{"id":851,"date":"2022-10-12T13:57:12","date_gmt":"2022-10-12T12:57:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/fi\/fifeelec\/?page_id=851"},"modified":"2023-06-20T17:02:09","modified_gmt":"2023-06-20T16:02:09","slug":"stem-practice-inspiration","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/fi\/fifeelec\/stem-practice-inspiration\/","title":{"rendered":"STEM Practice Inspiration"},"content":{"rendered":"

STEM Practice Inspiration<\/strong><\/p>\n

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In order to provide \u2018practice inspiration\u2019 surrounding STEM, this section will offer insights into the excellent and innovative practice at Sunflower Family Nurture Centre.<\/p>\n

This short article contains some useful information and examples about the ethos, strategies, activities and resources that Sunflower staff draw upon to support children\u2019s learning around STEM.<\/p>\n

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A Culture of STEM<\/strong><\/p>\n

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A culture of STEM exists at Sunflower Family Nurture Centre and Annex. Learning through STEM is embedded across the life of both settings.<\/p>\n

Children are excited and motivated by their STEM learning, with skills being developed through high-quality play experiences and interactions.<\/p>\n

STEM learning takes place across the settings, from babies within Family Learning groups to toddlers in our Early Entrants. Learning continues as the child moves into our 3-5 room to the point when they transition into school.<\/p>\n

The magic happens when children are encouraged to be curious about the living world, and are provided with opportunities to explore, investigate, and build.<\/p>\n

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Planning for Learning<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Skilled practitioners carefully plan for children\u2019s STEM learning through a responsive planning system. It is crucial to ensure that experiences and resources are carefully matched to the child\u2019s developmental stage and that interactions subtly move the child\u2019s learning forward. Children\u2019s interests are supported and extended in a timely manner to ensure that sparks of interest are not missed.<\/p>\n

Children planning their own learning is at the heart of our STEM culture. Children are encouraged to support daily responsive planning through talking about their learning both individually and in small groups, as well as contributing to the daily responsive plan and learning walls.<\/p>\n

Opportunities for children to develop skills such as independence, problem-solving, and creativity are embedded within the life of the setting.<\/p>\n

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STEM Nation Award<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Signing-up for the STEM Nation Award has supported us to reflect on and evaluate our STEM learning. Through a robust audit, we were able to identify our strengths, as well as areas for development. Our STEM Ambassadors supported this work.<\/p>\n

Key elements within the STEM Nation Award include:<\/p>\n