Teaching STEM #4Real

About Teaching STEM #4Real

STEM4Real is a nonprofit professional learning organization committed to making STEM “4Real” for educators across the globe. “4Real” means to combine high caliber STEM and NGSS standards-based content learning & leadership with principles of equity & social justice, while engaging ALL students to see the civil importance of STEM to solve problems of today for a better tomorrow. We will collaborate with educators & activists that are using a racial & social justice lens when leading high quality STEM instruction & will address tough topics like implicit bias and race in the STEM classroom.

Publisher

Dr. Leena Bakshi McLean

Category

education

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

24 Feb 2022

Latest episode

10 Feb 2025

Latest episodes

27 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   10 Feb 2025

   S3.E7 Learning to Relearn in STEM

   Welcome to another episode of the Teaching STEM #4Real podcast! In this powerful conversation, we speak with Kwame Sarfo-Mensah, founder of Identity Talk Consulting and author of "Learning to Relearn: Supporting Identity in a Culturally Affirming Classroom." Kwame brings 17 years of experience in education, including 9 years as a middle school math teacher in Philadelphia and Boston. He has earned numerous accolades, including being honored as the 2019 National Member of the Year by Black Educators Rock Incorporated and recognition as a Top Education Influencer by BrightBeam in 2021 and 2022. In this episode, Kwame shares insights on creating identity-affirming spaces in STEM education: - His personal experience with educational bias when returning from Ghana to the US education system - The importance of representation in STEM and connecting students with diverse STEM professionals - How the world itself can be curriculum beyond textbooks and worksheets - The historical contributions of ancient Kemet (Egypt) to mathematics and their erasure from modern education - Building coalitions and expanding networks to create meaningful change in education - The importance of self-care and sustainable activism in educational justice work** - Understanding different levels of community engagement from classroom to international scale - The value of giving yourself grace while working towards educational transformation This conversation provides a powerful vision for how STEM education can be reimagined to be more culturally affirming and empowering for all students. Kwame shares personal stories and practical wisdom that will inspire educators to rethink their approach to identity and representation in the classroom while providing concrete steps for meaningful change. Rate, Review, & Follow on Spotify & Apple Podcasts “This is a great show for educators in STEM! Love Leena’s perspective on creating equitable classroom environments for STEM and the guests are always spot on!” <– If that sounds like you,please consider rating and reviewing our show (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/teaching-stem-4real/id1611583589)! This helps us support more people — just like you — move toward creating access and equity in STEM, #4Real.Click here (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/teaching-stem-4real/id1611583589), scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode! You can also rate the show on Spotify here:https://open.spotify.com/show/7CsBVUpmzwgvNsSYkWcJ4C (https://open.spotify.com/show/7CsBVUpmzwgvNsSYkWcJ4C) Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the podcast here:Follow now (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/teaching-stem-4real/id1611583589)! Teaching STEM #4Real is a podcast dedicated to #4Real conversations on educational equity in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education hosted by Dr. Leena Bakshi McLean. If you’re interested in exploring what anti-racism and socially just instruction looks like in our classrooms, schools, and beyond, you are in the right place. Dr. Bakshi is also the founder of the non-profit, STEM4Real (https://stem4real.org/). Please visit our website (https://stem4real.org/) for information on how to partner with us. Thank you for helping us make STEM, #4Real.

2. 

