HAST Education Benefits

What are the Benefits of HAST Education?

The benefits of HAST Education are many. It would be challenging to attempt and list them all, and if we were to assume that we had listed all of them, upon sharing them with others, we would soon realize that there were other benefits that we were unable to see for ourselves.  HAST Education can provide many benefits on a variety of levels: The student as an individual, the classroom as a whole, and the school as part of the community, just to illustrate three of the many levels which could benefit from a HAST Education.

Of the many benefits which HAST Education has to offer, an understanding of human interaction, an appreciation of the beauty in art, the application of scientific knowledge, the development of modern technology, and a cross reference multiple subject knowledge, are some which we might want to take into consideration. By working with students to develop the five benefits mentioned above, we would also be working with them in developing the skills needed to have a better chance of success academically, professionally, and socially.

Author: Manuel R. CortezRodas - Educator

Copyright 2014.  MRCR Educational Consulting Firm.  All Rights Reserved.

STEAM Education Lessons

Creating a lesson is a skill that educators should make part of their best practices.  Lessons provide an opportunity to present themes, ideas, and concepts to those who are attempting to learn them.  Below are five steps which should be included as part of planning lessons.  They represent the various stages that educators should take into consideration when creating STEAM Education Lessons.  Taking these five steps can help educators create successful Lessons that engage the learner.  Make them a part of the best practices used for planning a great STEAM Education Lesson.

1) Plan, Research, Implement

Create a plan for your lesson and do research on it.  This will help you make sure that you are presenting the best known data available.  Design a road map that can guide you through toward the implementation of your lesson.

2) Strand Flexibility

STEAM gives you the flexibility to use many strands.  You can choose to focus on a particular strand that is most directly related to your lesson, but remember that you can borrow from the other strands, and be creative.

3) Student Diversity

In the classroom, student diversity is going to be a fact.  There will be students who have been introduced to advanced concepts, and there will be other who may be lacking in basic skills.  Take into consideration your classrooms student diversity.

4) Resources, Off-Site Connections, Real Life Application

Present students with a variety of resources accessible to them.  Field trips and off-site connections are a great way to show students how the lesson can be applied to real life situations and encourages them to explore their communities.

5) Evaluation and Review

Do your own analysis of the lesson. After you have implemented it, take the time to do an thorough evaluation, and review all aspects of it: What worked, what didn't, and what needs to be improved upon for the next time.

Author: Manuel R. CortezRodas - Educator

Copyright 2014.  MRCR Educational Consulting Firm.  All Rights Reserved.

STEAM Education Curriculum

The creation of a STEAM Education Curriculum is the most challenging step in the process of STEAM education.  The challenge lies in two of the principal aspects of creation.  First, the endless number of possibilities we can come up with using our vision, imagination, and knowledge.  Second, the reaching of an agreement, by all involved, on which curriculum is the best, and most suitable, to implement.  Three areas to keep in mind when creating a STEAM Education Curriculum are subject, grade, and age.

Each strand of STEAM can be broken down into many pieces which we can use to design a framework that will support the curriculum being created.  Care must be taken to ensure that, as the framework is design and the curriculum created, the appropriate subject matter to be presented to students is appropriate to the grade level in attendance and their age.  From the most basic concepts, like counting and the ABC's, to the most complex ideas, like calculating the amount of water needed to support a civilization, a series of logical sequential steps need to be develop in order to create a curriculum that allows the student to proceed on an educational path that takes them from the basic, to the complex, and back again.

As stated, it is not only about creating a curriculum that is filled with knowledge, is imaginative, and presents a clear vision, but it must also be agreed upon to be the best and most suitable to implement.  The creation of a STEAM Education Curriculum is an endeavor that should be carefully planned, prepared, and researched, for it is expected to have an immediate and long-lasting effect in the education of our students.  When creative individuals come together to collaborate toward an innovative goal, the two principal aspects of creation can truly be achieved.

Author: Manuel R. CortezRodas - Educator

Copyright 2014.  MRCR Educational Consulting Firm.  All Rights Reserved.

STEAM Education Benefits

STEAM Education is beneficial.  It is good for those who are educated under its principles, guidance, and framework.  Some of those who are benefited from STEAM Education include: students, teachers, parents, the community, and education.  Here is a closer look at how each of these groups benefit from an education based on STEAM.

• STEAM Education benefits students by offering them a diversity of knowledge and skills which they can cross-reference for multipurpose applications.

• STEAM Education benefits teachers by allowing them to reach across the curriculum and team-teach lessons with availability to various resources and support.

• STEAM Education benefits parents by giving them a chance to show how they apply the subject areas and have the opportunity to help the student be better prepared for life.

• STEAM Education benefits the community by developing the skills of leadership and teamwork where creative thinkers have a flexible approach to problem solving.

• STEAM Education benefits education by furthering current knowledge through the development of new skills that are essential for future growth.

There are many benefits to a STEAM Education as illustrated in the examples above.  It is worth taking the time to research how we can best integrate STEAM Education into our classrooms, schools, districts, homes, communities, and life. 

Author: Manuel R. CortezRodas - Educator

Copyright 2014.  MRCR Educational Consulting Firm.  All Rights Reserved.

