STEM is Elementary Newsletter March 2015

Transcription

1 Print Close Window Subject: March 2015 STEM is Elementary Newsletter From: "Robert Claymier" Date: Sun, Mar 01, :31 pm To: "Bob" STEM is Elementary Newsletter March 2015 Welcome to my STEM is Elementary Newsletter for March, 2015! Hello Bob, thanks for subscribing to my monthly newsletter. This issue contains information on 4 different elementary STEM events as well as other great resources. Enjoy! ITEEA and Children's Council INBOX&aEmlPart=0 1/10

2 Conference March 26 28, 2015 The ITEEA Board of Directors, the Milwaukee Planning team, and the Wisconsin Technology Education Association would like to invite you to the 77th Annual Conference to be held in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, March 26-28, The conference is for STEM educators from grades K through post-graduate. Over 100 Professional Development Learning Sessions will be conducted at this year s conference. Sample sessions are listed below: Engineering and Manufacturing Build Creative Careers A Comprehensive STEM Plan for K-12 Instruction Bringing STEM Together Robotics for Elementary STEM Education Cutting Edge Becoming a STEM-Integration School Friday Is This Engineering? How to Put STEM into Every Classroom STEM for Out of Your Seat and On Your Feet Learning K-5 Teaching Physical Science Concepts Through Engineering Problems Highlights of the conference will include: The ITEEA STEM Showcase a Thursday afternoon event featuring teachers, teacher educators, and others who want to share their best technology and engineering (or STEM-related) practices and successful programs with one another. Administrator Strand a special professional development program JUST for administrators. Complimentary registration is also provided to this group. ITEEA Teaching Technology and Engineering Education Collegiate Association (TEECA) student competitions TEECA hosts various competitions during the conference. ITEEA Attendee Reception on Thursday evening and the Exhibitor Raffle. Exhibitor-sponsored events and the Exhibitor showcase will also be held in the exhibit hall. To learn more about the conference, go to INBOX&aEmlPart=0 2/10

3 Elementary STEM Learning Fair Presnted by the OTEEA and STEM is Elementary April 17, 2015 Marion, OH The Ohio Technology and Engineering Educators Association will be hosting an Elementary STEM Fair on Friday, April 17 at the TRECA Digital Academy, 100 Executive Drive in Marion, OH The half day (1 4 PM) event will allow participants to share lessons and ideas, sample elementary STEM resources from institutions and vendors, and discuss issues concerning integrating STEM into the standards based elementary classroom. Elementary STEM resources that will be at the Fair include: Engineering by Design Brackitz KEVA Planks Little Bits Electronics DesignSySTEM MakeDo Edison the Robot Engineering Educators Snap Circuits Family Engineering INBOX&aEmlPart=0 3/10

4 Entelechy Education, LLC Center for Math, Science and Technology, Illinois State University The cost to attend the event is only $40 and presenters be admitted for free. To register for the Elementary STEM Fair, please download and complete this form. University of Cincinnati STEM Conference, 2015 Wednesday, May 20, 2015, 7:45 AM 3:45 PM Tangeman University Center, University of Cincinnati Who should attend? K-12 STEM teachers and administrators for public and private schools who: wish to network with educational organizations that support STEM education are seeking innovative instructional strategies in STEM disciplines plan to network with other STEM teachers are creating professional support systems for STEM educators are interested in existing models for stem education Leaders in higher education, business and industry that support STEM education and STEM-related career opportuniities who: are seeking avenues to bridge students into STEM INBOX&aEmlPart=0 4/10

5 careers are interested in models for STEM education The conference opens in the Great Hall at TUC, beginning with the STEM Showcase, from 7:45 to 9:30 and features over 35 different informal educational organizations and higher education institutes that represent a variety of STEM topics and careers. Each informal organization offers education outreach to teachers. The higher education representatives will share STEM career opportunities with teachers for the purpose of making their students aware of the various STEM career possibilities available to them. From 7:45 to 8:30, there will be a poster session display in the front lobby of units on challenge based learning and engineering design process presented by CEEMS and RET teachers. Beginning at 8:30, the conference also features 4 concurrent break-out sessions including interactive workshops, led by teachers, administrators and business and industry leaders. Up to 7 professional contact hours offered. A Tweet challenge - an opportunity for attendees to win educational prizes. For more information, click here Online Course: INBOX&aEmlPart=0 5/10

