Making Connections with STEM Fall 2021 Cohort 8: Week 5

Week 5

Empathy in Engineering

Read:

Reflect: Post your response to the prompt below by Monday morning.

STEM is often thought of as a “left brain” activity that is devoid of connections to Social and Emotional Learning. Read the articles on empathy in design thinking, and what happens if empathy is not considered in the engineering design process. Think about the meaning of Empathy through Brown’s video and then focus on the connections between STEM and SEL.

How has your perspective on STEM and Social Emotional Learning changed?

What are some ways that you could use STEM to support student growth in SEL?

Interact: On Monday, read your colleagues' reflections and respond to at least one other post by sharing a comment, insight, or interesting possibility by next Thursday.

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Ashleigh Rocco (TSD) · 180 weeks ago

As I completed the reading and video for this week I found the article regarding the Google Glass very enlightening from the perspective of the consumer. I suppose that I never considered how emotions are prevalent in the design process. It is important to understand others and their viewpoints when creating for a demographic. I think that through this example you can see the downfalls of when the design process is lacking empathy.
Brown defines one aspect of empathy as being able to recognize emotion in another person. I believe that this is something in 2nd grade we focus on through our SEL curriculum but it isn’t necessarily intertwined throughout the scope of our school day. I have been guilty of focusing a lot of SEL development at the beginning of the year, or more so when the need arises. I love the idea that throughout the year integrating this into our STEM instruction. One way I was considering to do this is by using our “Future Ready Skills”. These are our district’s character traits we strive to develop in our students before they graduate. For example, the month of February focuses on being collaborative teammates. I think this would be a great added focus whenever we do something involving design. I could set the problem from a STEM perspective, but also integrate SEL by picking our monthly skill as well.

1 reply · active 177 weeks ago

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JanineG (ISD) · 177 weeks ago

For some reason I couldn't open the link to Brene Brown's Empathy. It took me to her website and I searched for Empathy....17 results came up, but I didn't know which to use. So I will answer the question based on the information gained from the other articles.
The Google Glass article was interesting and it showed that in coming up with a new idea and especially a piece of technology, it needs to be looked at with a sense of empathy through the eyes of the potential users. In this case, Google didn't think of whether people would want a small camera right in their visual view...or if they want to have a conversation with someone with a camera on them. They created this in hopes that people would want it because they want 'the latest and greatest' technology. Some more research would've been helpful for them!
In another article it meantioned that "Empathise" is the first stage of the design thinking process. The goal is to gain an empathic understanding of the people you are designing for. This is so true and exactly what Google Glass didn't do!
I definitely see a connection in our SEL and STEM lessons. The skills of planning, teamwork, listening to each other, problem solving, and persistence are used in all areas of our SEL and STEM. Both SEL and STEM are beneficial in learning but they're even more benefical when we use them together...it has more meaning and students will be able to see how they work hand-in-hand (at any grade level). I feel that when I'm doing my next STEM lesson I will be more mindful of pulling out the SEL language as I move through the lesson with the kiddos...this way they will be more cognizant of the two.

2 replies · active 173 weeks ago

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Erin K. (TSD) · 177 weeks ago

Until recently, STEM had appeared a cold, somewhat detached field that was possible for everyone to engage in but was not a place where human emotions drove the processes behind it. Dam and Siang's article aligned with what Brown communicated in her video- empathy is a matter of feeling with another person through absorption. Rather than projecting what we believe the consumer is driven by or reacts to, we must meet a consumer or any other individual at their level and express a degree of vulnerability to find the emotions within ourselves that align with the other person we hope to empathize with. In simple terms, to empathize is to offer a piece of ourselves to another person as they offer a piece of themselves in return. It requires a great deal of courage and trust which is difficult to cultivate in a classroom of varied emotional complexities and maturity levels. What I hope to impress upon my students is the importance of replacing the act of projecting and assuming with the honest practice of empathy. Often, my students approach design challenges from a singular lens: their own. As I have done myself many times before, my students act selfishly when approaching the task as they are primarily concerned with what benefits them and will meet their desired outcomes. By engaging my students in the practice of immersing themselves in the environment of others, as Dam and Siang suggest, through interviews and surveys, my students may come to realize that it is the feelings of a person that drives their wants and needs. While the heart of the designer is key to the design process, the designer must attempt to relate to the consumer at every step along the way. Asking students to pose, design, and participate in challenges created by one another, developing consumer profiles beyond surface-level facts, and discussing real design challenges, such as what occurred with the incorrect assumptions made by Google Class are a mere start to the myriad of integration opportunities with SEL and STEM.

