Teaching STEM in Agricultural Mechanics

(2008) recommended agriculture teachers partner with STEM teachers to form a community of practice focused on increasing student achievement. (2008) then outline the 7-Element approach to CT&L as (1) introduce the agriculture lesson (i.e, interest approach), (2) assess the STEM awareness related to the agriculture lesson, (3) work through an example embedded in the agriculture lesson, (4) work through related examples, (5) work through non-agriculture examples, (6) provide opportunities for students to demonstrate their knowledge through increased rigor, (7) formally assess the students. Concerns that I have heard from agriculture teachers across the country are that they are afraid the push for more STEM will end agricultural education at their school and they want to be agriculture teachers, not STEM teachers.