Growing up, my memories of science class involved planting lima beans and sunflower seeds in school and hoping for a plant to grow. Technology in school? We were playing Oregon Trail while gazing into a tiny Macintosh desktop with a nauseating green glare. 

That was twenty years ago. 

With the advancements made in modern technology since my heyday in the classroom, and the fact that today’s kids have access to much more engaging ways of learning, STEM was born, and it’s not slowing down.

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STEM, which is an acronym not used to describe the only thing that grew out my elementary school Dixie cup full of dirt, stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. The idea behind STEM education is that it is a curriculum based on the idea of educating students in those four specific disciplines, combining them and implementing them as a whole, rather than as separate subjects.

And it’s fascinating.

Kids are actually engaged. Even the little learners who typically wouldn’t enjoy any of the STEM subjects, are finding a new appreciation for learning since these once-rote lessons are now hands-on, and dare I say it, FUN!

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