1 reply · active 177 weeks ago

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Hannah J (ISD) 35p · 177 weeks ago

After I went through the readings and video this week, I started to think more about human centered design and how emotions can help better the design process. I had not thought of the Google Glass until the article this week. I distinctly remember seeing them advertised but nothing ever came of it. It was interesting reading how Google disregarded the user experience, needs and the problems that it would solve thus, the product was not successful. Where on the other hand, the article that talked about the incubator really exemplified how the team used empathy to listen to the consumer's needs to create an amazing product that is helping mothers in developing countries. I think this week only solidified for me, the importance of STEM and SEL. I really liked how the articles this week focused on the importance of incorporating social emotional skills into the design process, especially at an early age. The fact that by incorporating SEL into STEM can help teach students build perseverance, relationships, confidence, communication and decision making skills, all of which are essential for everyday life as well as the workforce. By working on these skills, I think my students would be able to better empathize with one another and see the importance of the consumer's emotions and desires. Like Brown said, empathy fuels connection, I want my students to feel connected to one another. In my next STEM lessons, I will be more intentional at incorporating SEL skills and teaching students the importance of empathizing with others and working together.

3 replies · active 177 weeks ago

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Rachael S (ISD) · 177 weeks ago

Empathy is core to deep human connection. If I want to form meaningful connections with my students sincere empathy is a great road in. If I want students to feel vulnerable enough to try something new or difficult or confusing, I need to have empathy for that about that assignment and their feelings towards it. STEM often seems intimidating to students, it seems new and different. It requires unique skills and students are asked to take risks. SEL is a huge part of making STEM successful, both between the teacher and student and between students on a team. Connection and teamwork can be difficult especially for our youngest learners. Having empathy for your teammates, and helping them out of a hole takes empathy and social skills.
STEM can easily be used in teamwork or bonding activities. Having students compete in different challenges that require creative thinking is a great standalone activity that you can fit in without changing your curriculum. You can give students a meaningful learning experience and help them bond with their classmates.

2 replies · active 176 weeks ago

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Danielle S. (SVSD) · 177 weeks ago

These articles were very interesting to me. I have to admit I hadn't thought about the connection between STEM and SEL before this. I have seen and listened to Brene Brown several times. I think her perspectives and research are spot on. I also didn't even realize the Google glasses were a failure.

After reading these articles I do see the connection between STEM and SEL. If the social/emotional part is not fully incorporated then STEM becomes a field devoid of the most important aspect. If Empathy isn't front and center in the design and creation of projects then the product is most likely not going to do as well as it could've. When people are creating products or coming up with advance technology they are trying to solve problems or come up solutions that they see a need for. In doing so they need to answer the questions of why people need it, and how it will better serve their intended audience.

When we teach STEM to students we have the opportunity to weave in SEL throughout the process. There are so many apps and websites we can use that they can now work on a project together in real time. Understanding perspectives different then our own, solving problems throughout the process with people who think differently then ourselves and understanding the why behind the project are all important SEL aspects that we can weave into STEM.