STEAM Education Definition

To define STEAM Education you must do research to become informed.  With research done by you, and published by others, one can begin to define STEAM Education.  Each one of us can define STEAM Education as we understand it, and as we see it best, to be applied to our current educational needs.  While the foundation of STEAM Education must be defined by its five strands (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics), the definition for that which is constructed upon this foundation is entirely up to each one of us: how we view STEAM Education, what is our vision, what can we achieve, how do we reach it.

To help with the defining of STEAM Education we take a look at three styles: Linear, Cyclical, and Linear-Cyclical.  Linear STEAM Education can be defined as a set sequential curriculum which requires the learner to successfully complete a defined subject prior to proceeding to the next one.  This style requires that the faculty be specialized in a specific set of sequences withing the curriculum.  Cyclical STEAM Education can be defined as a complete set of ongoing standards which the learner is achieving constantly as they grow with the help of the faculty as a whole.  Linear-Cyclical STEAM Education can be defined as a paced curriculum with a set of standards to be acquired with the help of the faculty over a defined period of time.

These three STEAM Education styles can be of help to us in our research to understand the definition of STEAM Education.  They can help us visualize the framework of a path that leads today's learner toward tomorrow's education.  We can begin to see the many different pieces of STEAM Education which are available to us, and how to customize them so they help us create a concrete realization of our vision.  As STEAM Educators part of our job is to define and publish it for others to research, while also been engaged with them through open argumentation.

Author: Manuel R. CortezRodas - Educator

Copyright 2014.  MRCR Educational Consulting Firm.  All Rights Reserved.

STEAM Education Introduction

STEAM Education is founded in a learning process that incorporates science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics.  Students who learn by using the STEAM Education process have the benefit of developing skills which allows them to draw from all strands.  By drawing from all strands students develop a multiple subject approach which they can apply to academic and real life challenges.  Educators benefit from STEAM Education by having the opportunity to teach by creating lesson plans that reach out beyond the limitations of a single subject.  Faculty members can work together and develop a collaborative curriculum that breaks the walls of independently structured subject based frameworks.

STEAM Education should be carefully planned and researched by a STEAM team.  The STEAM team should also seek the support of administrators, parents, students, and community leaders to develop the best possible plan for the school.  By having an open dialog with these various sources of knowledge and experience, the STEAM team cam make the best possible recommendation for the school to implement and the students to succeed.  With continued support, the STEAM team should be able to continue the development and growth of the program.

The importance of STEAM Education to our community is in the preparation of students with today's knowledge and skills for tomorrow's education and careers.  STEAM Education will allow today's students to face tomorrow's challenges not just by thinking outside the box, but by reaching to other boxes for ideas.  They will have the opportunity to be flexible in their problem solving approach by drawing from establish core areas of study which have been proven to be fundamental since past time to a diverse number of professionals, and have allow for the development of some of the world's great cultures.

Author: Manuel R. CortezRodas - Educator

Copyright 2014.  MRCR Educational Consulting Firm.  All Rights Reserved.

STEAM Education

We should begin by understanding that STEAM education incorporates five strands: Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics.  Each strand has unique knowledge and skills which are part of, and can be applied to, the other strands.

It is an academic collaborative effort requiring the development of a curriculum in which students gain knowledge and develop skills based on the strands that STEAM incorporates.  Students can then apply STEAM knowledge and skills to further their education and future professions.

By learning from the strands in STEAM students can acquire the opportunity to develop a strong, secure, and solid foundation.  With such a foundation, upon which they can stand up on, students can begin their educational path and be able to complete this journey successfully.

STEAM education provides students with set knowledge and skills which helps them face future challenges.  It is an important part of the educational process and the future of our nation. 

Author: Manuel R. CortezRodas - Educator

Copyright 2014.  MRCR Educational Consulting Firm.  All Rights Reserved.

February 2014

STEAM Education is the theme that MRCR Education will address this month of February.  It is our belief that STEAM Education is an important part of the overall process of a student's educational path. 

STEAM (which incorporates the strands of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) education can become a valuable component of a classroom, school, or district, and serve as a foundation upon which students can design, build, and maintain a life long educational path.

Throughout the month of February MRCR Education is going to be publishing various posts that will cover different aspects of STEAM Education including an introduction, definition, benefits, curriculum, and lessons.  

We are also honored to have been selected as a presenter for the 4th Annual San Francisco Bay Area STEAM Colloquium hosted by the Contra Costa County Office of Education.  This event was attended last year and became a valuable source of information on STEAM Education.

Author: Manuel R. CortezRodas - Educator

Copyright 2014.  MRCR Educational Consulting Firm.  All Rights Reserved.

Language and Communication: Reading

"Language and Communication"

"Reading"

Author: Manuel R. CortezRodas

Defining Reading
Reading is the complement to writing.  If we define writing as a tactile visual form of communication, then reading is a visual tactile form of communication.  Writing gives us the skill to express our thoughts and ideas in a concrete way for others.  Reading gives us the skill to receive the thoughts and ideas that others present in a concrete way.  Reading allows us to input information into ourselves so that we may process and analyze it, then determine its value by studying it.