   21 Oct 2024

   S3.E6 STEM for Multilingual Learners, with Dr. Okhee Lee

   Welcome to another episode of the Teaching STEM #4Real podcast! In this powerful conversation, we speak with Dr. Okhee Lee, a professor at NYU Steinhardt School and a national leader in advancing STEM and language learning for multilingual learners. Dr. Lee has been instrumental in shaping the future of STEM education as a member of the NGSS writing team and leader of its diversity and equity team. Her current work focuses on justice-centered STEM education, integrating subjects like data science and computer science to tackle real-world challenges. In this episode, Dr. Lee shares insights on supporting multilingual learners in STEM education:** - The evolution of terminology from "limited English proficient" to "multilingual learners" and its impact on student identity - How WIDA 2020 standards align with NGSS to support language development through science learning - The importance of giving students agency in their learning and communication - A case study of the "garbage unit" curriculum that integrates multiple science concepts - Shifting from equity-based to justice-centered approaches in STEM education - The role of identity and positionality in shaping science education reform - Developing consensus across research, policy, and practice to drive meaningful change This conversation provides a powerful vision for how STEM education can be reimagined to be more inclusive and empowering for multilingual learners. Dr. Lee shares personal stories and wisdom that will inspire educators to rethink their approach to language and content integration in the classroom. Rate, Review, & Follow on Spotify & Apple Podcasts “This is a great show for educators in STEM! Love Leena’s perspective on creating equitable classroom environments for STEM and the guests are always spot on!” <– If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing our show (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/teaching-stem-4real/id1611583589)! This helps us support more people — just like you — move toward creating access and equity in STEM, #4Real. Click here (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/teaching-stem-4real/id1611583589), scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode! You can also rate the show on Spotify here: https://open.spotify.com/show/7CsBVUpmzwgvNsSYkWcJ4C (https://open.spotify.com/show/7CsBVUpmzwgvNsSYkWcJ4C) Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the podcast here: Follow now (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/teaching-stem-4real/id1611583589)! Teaching STEM #4Real is a podcast dedicated to #4Real conversations on educational equity in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education hosted by Dr. Leena Bakshi McLean. If you’re interested in exploring what anti-racism and socially just instruction looks like in our classrooms, schools, and beyond, you are in the right place. Dr. Bakshi is also the founder of the non-profit, STEM4Real (https://stem4real.org/). Please visit our website (https://stem4real.org/) for information on how to partner with us. Thank you for helping us make STEM, #4Real.

3. 

   22 May 2024

   S3.E5 Anti-Racism in Universal Design for Learning, with Andratesha Fritzgerald

   Welcome to another episode of the Teaching STEM #4Real podcast! In this powerful conversation, we speak with Andratesha Fritzgerald, author of "Anti-Racism and Universal Design for Learning: Building Expressways to Success." Andratesha is the co-founder of Building Blocks of Brilliance Educational Consulting Firm and has served in education as a teacher, curriculum specialist, administrator, and director. Her work calls organizations to evolve into inclusive, anti-racist safe zones for all learners. In this episode, she shares insights on interweaving anti-racism with the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework: - Her journey writing the book after the murder of George Floyd, to provide an anti-racist lens to UDL - How UDL is a powerful tool for liberation, especially for marginalized students - The 3 steps of UDL: defining goals, naming barriers, and redesigning learning experiences - The need to name racism explicitly as a barrier to be addressed through UDL - Moving beyond just UDL strategies to redesigning systems like master schedules - Building "UDL evangelists" - teams of teachers empowered to redesign learning - Using UDL to create "on-ramps" that tap into student interests and backgrounds This conversation provides a powerful vision for how the UDL framework, combined with an anti-racist mindset, can reimagine education to be liberating for all students. Tisha shares personal stories and wisdom that will stick with you long after listening. Rate, Review, & Follow on Spotify & Apple Podcasts “This is a great show for educators in STEM! Love Leena’s perspective on creating equitable classroom environments for STEM and the guests are always spot on!” <– If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing our show (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/teaching-stem-4real/id1611583589)! This helps us support more people — just like you — move toward creating access and equity in STEM, #4Real. Click here (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/teaching-stem-4real/id1611583589), scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode! You can also rate the show on Spotify here: https://open.spotify.com/show/7CsBVUpmzwgvNsSYkWcJ4C (https://open.spotify.com/show/7CsBVUpmzwgvNsSYkWcJ4C) Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the podcast here: Follow now (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/teaching-stem-4real/id1611583589)! Teaching STEM #4Real is a podcast dedicated to #4Real conversations on educational equity in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education hosted by Dr. Leena Bakshi McLean. If you’re interested in exploring what anti-racism and socially just instruction looks like in our classrooms, schools, and beyond, you are in the right place. Dr. Bakshi is also the founder of the non-profit, STEM4Real (https://stem4real.org/). Please visit our website (https://stem4real.org/) for information on how to partner with us. Thank you for helping us make STEM, #4Real.

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

20,574

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

26 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 35 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

13

Social presence

0

YouTube

72

Engagement

71

Contact Teaching STEM #4Real

Guest appearances

Does not typically book guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.