Defense Time Announced!

The moment has finally arrived, well, it has been announced, the date of my defense.

Here is my announcement that has gone on the UW's SMTC website.

STEM Integration with Arts: A Renewed Reason for STEAM

MS in Natural Science Education

Wednesday, April 15, 2015, 1:00pm – 3:00pm

Wyoming Hall 445

For many years, the arts and sciences have been taught in separate silos. However, with the current push for the United States' students to be at the top of the world in STEM disciplines, the arts are being marginalized and pushed out of the classroom. In addition to the limited availability of the arts being taught in schools, there has been a debate that the arts and STEM fields are disconnected from each other. This research bridges the gap in the literature that the arts and sciences are similar in many ways and speak of how STEM can become STEAM in the classroom. In a mission to transition classrooms from STEM to STEAM, how does this process occur? It starts with the educators themselves in providing them with knowledge, ideas, and confidence to be able to teach multiple disciplines in the same classroom. A case study of secondary pre-service teachers (n=58) participating in a Science and Art-integration unit, explored how a silk batik art activity could capture scientific and artistic concepts in the same unit over 5 university class sessions for a three-year time period. The research under study aims to answer the follow research questions: 1.) how have the secondary pre-service teachers’ perspectives about this Science and Art-integration unit changed over a three-year period; and 2.) how has the silk batik activity influenced pre-service teachers’ perspectives of science and art in their future classroom? This study used a mixed methods research approach gathering changes in confidence in knowledge, skills, experiences, and perceptions of science and art. Findings are presented in quantitative and qualitative data that support increased awareness and confidence in pre-service teachers’ perceptions of how science and art can be incorporated into the same classroom, recognition of similarities between the two disciplines, and common themes that are significant in teaching science and art disciplines together. Conclusions include that the Science and Art-integration unit not only serves to promote appreciation and learning for each discipline, but also helps to develop skills and creative perspectives needed beyond the classroom in STEM and other careers.

I have never been so nervous in my life.

Sure I can dance in front of thousands of people and not have any back of my mind worry, but to speak in front of my committee and any other individual that magically shows up....

I ... AM ... TERRIFIED.

TheChristyBel