This workshop-style event will be a hands-on, minds-on event focused on Robotics for grades K-12. The day will feature numerous options for you to learn from the best robotics educators in Ohio. The day will also include an opportunity to tour and learn more about the Robotics & Advanced Manufacturing Technology Education Collaborative (RAMTEC). RAMTEC has truly been a catalyst for how education and business can collaborate to fill the robotics and automation skill set needs of a next-generation workforce.
Laurie Green, Technology Consultant and robotics education facilitator, and I will be doing an all-day hands on workshop on robotics and coding for grades preK-5.
Bowling Green State University
Olscamp Hall
8:45 AM - 3:00 PM
Saturday, November 17, 2018
I am presenting two sessions at the Symposium this year. One will be a hands-on presentation of elementary STEM resources. The other will be co-presented with Laurie Green, an education and technology consultant from Cleveland and is on robotics and coding resources for the elementary grades.
The symposium is sponsored by the Northwest Ohio Center of Excellence in Science and Mathematics Education (NWO) and its partners throughout the region. This event offers a valuable opportunity for P-16 educators to share and learn from one another in our common effort to advance science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education for people of all ages.
Last year the symposium had more than 500 attendees at this event, including in-service and pre-service teachers, higher education faculty, graduate and undergraduate students, and business and community partners participating in more than 60 sessions.
2018 NWO Symposium Strands
1. STEM in the Community: Thinking Outside the Classroom
2. Putting Creativity to Work: Teaching STEM With Innovation
3. Integrating Technology in the Classroom
4. Teaching and Learning in SCIENCE
5. Teaching and Learning in MATHEMATICS
6. Teaching and Learning in ENGINEERING
NEW Highlight for 2018
The Symposium will host an Education Resource Fair, where local educational resource providers will showcase classroom resources and services available for teachers and students.
Call for Exhibitors at MakerX, Ohio Expo Center April 6, 2019
MakerX is an annual festival celebrating creating with technology. It will take place on April 6, 2019 at the Ohio Expo Center (aka State Fairgrounds) in Columbus, OH. Additional details and tickets will become available during the Fall of 2018.
We are currently seeking exhibitors for MakerX 2019. If you make something with digital tools and would like to spend April 6 sharing what you do with the public please check out our Exhibit page for the details of how to become an exhibitor at MakerX. The Gallery page illustrates some of our exhibitors from last year. We take the theme “creating with technology” broadly. If you have any questions about the appropriateness of what you are thinking of contributing to MakerX, please feel free to get in touch with Bill Ball at billball@capital.edu.
We will accept and approve exhibitor proposals on a rolling basis, effective immediately and continuing until January 5.
For more information, visit http://makerx.org/
The Ohio Educational Technology Conference (OETC) is the premier P-20 state educational technology conference. Each year, more than 4,000 educational technology professionals and enthusiasts come together to explore the forefront of P-20 learning and innovation in Ohio.
Designed to cultivate partnerships, promote collaboration, deliver high-quality information, and make technology accessible and enjoyable for educators, the OETC is the must-attend conference of the year for P-20 teachers, curriculum and technology coordinators, administrators, higher education professors and administrators, and everyone who is interested in learning more about what’s happening in technology today.
For three full days, attendees can learn what’s new and look towards the future by exploring new technologies, experiment with hands-on demonstrations in an interactive atmosphere, and learn how to integrate new ideas into the learning environment.
3Dux Design:
Responsibly Engineered Architecture Set
Using colorful 3D printed connectors and recycled cardboard geometric shapes, 3Dux/design offers youth a fun and educational tool to solve today's environmental issues. All products are all made in the U.S.A.
The products encourage skill development in all areas of STEAM: Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics
design for all ages
Youngest builders (ages 4+) explore spatial relationships, design, and imaginative play. Older innovators gain a deeper understanding of architecture, 3D modeling, engineering, and geometry.
I have used the connectors with 3rd-5th graders on designing tiny house models and the students have been really pleased with the neat, easy way they can quickly create their models. I love the simplicity of the components, the fact that builders use recycled cardboard, and the designs are unstructured, so only the users’ imaginations are the limit to what they can create.