When to be Reading 
Since reading is an input, it can be done from the moment we begin to sense that which is around us.  Infants feel, hear, see, taste, and smell all that is available to them as they begin accumulating information.  We can become so skilled at reading that we could do it at a very fast pace, completing complete writing collections of a rich cultural diversity.  We can get to the point at which we begin to compare what we have read, with what is available for reading, and try to balance or surpass this point.

How much Reading is Good
 If we were to immerse ourselves in reading throughout our lives, we could possibly accumulate all knowledge available to us, but we would have no time to write, and share, and bring our light of clarity and understanding,  to that which we have read, accumulated, and understood.  Since reading and writing are complementary, both skills together should measure our ability to clearly and accurately communicate to others our thoughts and ideas through these two skills.

Why should we be Reading?
Reading provides for us the skills of searching, collecting, gathering, and analyzing information for our need to seek out knowledge and understanding.  We should be reading to better ourselves.  We should be reading to have a diverse amount of knowledge, that we have classified and categorized, on which we can make clear decisions and good choices.  Developing our reading skills gives us a way to connect to information, and the information that we connect to will lead us to a rational decision making path from which our lives will benefit.

Copyright 2012 MRCR Educational Consulting Firm. All Rights Reserved

Language & Communication: Writing

"Language and Communication"

"Writing"

Author: Manuel R. CortezRodas

Defining Writing

Writing is a tactile visual form of communication.  When we write we create a visual communication that can be sensed by touch.  Writing requires that we imprint onto, a tactile material, representations for thoughts and ideas.  Writing is developed through our ability to make marks and leave imprints by using the tools and materials available to us from our current technology. 

When to be Writing

With growth and training we begin to recognize lines, curves, and shapes that we try to replicate by carving, drawing, and inscribing. We use our fingers and hands before moving onto pencils and markers.  We mold clay, chisel rock, and carve wood.  We add our own creative style when replicating letters by creating fonts, adding color, underlining, and making bold traces.  We should encourage each other to develop writing skills from the earliest possible time in our life.

How much writing is good

Although we have established measuring units for writing like words, sentences, paragraphs, pages and essays, we should also keep in mind that we must look at what is being communicated to us through the writing.  Words should be spelled correctly, sentences should be complete, paragraphs should be thorough, essays should be structured properly so that the thoughts and ideas that we are going to convene through writing are clear.

Why should we be writing?

Writing provides for us a concrete record of thoughts, ideas, and expressions.  If the writing is done by many people, with a purpose, after careful consideration of worries and concerns, then writing can become a long lasting example of not only literal meaning, but of a reflection of the human characteristics of thinking, cooperation, development, and growth.  Writing allows us to reach others and share opinions, and if it lasts through time, writing allows us to reach future generations, as well as allowing them to look back at past ones.

Copyright 2012. MRCR Educational Consulting Firm. All Rights Reserved.

Language & Communication: Speaking

"Language and Communication"

Speaking

Author: Manuel R. CortezRodas

Defining Speaking

Speaking is an audible expression of communication in a language.  When we speak we attempt to create an audible sound to communicate in a language.  Speaking requires the physiological ability of the individual to speak and a pre-established common language.  Speech is developed with our skills of accurate sound reproduction and recognition. As we interact with others, we begin to recognize auditory clues that we then try to replicate to develop a speaking pattern.

When to be Speaking

From the time we are born, if we are able to, we produce audible sounds.  The first cry of a newborn, the speech from one of our elders, the laughter of children playing, are all examples of speaking without the need of a language.  Language is needed so that our speaking becomes refined.  That we develop the refined skills of reproducing sounds with accuracy and clarity.  A control over pitch, stress, and intonation, of letters, syllables, and words.  By the current nature of our culture mom, or any of its variations, in any language may be the first attempt we perform when it comes to speaking.  As newborns age they should begin to demonstrate that they can master a more accurate reproduction of the sounds that we are exposed to.  By the time that they reach the age to take part in formal education, a child should have developed the necessary speaking skills as required by the grade level they will be at.

How much Speaking is good

To determine if speaking is good, we need to define what is good speaking, and what is bad speaking.  A measuring scale must be established to determine the skills demonstrated when a student is speaking.  This skill level must then be measured, collected, and assessed for each student.  The individual demonstrations of skill level should then allow us to measure the performance of students, as well as groups of students.  It will also allow for the measure of development in language that will in turn introduce new sounds and words allowing the language to grow.

Why should we be Speaking?

Speaking is good, because it allows us to communicate in a language that is audible for others to hear, listen, and receive.  Others could then process and analyze that which we have spoken for accuracy and clarity in order to determine the meaning of our speech.  Without technological innovations,  speech can only be heard by those within range of our voice.  If speech is not recorded, language accuracy cannot develop, and communication becomes inaccurate.  Our ability to communicate accurately can help us collaborate and share ideas with clarity.  We should be speaking, because it gives us an opportunity express our thoughts and ideas, so that those who are around us may benefit from them.

Copyright 2012 MRCR Educational Consulting Firm.  All Rights Reserved.