Passion Based Teaching

K-12 STEAM education

Expand existing project, program, or initiative (expanding and continuing ongoing, successful work)

The current state of STEM education is lacking. One major reason is that most STEM professional development is essentially product endorsement. Teachers often sit through one or two days of training on a particularly hot topic in the STEM world, such as robotics, AI, or programming. Then, they are expected to return home and create comprehensive lesson plans. This approach is ineffective because it doesn't address several key issues: the mindset of the educator, the fear of the educator, and the lack of interest or capability in the subject. For example, while AI is the "next big thing" in STEM, expecting teachers to master it well enough in just one or two days is unrealistic. Additionally, many k-6 teachers are apprehensive about technology in general, making it unlikely that they will be able to competently discuss the subject matter. This means that high-level STEM education can not be delivered this way.

This grant will help launch a professional development program in the city of Azusa to help teachers confidently present STEM topics. Rather than having them present scientific phenomena to engage students, we help teachers find phenomena within something they are passionate about. This approach allows teachers to be better versed and prepared to discuss the topic at length. It also provides them with greater confidence in engaging students with a topic they are familiar with, as opposed to reading from a script about a topic they are uncomfortable with. When teachers are not fearful of the topics, they will become more engaged in delivering the lesson plan, which will have a domino effect on the students as well.
We demonstrate this by hosting the innovative Impossible Science Festival for the entire city to attend. This festival is the brainchild of World Champion Magician Jason Latimer, who uses his passion for magic to inspire kids to learn about science. We encourage teachers to find whatever they are passionate about—whether it be cooking, scuba diving, sports, etc.—and create comprehensive lesson plans around those topics. This will energize the teachers, which in turn will engage the students, allowing us to deliver high-level STEM education.

Imagine teachers who are excited about what they're teaching, delivering lessons with confidence and purpose. They know how to prepare for lesson plans and how to pivot when challenges arise. The students become curious about why the teacher is so enthusiastic, and they can't help but catch that energy. They're now hooked on learning. The teachers are presenting topics within the STEM fields in an innovative fashion, and the students are participating in hands-on learning that inspires them to learn more. Both parties are engaged in class, eager for more, and doing top-level projects that are transforming LA County for the better.

Currently, we measure impact by seeing the increase in usage of innovation/tech labs and by the incorporation of STEM topics in a teacher's lesson plans. Our hope is to have some funding to hire a research/analyst to help measure the impact with more statistics

Dean Gilbert is a co-facilitator, and a consultant on aligning our training with NGSS standards.
Jason Latimer is the creator of the Impossible Science Festivals and helps showcase the epitome of what Passion Based Teaching can look like.