Why incoming SHS students must choose STEM strand?

              Are you now a Junior High School completer? If yes, then you must be having a hard time choosing which strand you want to be admitted to. If you'll gonna ask me, then it is preferable to choose the STEM strand, my Senior High School Strand. Why?

     

"Education at all levels in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics develops, preserves, and disseminates knowledge and skills that convey personal, economic, and social benefits. Higher education provides the advanced work skills needed in an increasingly knowledge- intensive innovation- focused economy and society." - National Science Foundation

STEM STRAND

          I am currently a 12th grade STEM student. Incoming SHS students should choose STEM strand as it pervades every part of our lives. Science is everywhere in the world around us. Technology is continuously expanding into every aspect of our lives. Engineering is the basic design of roads and bridges but also tackles the challenges of changing global weather and environmentally- friendly changes to our homes. Mathematics is in every occupation, every activity we do in our lives. STEM strand equips students with the universal skills, competencies, and knowledge necessary for successful careers in the future. For tenth- grade graduates, this means embarking on a new academic journey. It is a stepping stone for their future professions.  

        

        STEM strand is an approach to learning and development that integrates the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. If you have a knack for making the world a better place through building prototypes, robots, analyzing numbers, and thinking of ways on how to make everyday life easier, then it is the best strand for you. But being in the STEM strand is not about being an expert in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics instead, it's about harnessing the skills and knowledge of students. It will nurture students' curiosity, problem-solving abilities, and communication skills. 

The STEM strand consists of subjects that make it easy to adapt to university life in terms of subject diversity and, to some extent, difficulty. 

( The subjects taken by semester/grade is up to the school where you studies, but you will encounter all the following subjects )

Grade 11 Curriculum

GRADE 11 - FIRST TERM
Core Subjects:
Oral Communication
General Mathematics
21st Century Literature from the Philippines and the World
Media and Information Literacy
Introduction to the Philosophy of the Human Person
Physical Education and Health 1
Specialized Subjects:
Pre-Calculus
General Biology 1
GRADE 11 - SECOND TERM
Core Subjects:
Reading and Writing
Statistics and Probability
Understanding Culture, Society and Politics
Earth Science
Komunikasyon at Pananaliksik sa Wika at Kulturang Pilipino
Physical Education and Health 2
Applied Subjects:
Practical Research 1
Specialized Subjects:
Basic Calculus
General Biology 2

Grade 12 Curriculum

GRADE 12 - FIRST TERM
Core Subjects:
Personal Development
Pagbasa at Pagsusuri ng Iba't Ibang Teksto Tungo sa Pananaliksik
Disaster Readiness and Risk Reduction
Physical Education and Health 3
Applied Subjects:
Practical Research 2
Filipino sa Piling Larangan
English for Academic and Professional Purposes
Specialized Subjects:
General Physics 1
General Chemistry 1
GRADE 12 - SECOND TERM
Core Subjects:
Contemporary Philippine Arts from the Regions
Physical Education and Health 4
Applied Subjects:
Empowerment Technologies
Entrepreneurship
Inquiries, Investigations, and Immersion
Specialized Subjects:
General Physics 2
General Chemistry 2
Work Immersion/Research/Career Advocacy/Culminating Activity (Capstone Project)

                The STEM strand gives senior high school students exposure to the intertwining disciplines (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) to see how they work in real life. The STEM strand:

• Builds Resiliency - it comprises many activities and applied tasks to enhance and shape students, this results in a lot of failures but these downs shaped students to be more confident and learn to embrace their mistakes as a part of the learning process.

• Applied Experimentation and Knowledge - it allows students to be innovative and explore whole new ideas to create a better solution. This enables students to enhance their skills and work in a real-world process.

• Teaches Real-Life Problem Solving Skills - it allows students to apply new knowledge in real-world situations.

• Develop Teamwork - it allows students to collaborate with others to upgrade and enhance their learning skills and ability to find solutions, record data, and give presentations and write-up reports.

            

                  The goal of STEM is to help you function and thrive in our highly technological world and help the country remain competitive in the global economy. STEM education develops the understanding and capabilities of students to gain deepened conceptual understanding and develop valuable skills that can be applied in a different context.   STEM skills are advantageous to almost every career since the demand for STEM professionals is so high, employers in STEM fields are willing to offer some of the most generous starting salaries that recent graduates can get.      

      Going through a STEM program is pretty intense. It requires a lot of dedication, perseverance, and sacrifices to make it all the way through. However, engaging in your high school STEM classes can make you prepared for anything and explore the possibilities and take every chances to learn new skills in analyzing data, understanding real-world impacts, conducting research, finding innovative solutions to real-world challenges, and playing a role in some of the country’s major discoveries and developments.  

          So a little reminder, "STEM is difficult, but intelligence was not standardized by a number on a piece of paper. You go to school to learn, not to memorize, no matter how much it seems like everything is just memorization. Learn the concepts. Don’t just memorize the terms. Take charge and strive to learn and grow. STEM is ever- growing and ever-changing, and you should be too.”

       

References:

Engineering for Kids 2016. Retrieved from https://www.engineeringforkids.com/about/news/2016/february/why-is-stem-education-so-important-/. Retrieved on November 16, 2021

STI Education Programs 2019. Retrieved from https://www.sti.edu/programs-shs-details.asp?procode=2. Retrieved on November 16, 2021

Malayan Colleges Mindanao Education Programs 2021. Retrieved from https://mcm.edu.ph/programs/senior-high-school-shs/science-technology-engineering-and-mathematics-stem/. Retrieved on November 16,2021.

AMA University Online Education 2021. Retrieved from https://www.onlineshs.com/stem/. Retrieved on November 16, 2021

Images:

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