[sara.howell]

in reply to: 5.5 – Transforming Lessons #3746

Here’s my new & Improved lesson plan that incorporates STEM components into a daily lesson!
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/15KuNfZd-hr1F6iXpsrZm8MMcnY5gbBmN/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=118099014160123886612&rtpof=true&sd=true

[sara.howell]

in reply to: 5.3 – Focus on Equity #3745

The “wax museum” lesson is definitely one I’ll be adapting to fit the needs of my high school physics students. Students will research a wide variety of inventors specific to the area of electricity/magnetism and share how these inventors come from diverse backgrounds. They will have access to inventors both past and present, and will do a small presentation to their peers about the diversity of their inventor.

[sara.howell]

in reply to: 5.2 – STEM Lessons #3744

I can’t wait to use the “travel brochure” lesson! As a teacher of high school earth science, I will adapt and elevate the plan to fit my students’ needs. They will pick a part of the atmosphere (content that is covered in the course) and create a travel brochure that shows understanding of that part of the atmosphere, as if they were really able to visit it! The brochure will include key characteristics of that layer of the atmosphere, why it is important, what might be found there, and what it is composed of. They will use Canva or a similar program to create their brochures…they can even hand-draw them if that feels good for their learning style!

[sara.howell]

in reply to: 5.1 – STEM Lesson Observation #3743

The teacher’s emphasis on collaboration, creativity, and problem-solving shows how it is possible to integrate STEM strategies into other subject areas. Since she mentions she’d like to “add new concepts and build upon their knowledge” some next steps might include having students collaboratively write their own sentences and/or work together to problem-solve sentences that already exist, but have poor structure. She might also have students use materials around the room to build a new game that incorporates sentence structure lessons or code a game that will engage others in the classroom.

[sara.howell]

in reply to: 4.3 – Helpful Social Media Sources #3741

The STEM Education Twitter resource was the most helpful since I was able to browse posts and utilize their resources without having an account (like those that are on Facebook). Not only are the scientific articles and books interesting, but the photos and videos of students doing STEM projects are exciting and inspirational! It’s so fun to see different groups of students participating in such a variety of STEM activities.

I love the Instagram site “She Can Stem” (@shecanstem) because it focuses on all the different types of women that have a strong presence in STEM. After recently taking some professional development with the College Board about their AP Physics courses, I was reminded of how many of our teachers and colleagues are male. As an adult this is intimidating, so I cannot even imagine how our students feel. I can’t wait to share this resource, and some of their partner organizations, with my students!

[sara.howell]

in reply to: 4.2 – Helpful STEM Blog Posts & Online Publications #3740

The “Journal of STEM Education: Innovations and Research” is the online publication that feels like it will be most helpful to my role as a digital educator. The quarterly publication emphasizes real-world scenarios impacting STEM educators. I’m really looking forward to reading and learning from each of these journals, both upcoming and present. With articles from flipped instruction to improving middle school science achievement, I think the knowledge and case studies that are contained in this journal will help improve my role in STEM teaching.

One additional blog that I found on my own is from Youngstown State University (https://academics.ysu.edu/stem-blog). It’s updated frequently and offers a variety of updates on events and happenings in the world of STEM. For example, in March YSU celebrated Engineers week with activities and friendly competitions between departments. Ideas like this inspire me to host similar events in my classroom and will certainly benefit my teaching.

[sara.howell]

in reply to: 4.1 – Helpful STEM Websites #3696

The STEM Equity Initiative was one of the websites that I found to be exceptionally helpful because it focuses on “efforts to increase access to and success within academic programs”. The resources included in this website are intended to engage learners with activities such as “empowerment cards” and a “color your career activity book”. The options for professional development are endless throughout the website and the passion of the leadership of the STEM Equity Initiative is palpable.
The Center for Broadening Participation in STEM (https://stemcenter.asu.edu/) is one of the websites I use regularly and the partnership with ASU is one of the reasons it’s unique. Offering a variety of resources and programs, the CBP is largely funded by the National Science Foundation and encourages faculty and school-wide programs to incorporate STEM. The research that has been completed by the CBP has reviewed STEM Education at Rural Hispanic-Serving Institutions and is rooted in a variety of internship programs.

[sara.howell]

in reply to: 3.3 – STEM and Student Voice #3695

Margaret Mead’s quote emphasizes the importance of teaching students to establish their own thoughts instead of providing them with a specific agenda. In my physics classroom, the student’s voice guides where discussions should go and which real-world examples lessons, and learning opportunities should be rooted in. Students need the opportunities to ask questions, explore without restraint, and identify problems, concerns, and solutions. It is the student who drives instruction and that’s precisely what I think Margaret Mead meant. She wanted students to learn skills that allow them to develop their own thoughts.

[sara.howell]

in reply to: 3.2 – STEM Lesson Ideas #3694

Since my content area is physics, integrating STEM components is part of my daily work in the classroom. Several years ago the Pringle Ringle was really popular on social media platforms, and I think this would make a fun lesson idea that students would really enjoy. The activity is an engineering challenge that asks students to build a ring using only Pringles. Prior to building, students will collaborate in small groups to research and design a plan for the challenge. Then, students will create a model, test it, and redesign it as needed.

[sara.howell]

in reply to: 3.1 – STEM Schools #3691

Ft. Lewis College in Durango, Colorado has a program called “Trio Stem3”, which has a vision for all of its students to graduate within 6 years in a STEM field, with the skills needed to successfully navigate academic, career, and life challenges. The program currently serves 120 students in disciplines from anthropology to sports administration. The school as a whole prepares learners for futures in STEM with government funding and courses rooted in inquiry-based and project-based learning experiences.
The school has a variety of partnerships that range from local high schools to global projects. For example, students can participate in the “Village Aid Project” which allows faculty and students to work with communities to find sustainable solutions to critical engineering problems. More locally, Animas High School was funded by the BEST grant and supported by FLC. The mission statement of both FLC and Animas High School focuses on the key values of innovation, experiential education, inclusivity, and transformative learning.

[sara.howell]

in reply to: 2.1 – Elements of STEM & College and Career Readiness #3664

STEM education and postsecondary expectations are both rooted in four elements. The “think” element of college readiness really aligns with inquiry-based learning, as they both rely on the cognitive strategies of questioning, identifying problems, and finding solutions. Project-based learning supports these themes by incorporating active exploration. Another common theme between STEM education and postsecondary expectations is communication. STEM education encourages students to use twenty-first century skills, which supports the student in having technical knowledge and skills, learner agency, and technology proficiency. The engineering design process of STEM education encourages students to communicate as well, along with creating plans and adjusting those plans as necessary. This process is very similar to the “act” phase of postsecondary expectations since students need to have perseverance and motivation along with time-management and self-advocacy.
Assignments that would satisfy the criteria of both include anything that allows students to think, grow, and create in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. A specific example might include a science lab where students are given a set of circuit materials and asked to form a question about the materials in front of them. They would then need to identify a purpose and hypothesis, determine which of the circuit materials will be used, create a procedure, and analyze their results. This inquiry activity encourages students to set goals, manage their time, actively explore, and effectively communicate.

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