Do You Speak STEM? How ELLs Benefit from Maker Spaces
- Sarah Harrison
- Jun 8, 2020
- 3 min read
Photo: Vitally Sacred @ instagram.com/vitaly_sacred
STEM has been an educational focus for a number of years now, fueled mostly by the desire of the educational world to increase science and math performance among students. As technology has continued to advance, the connection between science, math, engineering, and technology has become inseparable (although, to be fair, it never really was "separable"). One does not simply engage in a singular-focus science or math course any longer; all courses are some sort of combination of STEM, STEAM, or another such variation. Maker Spaces fit right in to this model, allowing students to experiment with creativity, innovation, and technology. But can STEM, Maker Spaces, and the like provide benefits beyond innovative technical skill? Absolutely.
Look no further than English Language Learners. These folks have much to benefit beyond the technical experience gained from STEM projects or Maker Spaces. These projects provide collaborative, interesting, and global-culture-sensitive situations where speakers of other languages can learn English in a social environment, where"No one's going to judge them, grade them. This is part of the language acquisition process" (Guzman 2016). Diving into hands-on STEM projects that bridge the language barrier allow ELLs to be engaged academically as a peer, while simultaneously allowing them more authentic access to the language of their peer group.
For Roberto Guzman (2016), an ESL instructor, the value of collaborative situations that help to teach English is that students learn to "analyze, synthesize, and evaluate" in another tongue. This, according to Guzman, is where the experience of language learned; "There's no way you can learn a language by simply memorizing rules" (2016). It must be experienced in order to be learned well. And what better way to experience something but through hands-on activities like STEM projects?
So what does ESL/ELL instruction look like within STEM/Maker Spaces? According to Francis et al. (2018), "In order to engage ELs in challenging STEM instruction, it is important to create a climate that positions them as capable participants with rights and duties in classroom social interactions" (p.93). This means that ELLs are treated as intellectual equals within the project group, acknowledging that technical expertise can transcend the language barrier. It also means that ELLs will be able to experience the language in a meaningful way, as their interactions with their group members will be focused, presumably, around a project that is of interest to them. This does not mean, however, that the language learning that takes place within this collaborative model is simply left up to chance.I t is important to note that English language learning should not merely be a byproduct of STEM instruction, it should be instrumental within it. In this way, "As students explain and predict in developing a model and constructing an explanation, the teacher can support these discursive goals that develop students’ language at the same times the students learn science" (Francis et al., 2018, p.97).
According to Fiore and Cooper (2019), "The key is making the connection between two people who have a common interest in the maker movement or STEM" (p.30). Common sense would dictate, then, that if there is a genuine connection with the material between two individuals, it would be a starting point for better communication between them. It is important to note, however, that the English language acquisition is not the only cultural learning opportunity available within these STEM/Maker Space situations. The sharing of knowledge--whether technical or cultural--travels both directions. I witnessed this firsthand in our international school robotics lab. Students who spoke English, Arabic, and Chinese in their respective homes came together with cheers of joy and sighs of frustration alike as they tinkered, postulated, and ultimately bonded together as a group over their projects. As Francis et al. (2018) point out, "STEM learning is not culture-free and can open up paths to teaching innovations that build on students’ experiences" (p.95-96).
Ultimately, we as educators know what Martinez and Stager (2013) assert:"Doing develops expertise" (Location 3578). As it turns out, that is precisely the reason why STEM projects/Maker Spaces can be so beneficial for those who are learning English.
Photo: Etienne Girardet @photo.bar-pacifico.de
References:
Fiore, R., & Cooper, M. (2019). Using the maker movement to forge a middle-school collaboration to support English language learners.Science Scope,43(1), 28–34.
Francis, D. J., National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Math, (U. S.), & Stephens, A. (2018). English Learners in STEM Subjects : Transforming Classrooms, Schools, and Lives. National Academies Press.
Guzman, R. (2016, May). Teaching English without teaching English. [Video]. TED Conferences. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8pZa6R3rmRQ
Martinez, S.L. & Stager, G. (2013). Invent to learn: Making, tinkering, and engineering in the classroom. https://www.amazon.com
Nacamulli, M. (2015, June). The benefits of a bilingual brain. [Video]. TED Conferences. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMmOLN5zBLY
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