Every day we use a phenomenon known as social media to either stay connected with our friends or to share posts with the crowd. We might underestimate its significance as it could be a powerful educational resource to teach users about essential subjects like Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). Out of all our curriculum, STEM is a vital part of our education as it develops core skills in our minds from a young age. Social media has supported STEM education by providing resources for thousands of interested people in many different ways.
Generating Interest
Many apps like Instagram, Tumblr, YouTube, and Pinterest are resourceful platforms where we can have easy access to STEM material. Hashtags like #SciChat, #STEM, #DesignThinking make it convenient to find posts, reels, and other people involved in STEM. Resources found are so fascinating and are intriguing more young learners to connect. Not only is social media being introduced in classrooms for STEM education, but universities are also benefiting from them. Interestingly, relatable and funny content is encouraging learners to do the same, whether it is posting their own information or following step-by-step tutorials on new innovations.
Engagement
Social media has advanced significantly so that students can easily engage to obtain information on their STEM fields. Amazing platforms like Reddit or NASA Google+ Hangout Sessions allow us to talk to professionals and ask questions. Young students with curiosity can easily ask working professionals for help on projects, career guidance, or inspiration. This promotes more engaging ways to learn and makes it fun while learning remotely. In classrooms teachers also use many apps to keep students learning STEM, through games or other exciting activities. Some teachers use Twitter to collect questions from students for mathematics so that they can create video lessons to fully help everyone understand concepts. It is exceptional how social media can make STEM learning highly captivating.
Future for STEM
Many students seek jobs in the STEM fields. Our future depends on educated engineers, scientists, doctors, mathematicians, and all professions under STEM to find solutions to daily problems. STEM was introduced a long time ago where many inspirational scientists like Albert Einstein or Grace Hopper revolutionized major concepts. To date, we have many references to those discoveries and hope to discover more. Social Media is providing helpful links to further develop the industry. Public platforms like Facebook or Instagram could provide students with tutors to serve their needs. One computer science researcher even developed a software that allowed Twitter users who are students to directly connect to professionals on LinkedIn. With students having a role model or inspiration to follow, they will surely secure their goal of a STEM career.
Personally, as a growing student, I want to develop into a STEM career, and Social Media has provided useful sources. I believe our future lies in a STEM-oriented environment where new innovations and scientific solutions will be uncovered. Therefore, it is crucial that we integrate STEM education into our curriculum to have more students interested and help them develop stronger practical skills.
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