Engaging Young Engineers

Teaching Problem-Solving Skills Through STEM

by Angi Stone-MacDonald, Ph.D. Kristen Wendell, Ph.D. Anne Douglass, Ph.D. and Mary Lu Love, M.S.
University of Massachusetts Boston

Contents

About the Forms ... vii
About the Authors ... ix
Foreword Marilou Hyson. ... xi
A Note to the Reader ... xiii
Acknowledgments ... xxi

I Why Engineering and Problem Solving Are Important in Early Childhood Inclusive Classrooms
1 Young Children Are Natural Problem Solvers: A Framework Overview ... 3
2 Universal Design for Learning to Support Engineering Experiences in Inclusive Early Childhood Settings ... 21

II Using the Problem-Solving Framework to Teach Thinking Skills in Inclusive Early Childhood Settings
3 Curious Thinkers ... 39
4 Persistent Thinkers ... 63
5 Flexible Thinkers ... 87
6 Reflective Thinkers ... 111
7 Collaborative Thinkers ... 133
8 Curious, Persistent, Flexible, Reflective, and Collaborative Teachers ... 155

References ... 165
Appendixes ... 173
Appendix A Early Childhood UDL Planning Sheet: Infants (Sample) ... 175
Appendix B Early Childhood UDL Planning Sheet: Toddlers (Sample) ... 176
Appendix C Early Childhood UDL Planning Sheet: Preschoolers (Sample) ... 177
Appendix D Early Childhood UDL Planning Sheet: Blank ... 178
Appendix E Infant Experience Planning Template ... 179
Appendix F Toddler Experience Planning Template ... 180
Appendix G Preschool Experience Planning Template ... 181
Index ... 183

Curious, Persistent, Flexible, Reflective, and Collaborative Teachers

his book has focused on two big ideas. The first is that young children can be emergent engineers. As described, preschoolers, toddlers, and even infants exhibit many of the foundational skills used in the complex problem-solving activity of engineering design. Furthermore, teachers and caregivers can support and foster the development of young children’s problem-solving skills. The second big idea in this book is that children’s emergent engineering activities can further develop their higher order thinking skills and at the same time provide an exciting context for integrated STEM learning in the early years. Previous chapters presented strategies for teaching curious, persistent, flexible, reflective, and collaborative thinking with very young children using a universal design approach.

Using the Problem-Solving Framework to Teach

The five thinking skills presented in this book are important professional competencies for educators. Curiosity, persistence, flexibility, reflection, and collaboration can also be thought of as teaching dispositions. Together, these thinking skills and habits represent a professional disposition toward lifelong learning. Educators of young children learn with and from children in a joint process of inquiry. Their curiosity about how children learn and make sense of the world guides them to carefully observe and record children’s behaviors. They reflect on these observations and explore ways to extend each child’s learning and development through intentional and deliberate teaching practices and interactions.

Curious Teachers...

• Wonder aloud
• Ask open-ended questions
• Talk with excitement about learning and exploring questions and wonders.

Persistent Teachers...

• Do not give up
• Believe they can succeed and believe every child can succeed
• Seek out alternative approaches and solutions
• Learn from prior attempts

Flexible Teachers...

• Are open-minded
• Consider new and different ideas
• Change direction or course as needed
• Are willing to take a risk

Reflective Teachers...

• Take time to pause and think about their teaching practices
• Observe and take notes
• Wonder why an activity or interaction did or did not go as planned
• Notice and adapt based on prior experiences

Collaborative Teachers...

• Make time to talk, share, and learn with others
• Establish shared goals with others
• Demonstrate respect for differing perspectives and ideas
• Value collaborative problem solving

Solving Challenges and Modeling the Five Thinking Skills

Using the Problem-Solving Framework to Teach

Solving a Teaching Challenge: The Case of Cassie's Writing

Modeling Problem-Solving for Children

Conclusion

Children’s learning of the thinking skills needed for problem solving and engineering design can be maximized by applying a problem-solving framework to teaching. Through enriching and inclusive learning experiences and modeling of our own problem-solving processes, all children can develop as curious, persistent, flexible, reflective, and collaborative learners.