ISMTEC 2016 Preparing a Workforce for the Future October 19 – Bangkok, Thailand Mrs. Rebecca Petersen, Global PRiSE PhD Program (Pragmatic Researchers in STEM Education) Texas Tech University, USA Mr. Amarin Apirakmas, Professor & STEM Ambassador Nakhon Pathom Rajabhat University, THAILAND
Thailand’s STEM Ambassador Program:
Program Overview / Objective: • Thailand’s initiative is modelled on the UK's STEM Ambassadors. • By working with IPST through the Newton Fund, Thailand British Council is helping to support knowledge exchange and partnership opportunities between UK and Thai institutions on STEM Ambassador approaches. • The objective is to build human resource capacity in vital areas for economic development and social well-being. • IPST is aiming to recruit STEM Ambassadors each year – * This slide professionals, either retired or still employed by universities, copied and/or government organizations, or working as local experts. paraphrased from: • IPST first began training its Ambassadors in February 2015. THIS WEBSITE
Thailand STEM Ambassadors Video Video Link HERE
How It Started at our School: • Teacher Becky is an American elementary teacher at a Thai government school for the past 11 years. She is committed to making STEM Education pedagogy a reality in the local schools. • With the approval of Director Sinchai Samphanphorn, Teacher Becky started a Grade 1-6 STEM integrated curriculum model at Anubanchonburi School (District Mueang; Southeast Region) for its 18 English Program classrooms. Anubanchonburi School is now in its 5 th Academic Year of its • dedicated STEM program. • Teacher Becky met Frank Fearn (British Council STEM trainer) and Amarin Apirakmas (Thai math professor/STEM ambassador) during this initial training. Lesson Learned: YOU should pull information and resources to you and your school….it usually will not make it’s way to you in a timely manner otherwise…unless you have the patience of an old monk.
Then I…. • Got real excited about the possibilities available to our students • Went to our regional STEM Center (Chonradsadornumrung Secondary School) requesting a meeting with our 11 regional STEM schools and recently trained Ambassadors by IPST. • Personally drove around in a truck with one of our Thai teachers to go door-to-door inviting members and making phone calls. • Hosted the meeting at our school on March 17, 2016.
And then I… • Started a social media and Line group with the objective of sharing and communicating information among our local schools wanting to utilize our regional Ambassadors. SEPSA FB Page can be found by clicking HERE which also contains the meeting PPT • Continued to follow Thailand STEM news on IPST’s WEBSITE • Kept in contact with Fred Fearn, who shared his work-in- progress with me, as well as provided me with ongoing mentorship. • Invited UniThai Engineering (our local Ambassador company) to present to three of our Grade 5 classrooms on June 15, 2016.
And then …… I awoke one morning and suddenly realized that nothing more seemed to be happening. ????????? ??????????
Lessons Learned: • Being diligent is a noble characteristic, but understanding and being respectful of local culture is prudent (although I had power-approval from the top, I did not have local buy-in, from sideways or below). • I over-stepped my bounds; I was too impatient to wait for initiatives from our Regional STEM Center (a pro in the short-term but a con in the long-term?) • Programs are not sustainable without said buy-in. If Director (power & control) goes … then what; will the torch be carried forward? • In hindsight, a more rigorous STEM marketing and training campaign for both local teachers and parents would have been beneficial.
Plan B: We adapted the underlying concepts of the Ambassador Program to our local community members • We had a strong parent community network that had been growing over the past four years. • Our social media presence was already proven to be effective for communicating quickly and efficiently in getting needed resources for school projects. • The Director allowed STEM teachers the academic freedom to conduct parent meetings to plan and carry out STEM Ambassador-type mentoring projects. • We had a grass-root movement to not only recruit, but to also train, the expert work force base of our students’ parents and relatives ….using IPST’s guidelines. • We had approximately 50 Ambassador projects already in our first school term (5 months) of this year.