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Stephen Elms · 177 weeks ago

I think that the connection between STEM and SEL is hugely important, and critical to the success of an idea or product (ie. the Google Glass) and these articles support that idea as a whole. What I find most interesting and would love to learn about more is: are these STEM and SEL connections being taught or introduced world-wide? I have to assume they are, but I would love to learn more about that. Have other countries been ahead of us with this? The same or far behind? Big tech companies must have figured out a long time ago that they needed teams of people to work collaboratively with each other (and some failed miserably as noted) because they didn't have someone on their team thinking about the target audience and the social part of things, but why not? Or is there a bigger connection between not only collaboration but also connections to people - people can collaborate very easily, but not get along socially at all. These articles bring up many more questions for me than answers I think.
Additionally, I think making sure students connect through experiences (not always through STEM work but STEM obviously provides great opportunity) is important however students also need to understand cultural differences as they work in these groups, as I'm not sure our students in the elementary grades quite understand yet (we're working on it!) that the differences in the how and WHY people think differently can also come from different cultural backgrounds, which is obviously important to understand when working collaboratively.

2 replies · active 176 weeks ago

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MeganMitchellSVSD 14p · 177 weeks ago

I think one of the great SEL opportunities you can find in STEM is through collaboration. Regardless of how many good ideas (or not so good...) are brought to the table, students generally won’t find any success if they can’t first figure out how to work together. This may sometimes mean that students compromise, collaborate ideas, encourage one another, solve disagreements or differences, listen as well contribute. Working together in STEM can present a number of problems students will need to solve that go beyond the challenge at hand. I love that STEM not only requires students to consider their peers, but as the article about the Apple glasses suggests, consider the needs of others they haven’t yet met.

2 replies · active 176 weeks ago

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Katelyn V. (ISD) · 176 weeks ago

Honestly my perspective has not changed. I took psychology classes throughout college and learned a lot about SEL. That being said, I made a big deal in my own life to go out of my wat to learn as much as I can about STEM and SEL as it will continue too be important. We use SEL to support STEM all the time, now looking at it the other way it is interesting to see how you can also use STEM to support SEL. Use a building project to help teach child self confidence and how to work in a team. Use a cooking project to teach them how to be okay if it does not turn out perfect the first time (because honestly it won't).

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Meg H. · 176 weeks ago

I had an epithany reading the article and the example of looking at things in a simpler way. Like when they let the air out of the tires to get the truck out. Often times, it is the student with common sense who can see the whole picture better. I just observed this in a lesson involving the Harris Burdict Mysteries. The students that were most successful did not try to analyize and dig deeper but they the ones who looked at the big picture got the most correct. It allowed different students to be leaders.

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Meg H. · 176 weeks ago

I too remember the the Google Glass and thought it was a terrible invasion of privacy. I have seen the video before also and it comes to mind when I am dealing with others. The readings were so great this week and using SEL and Stem together makes sense. I am going to share this with our coding teacher!

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flaggna 34p · 176 weeks ago

When I began taking this course, I felt that STEM learning was simply coding and solving math problems. I have since learned that STEM is about innovation and collaboration. It's about seeing problems through the lens of others and working to create new ways to solve problems in a ways that supports others. It's also about collaborating with all stake holders and working as a team to come up with the best solution. I could definitely use STEM to support student growth in SEL. I work with many students on social/emotional needs, as well as behavioral needs. I could present problems to students, then teach them to collaborate among themselves, while I act as a support. Students could discuss the problems presented and develop plans for ameliorating the situation.

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Eric Richards, TSD · 176 weeks ago

Thinking of the failure of Google Glass makes me think about the why. When Google was creating this, did they think of "why" people would want it and why it would solve something to make their lives easier? I think about how STEM and SEL were so disconnected in the decision around this product. They had a product but didn't think about how people would receive it. They didn't have their "Why" people would buy it and use it. It is so interesting to think of our work with STEM and overlaying work about Growth Mindset and how students see themselves. So much of our work in SEL is getting students to believe they can, and if they don't right now, they will soon. STEM creates so many mental barriers in kids and adults. I love the idea and have passively been using SEL beliefs when addressing STEM with my students for years, but never in a relatively systematized way. I am excited to consider how I can do that moving forward to continue eliminating false barriers to student STEM success.

Making Connections with STEM Fall 2021 Cohort 8

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