How do you guide students in STEM projects and portfolios?

1 Define the purpose and scope

Before launching a STEM project or portfolio, it is important to define the purpose and scope of the assignment. What are the learning objectives and standards that you want to address? How will you assess the students' work and provide feedback? How much time and resources do you have available? How will you differentiate the instruction and support for diverse learners? These questions will help you design a clear and realistic rubric, timeline, and expectations for your students.

2 Introduce the process and tools

Once you have defined the purpose and scope of the project or portfolio, you need to introduce the process and tools that your students will use. Depending on the nature and complexity of the task, you may want to use a framework such as the engineering design process, the scientific method, or the inquiry cycle to guide your students through the steps of defining a problem, researching, brainstorming, prototyping, testing, and iterating. You may also want to introduce some digital tools that can help your students document, collaborate, and present their work, such as Google Slides, Padlet, Seesaw, or Flipgrid.

3 Facilitate inquiry and feedback

As your students work on their projects or portfolios, your role is to facilitate inquiry and feedback, rather than provide direct instruction or answers. You can use questioning techniques, such as open-ended, probing, or clarifying questions, to encourage your students to think critically, reflect, and justify their decisions. You can also provide feedback that is specific, timely, and actionable, and that focuses on the strengths and areas of improvement of your students' work. Additionally, you can foster peer feedback and collaboration by creating opportunities for your students to share their ideas, questions, and challenges with each other.

4 Showcase and celebrate

The final step of a STEM project or portfolio is to showcase and celebrate your students' work. This can be done in various ways, such as creating a digital portfolio, hosting a virtual exhibition, or publishing a blog or podcast. The goal is to provide your students with an authentic audience and a sense of accomplishment for their efforts. You can also use this opportunity to review the learning objectives and standards, and to ask your students to reflect on their process and outcomes. What did they learn? What challenges did they face? What would they do differently next time?

5 Incorporate self-assessment and revision

One way to extend the learning from a STEM project or portfolio is to incorporate self-assessment and revision. You can ask your students to use the rubric and feedback that they received to evaluate their own work and identify their strengths and areas of growth. You can also invite them to revise their work based on the feedback and reflection, and to explain how they improved their work. This will help your students develop a growth mindset and a sense of ownership over their learning.

6 Promote cross-curricular connections

Another way to enrich the learning from a STEM project or portfolio is to promote cross-curricular connections. You can help your students see how their work relates to other subjects, such as language arts, social studies, or art, and how they can apply their skills and knowledge to real-world situations. You can also encourage your students to explore topics or questions that interest them, and to pursue further learning opportunities or resources. This will help your students develop a passion and curiosity for STEM and beyond.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?