STEM Professional Learning Teams. A MiddleWeb Blog The National STEM Conference in Boston last week attracted over 1,500 folks – including corporate leaders, government officials, curriculum developers, and classroom teachers. They were there, of course, to discuss the crucial need for more American students to be well-educated in STEM subjects – science, technology, engineering, and math. The basic premise is familiar to all of us involving in STEM advocacy: Student mastery of STEM subjects is essential to our economic growth, and presently we face serious challenges in developing students who can perform successfully in the STEM workplace.
The professional learning challenge When push comes to shove, student success in STEM courses depends on teachers with the skills, knowledge and support to engage students through the engineering design process and help them discover the many upsides of STEM careers. . • What strategies can teachers use to help their students integrate, apply, and make sense of this learning? 1. 2. 3. 4. World Languages Elementary STEM Curriculum Modules. Getting the STEM Message to Parents. A MiddleWeb Blog “I wish I knew the answer to your question.” That was my reaction when I read a comment on my recent post, STEM Summer Activities, from Caroline (Cal) Goode, a STEM curriculum writer and science education consultant who’s been a guest author here at STEM Imagineering. She wondered: “How do we get the message out to parents? I find that many parents still don’t understand what STEM even means.
So, how can we do more to educate parents? Does anyone know of a successful working model?” Inspired by Cal’s wonderings, I set out on Google to see what answers I might find. . • A few clicks of the mouse and I located a document from the Committee on K-12 Education titled “A Letter on STEM Education to America’s Parents. . ” • Then a flash of inspiration hit and I clicked my way over to the National PTA site. . • Further searching brought up a newsletter – The Daily in Depth Cause News – that reported on PTA STEM advocacy activities in California, Delaware, and Connecticut. . • Aha! The Why and How of STEM. A MiddleWeb Resource Roundup In the six months that STEM Imagineering blogger Anne Jolly has shared her expertise in STEM learning with MiddleWeb readers, she has delved into the theory and the practice, with an emphasis on what works for teachers and students in the classroom. In this Resource Roundup we provide an overview of STEM, gather some of Anne’s resources into one place, and add some new finds.
What better time to focus on STEM than right before the kickoff of National Engineers Week on February 17? The coalition sponsoring the 63-year old observance keeps K12 education in mind with resources for students and teachers. While engineering is the focus, other STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) topics abound. Be sure to visit Discover Engineering, an interactive website targeting kids in grades 6-9. The Introduce A Girl To Engineering Day page provides ideas for attracting girls to engineering throughout the year.
STEM Is for Everyone STEM: The Concept …Math and Science. Jie Qi - DREU Participant 2009. School: Columbia University major: mechanical engineering year: graduated May 2010 contact: jieqi[at]media.mit.edu website: technolojie.com My name is Jie Qi and I'm interested in all things art and technology, especially where the two blend. I love to make things, be it drawing, crafting, building or hacking. Through DREU (Distributed Research Experiences for Undergraduates), I spent the summer researching with Leah Buechley as part of the High-Low Tech group in the MIT Media Lab. More recent work can be found on my Flickr page and Youtube page. Studio H. EYE Middle Grades Modules. Harnessing the Wind. Module Summary: In this module, students design and build prototypes of wind turbines. After asking thoughtful questions to better define their problem and researching the basics of wind-powered electricity generation, students begin to develop ideas.
Using a pre-built wind turbine tower, teams of students collaborate to determine the number, position and design of the blades for a wind turbine. Students construct their designs and test them by using a voltmeter to measure the amount of electrical energy produced by their wind turbine. Based on an evaluation of their data, other teams’ designs, and teacher-prompted conversation about what they have observed, student teams redesign and retest their blade assemblies. Throughout the design process students are working in teams and are encouraged to focus on specific teamwork goals that they have set for themselves.
Students have a second design-related task: To locate a site to build a wind farm. Volunteer tasks for this module include: Anatomy of a STEM Lesson. For some years now, I’ve been involved in writing STEM curriculum modules. The modules, developed with support from a National Science Foundation grant, are designed for 3 to 5 days, with math and science thoroughly intertwined around the engineering design process. (These modules are written by a team of writers, BTW, not just me.) The math and science teachers who implement each module go through professional development together, and their students should have a seamless experience as they travel from math to science classrooms, working on their engineering challenge. Recently I’ve also been partnering with Caroline Goode who is (among other things) a teaching eMentor for a joint project of the National Science Teachers Association and the New Teacher Center.
The kick-off In the NSTA/NTC work, we start each round of lessons by working with selected math and science teachers from a particular grade level. The Challenge: Stop the Drop! Mapping the Lesson to the EDP So that’s the basic idea. Mr Schrader (.com) - About Mr. Schrader. How OK Go's Amazing Rube Goldberg Machine Was Built | Gadget Lab. In music, timing is everything.
When you’re dancing with an enormous machine, it’s even more important to get the timing correct, down to the microsecond. For its latest video, released on YouTube Monday night, pop band OK Go recruited a gang of very talented engineers to build a huge, elaborate Rube Goldberg machine whose action perfectly meshes with the band’s song, “This Too Shall Pass,” from the band’s new album, Of the Blue Color of the Sky. For nearly four minutes — captured in a single, unbroken camera shot — the machine rolls metal balls down tracks, swings sledgehammers, pours water, unfurls flags and drops a flock of umbrellas from the second story, all perfectly synchronized with the song. A few gasp-inducing, grin-producing moments when the machine’s action lines up so perfectly, you can only shake your head in admiration at the creativity and precision of the builders. Planning for the video began in November, when Syyn Labs secured a warehouse in the Echo Park area of L.A.
Jlancastertech / STEM in the Elementary Grades. STEM is interpreted in different ways at various schools. This presentation shows how we are implementing STEM into our curriculum in grades 1-4. Our program is open-ended, changing as our students, technology and research change. STEM Research and Resources Build a Kite - a second grade engineering project based on the Year of the Dragon State Websites - Web 2.0 infused websites using Google Apps Sites Clue Project Weather Collaboration LEGO Showcase Grant - a hands-on community event, Rockin' & Blockin' Memphis, offered through a grant provided by Education Blueprints Association Bioluminescent Invertebrates- use littleBits electronic parts to create a glowing sea creature International Project Thinkin' Games - a collection of STEM game ideas for grades 1-4, with descriptions, prices, links and videos American Symbols - creating famous landmarks with LEGOs QR Code Scavenger Hunt - first graders use iPads to explore Mexico Robotics - Elementary WeDo Robotics Explore Memphis Science & Engineering.
FLL Basics (The ABC's of FLL) | FIRST LEGO League. What is FIRST LEGO League? FIRST LEGO League (FLL) is an exciting alliance between FIRST and the LEGO® Group. It’s a robotics program for 9 to 16 year olds (9 to 14 in US/CAN/MEX), which is designed to get children excited about science and technology -- and teach them valuable employment and life skills. Teams of up to 10 kids program an autonomous robot (using a LEGO MINDSTORMS® robot set) to score points on a thematic playing surface, create an innovative solution to a problem as part of their Project, all while guided by the FLL Core Values. These three elements - the Robot Game, Project, and FLL Core Values - make up what we call our yearly Challenge.What sets FLL apart from other STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) programs?
FLL combines the engineering challenge of a robotics competition with real-world problem solving and inventing. Return to Top What can I expect from FLL? What can I expect from my child? Kids who participate in FIRST programs are: How can I help? After School LEGO Programs. After School Clubs. New York State STEM Education Home Page. Atlantis Remixed :: Educators. What is Jr.FLL.