V., Nicholas, C., Scribner, J. A., & be reached at Jennifer.
many reasons why a STEM task might not Francis, D. C. (2019). Enhancing STEM Caton@[Link].
go as planned in a virtual setting. The key is learning through an interdisciplinary,
to keep trying and learn from past attempts. industry-generated project. Technology
  and Engineering Teacher, 79(1), 26-31. Jacob Brewer is a

references   graduate researcher at

the University of Central
Becker, K., & Park, K. (2011). Effects of in- Tandrea Fulton is a Florida. He can be
tegrative approaches among science, graduate researcher at reached at [Link]@
technology, engineering, and mathe- the University of Central [Link].
matics (STEM) subjects on students’ Florida. She can be
learning: A preliminary meta-analysis. reached at tandreasin-
Journal of STEM Education: Innovations gleton@[Link]. Sarah B. Bush is
& Research, 12(5/6), 23-37. Associate Professor of
Bryan, L. A., Moore, T. J., Johnson, C. C., & STEM Education at the
Roehrig, G. H. (2015). Integrated STEM Daniel Edelen is a University of Central
education. In C. C. Johnson, E. E. Pe- graduate researcher Florida. She can be
ters-Burton, & T. J. Moore (Eds.), STEM at the University of reached [Link]@
road map: A framework for integrated Central Florida. He can [Link].
STEM education (23-38). Chicago: be reached at Daniel.
Routledge. Edelen@[Link]. Margaret J.
Edelen, D., Bush, S. B., Simpson, H., Cook, Mohr-Schroeder is
K. L., Abassian, A. (2020). Moving Professor of STEM Edu-
towards shared realities through em- Lybrya Kebreab is a cation at the University
pathy in mathematical modeling: An graduate researcher of Kentucky. She can be
ecological systems theory approach. at the University of reached at mmohr2@
School Science and Mathematics, Central Florida. She can [Link].
120(3), 144-152. [Link] be reached at Lybrya.
ssm.12395 Kebreab@[Link].
National Governors Association Center This is a refereed article.
for Best Practices, Council of Chief
State School Officers (2010). Common Molly Greer is a
core state standards for mathematics. graduate researcher
Washington, DC: National Governors at the University of
Association Center for Best Practices, Central Florida. She can
Council of Chief State School Officers. be reached at Molly.
Greer@[Link].

December 2020 the elementary STEM journal 25

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