Our Ambassador Projects So Far This Academic Year: Class(es) Date Special Activity Class(es) Date Special Activity EP5 Weeks 2 to 4 Skeleton Leaf Fossils and Photo Frames Engineering ALL EP Jun 29 ASEAN Food Festival School Event EP6 Weeks 2 to 4 Hydraulic Cloning Diagrams Engineering EP5 Week 2 Using Personal Devices (PDs) for learning during EP1 Jun 22 Police Officer Guest Speaker; Mr. Anupong Wongchai Onwards instruction EP4 Week 7 Skeleton Models Engineering EP4 Week 2 Water Transport in Plants Lab Experiments EP4 Week 7 Photosynthesis in Leaves Lab Experiments EP4 Weeks 2 to 5 Vascular Bundle 3D Models Engineering EP4 Week 7 Making Fruit Juice Innovation Engineering EP6 May 23-25 Sounds and Rhythm Show for Each Growth Stage EP6 Week 7 Healthy Heart Menus Making EP6 Week 2 Pen Pals with American Students Collaboration EP5 Weeks 7 to 8 Pollination 3D Illustration Engineering EP6 May 30 - Jun 1 Digestion Simulation in the Lab Experiments EP4 Week 8 Fruit Juice Making EP 3 Jun 2 Stomata Microscope Observation in the Lab EP4 Week 8 Innovation: Fruit Juice Logos EP5 EP6 Jun 8 Internet Safety Guest Speaker; Hand-to-Hand ALL EP Jul 22 Juice Jamboree School Event Foundation EP6 Week 3 Cooking ASEAN Food in the Kitchen ALL EP Jul 28 Natural vs Unnatural Habitats Twitter Event: Pros and Cons of Zoos and Aquariums School Event EP4 Week 3 Plant Transpiration Lab Experiments EP1 Jun 8 Pharmacist Guest Speaker; Mrs. Suneerat Kittikhun EP3 Week 13 Happy Family Photo Albums Engineering EP3 Weeks 3 to 5 ASEAN Zoo Models Engineering EP6 Week 15 Family Conflicts Skits Presentations EP5 Jun 15 STEM Ambassador Guest Speakers; UniThai EP4 Aug 24 Field Trip to Mangrove Conservation Park Engineering and Shipyard EP3 Aug 24 Young Architects Bridge Engineering EP3 Week 4 Emotions and Feelings Jigsaw Engineering EP1 Aug 26 Stick Engineering Challenges EP4 Week 4 Factors Affecting Plant Transpirations Lab Experiments EP5 Aug 26 Field Trip to Nam Bueng Chicken and Buffalo Farm EP2 Jun 16 Dentist Guest Speaker; Dr. Napaporn EP4 Aug 31 Accountant Guest Speaker; Anusorn Scandanrun Wongphadungtham EP5 Sep-Oct Edible Lunar Vehicles USA Collaboration EP1 Jun 17 Basic School Skills Station Rotations EP4 Sep 2 We Are Family Day Station Rotations and Shows EP1 Jun 28 Fish Dissection in the Lab EP2 Sep 8 Musical Madness Showcase and Presentations EP6 Weeks 4 to 5 ASEAN Food Information Board Making EP1 EP6 Sep 14 Authors Tea Party Event EP6 Week 6 ASEAN Food Festival Recipe Writing EP3 Sep 15 Bridges Exhibition & Voting School Event EP6 Week 6 ASEAN Food Festival Fliers Making EP5 Sep-Nov Global Moon Project Collaboration EP6 Jun 29 ASEN Food Festival Music Jingles EP5 Sep-Dec Digitween Global Collaboration
Stick Engineering Challenges Preparing ASEAN Food
Basic School Skills Stations Authors Tea Party
Young Architects Bridge Making Internet Safety Workshop
ASEAN Festival Chicken Farm Mini Field Trip
Dentist Guest Speaker UniThai Ambassadors
Hydroponics Growing / Cooking Innovative Juice Making
We Are Family Day Lab Experiments
Twitter School Event
Edible Lunar Vehicles (ELV) Engineering
ELV Global Collaboration with NASA
Global World Moon Project Musical Madness Showcase
Lessons Learned: • Work with what you have but don’t reinvent the wheel. Many of the national initiatives can be adapted on a school-level. • You can’t do it alone. Having a strong home - school connection is essential. Maximize the benefits of using social media (i.e. Facebook, Line, Edmodo, Twitter). • Don’t be afraid to ask your community members for support. It takes a village to raise a child. Costs can be shared. • Plus, it’s more fun for both students and teachers! Students are more engaged in learning when their local community members are part of their education. It fits the mold of making STEM education meaningful and applicable to real life.
A brief overview of how Thailand’s Ambassador program has been working in the Bangkok Metropolitan Region.
Amarin Apirakmas - Lecturer of Mathematics, Nakhon Pathom Rajabhat University (University & University Demonstration School) - STEM Ambassador in Western & Central Regions - STEM Local Trainer of Nakhon Pathom province S T E M - Director of Nakhon Pathom Rajabhat University STEM Education Center A M B A S S A D O R
My STEM Ambassador Role • I have been trained by IPST National STEM Education Center and became Thailand’s official STEM Ambassador in March 2016 • Then I was invited by many schools and universities in Thailand, mostly in the Bangkok metropolitan region
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