6 Introduction to Elementary STEM The purpose of this course is to provide educators the opportunity to understand and experience integration of STEM lessons into the pre K 6 science curricula. Each of the course s 10 sessions will require 2 hours per week to complete. Sessions will include discussing the benefits of developing STEM literacy in school age students; defining STEM; experiencing hands on activities that serve as exemplars for integrating STEM concepts with academic standards for science; understanding how scientific inquiry and engineering design can guide implementing STEM projects in elementary science lessons; and reviewing resources for elementary STEM. As a final project, attendees will develop their own integrated STEM lessons based on a science concept standard they teach at their grade level. The next course will begin in June Attendees can also earn one semester hour of graduate credit through Ashland (OH) University and is available for anyone in Ohio, the U.S., or in the world. learn more about the course, click here Kids Invent Tinker! Newsletter Tinker! is a new monthly newsletter for inventive kids. It is the catalyst to put their ideas in motion, to make the stuff they dream about, and to learn in the process. It's also their opportunity to have their creative work recognized by featuring their photos and descriptions of what they build. Tinker! is upbeat, creative, and interactive. Kids send photos and describe their ideas to share with other kids. It suggests books, videos, and other resources that inventing kids might enjoy and never suggests they purchase a particular product. Also check out their science activities, including boats, cars, motors, flying things, mechanical toys, rockets, alternative energy and more. INBOX&aEmlPart=0 6/10

7 BirdBrain Technologies BirdBrain Technologies is devoted to creating robots and other electronics that educate and inspire by enabling students to be creative in ways that are relevant to their natural interests. They currently have two robot models, the Hummingbird and the Finch. Hummingbird Hummingbird is designed to enable engineering and robotics activities for ages 13 and up (8 with adult supervision) that involve the making of robots, kinetic sculptures, and animatronics built out of a combination of kit parts and crafting materials. Combined with very easy to use software environments like Scratch, Snap Create Lab Visual Probgramme rand Ardublock, Hummingbird provides a great way to introduce kids to robotics and engineering with construction materials that they are already familiar with. At the same time, Hummingbird to provide new challenges by allowing programming in the Arduino environment, Python, Java, and Processing, and by supporting Raspberry Pi. Finch The Finch is designed to support an engaging introduction to the art of programming It has support for over a dozen programming languages and environments, including several environments appropriate for students as young as eight years old. The Finch was designed to allow students to write richly interactive programs On board features include: Light, temperature, and obstacle sensors Accelerometers Motors Buzzer Full color beak LED Pen mount for drawing capability Plugs into USB port no batteries required To learn more about the Hummingbird and Finch and see videos of the products, visit INBOX&aEmlPart=0 7/10

8 Try Engineering: Standards based Engineering Lessons Try Engineering: Standards based Engineering Lessons Over the past decade, TeachEngineering has compiled an impressive digital library of 1,352 free, engaging, teacher tested engineering lessons and activities for use in science, engineering, technology, and math classrooms. Based at the Integrated Teaching and Learning Lab at the University of Colorado, Boulder s College of Engineering, the searchable collection recently got a makeover. Improvements include aligning activities with the Common Core mathematics and Next Generation science standards with new alignments each week and a new section called Sprinkles with abbreviated versions of TeachEngineering s most popular activities streamlined for use in after school programs or other informal education settings. Activities and curricular units can be browsed by subject area, standard, and key word, with a featured activity each month. To find standards based engineering lessons, go to Past Foundation PAST Innovation Lab is a leader in redesigning K 16 education. We know that preparing students for 21st century careers is a challenge for educators, a challenge PAST has met by helping teachers and schools adopt transdiciplinary problem-based learning (TPBL) as their instructional strategy. Transdisciplinary problem-based learning means students integrate what they learn in every class to solve real world problems that s linking learning to life. Teachers work together to generate innovative student learning experiences. It s not about memorizing information or mastering one skill. It s about combining knowledge INBOX&aEmlPart=0 8/10

9 from multiple classes and disciplines to solve real world problems. It s exciting and rewarding for teachers and students! PAST s online coursework for teachers introduces them to TPBL, and gives them the tools and support they need to reinvent their own teaching methods. We consult directly with schools and districts to create TPBL environments that transform the way children are taught to better meet the needs of today s students. If you would like more information about PAST, please visit our website at or send us an at info@pastfoundation.org. Soap Box Derby Curriculum In October, the International Soap Box Derby and Western Reserve Public Media announced an agreement to expand educational offerings through the Derby's Gravity Racing Challenge program. The Derby program uses the tools and values of Soap Box Derby racing to introduce science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) concepts to students in an enjoyable, engaging way. The program is designed to provide K 12 educators and students with project and standards based intercurricular learning opportunities. The Educational Services staff at Western Reserve Public Media will use the Soap Box Derby theme to develop a kit of resources and activities that link to the Ohio Department of Education's New Learning Standards for fifth graders. Following STEM standards, the project curriculum will include videos, lesson plans, activities, background resources, assessments, and professional development opportunities. To learn more about the Soap Box Derby, click here INBOX&aEmlPart=0 9/10

10 That's my newsletter for this month. I hope you found some articles and events of interest. I also hope to see you at an elementary STEM event soon! Please let me know what you would like to see in future issues. Also, please share this issue with colleagues and let them know they can subscribe for free through my website, below. Bob Claymier STEM is Elementary bob@stemiselementary.com STEM is Elementary, 248 N. Franklin St, Delaware, OH 43015, USA Unsubscribe Change Subscriber Options Copyright All rights reserved. INBOX&aEmlPart=0 10/10