3DuxUniversity is coming this winter... All Kickstarter Backers get free tuition!
Any pledge (yes, even $1) will get you a full 3 month scholarship to 3DuxUniversity, a new platform for kids, schools and programs that will open winter 2019. But hurry up, there's only 2 days left.
What is 3DuxU?
An online space where individual children and program-based groups can imagine, create, share, inspire and be inspired. Students will learn STEM fundamentals through design challenges and open ended creative play. At 3DuxU, kids are free to create and learn without rules, tests, or wrong answers. All posted materials will be curated by the 3DuxDesign Team.
Here's an outline of what 3DuxU students will get.
monthly design prompts and challenges presented by esteemed architects, educators and design thinkers from across the globe
a place to share their projects with our community
opportunity to explore other cultures through design
prizes for students and teams whose projects are featured
access to kid-friendly tutorials ranging from geometry and engineering to product photography, video production and creative writing
I want my readers to make up their own minds about supporting any Kickstart initiative. I am not receiving any compensation from 3Dux Design for supporting their fundraiser, just like I don't receive any compensation for any of the resources mentioned in this newsletter. I just want to make you aware of a limited opportunity. I did support their Kickstart fundraiser.
This is a lesson I modified when I did my tiny house project with the 3rd-5th graders using 3Dux Design connectors. I thought it was easy to follow, yet had many lesson extensions in addition to the basic design and build of a tiny house. The plans were $4. This lesson could be correlated to engineering, math, language arts, and social studies standards.
Another resource that I have featured in my newsletter before is MakeDo. They are plastic screws (or scrus) and simple tools that let everyone from young children to adults easily transform recycled cardboard and plastic into rockets, structures, suits of armor, or almost anything else imaginable. Another inexpensive reusable construction system that is excellent for quick, durable cardboard modeling. It would go perfectly with the 3Dux Design connectors to allow unlimited cardboard constructions.
Nationwide Hotel and Conference Center
100 Green Meadows Drive South
Lewis Center, OH 43035
Raising the Science Standards of Excellence Through EmPOWERed Teachers
Symposium strands:
P- Practical Applications in Life, Earth and Space, and Physical
Science O- Outcome Based W- Web-Based Learning E- Engaging Learners Through Literacy in Science R- Resources in STEM and Scientific Inquiry
SECO is the Ohio chapter of the National Science Teachers Association
Co-published with ASCD, this book explains how teachers can implement the 7 Project Based Teaching Practices in the Buck Institute's model for Gold Standard PBL: Build the Culture, Design & Plan, Align to Standards, Manage Activities, Assess Student Learning, Scaffold Student Learning, and Engage & Coach.
Project Based Teaching is authored by PBL expert and Buck Institute National Faculty member Suzie Boss, with contributions from John Larmer, Editor in Chief at the Buck Institute for Education. It highlights teachers from diverse K-12 classrooms, and includes practical, classroom-tested tools and advice from the Buck Institute National Faculty and other PBL teachers and coaches. It also features "Try This" activities to use with students and colleagues, and "Coaches' Notebook" tips for instructional coaches.
Robots are an incredible and transformative learning tool. To help inspire students to become critical thinkers, creative makers, and collaborative & communicative teammates with robotics, our team has put together a reading list to empower budding innovators and creators of any age.
From books about real life robots and innovators, to books celebrating persistence and problem solving, this list has something for every K-12 classroom.
Watch a webinar on strategies for teaching code in just one lesson!
Teaching computer science and coding might seem like a daunting task but it can be quite accessible. A single introductory lesson can inspire a lifetime of interest in young students.
Students learn to create new technologies, preparing them for career paths ahead.
Students will be able to analyze data to describe seasonal patterns.
Students will be able to use evidence and models to construct an explanation of Earth’s tilt relative to the Sun as Earth revolves around the Sun over a year.
Space is one of those subjects (like dinosaurs) that kids love learning and reading about. Some kids read about the mysteries of the cosmos and get so inspired they grow up to be scientists or astronauts. Regardless of whether your kids’ ultimate destination is the moon or Earth, they will love these nonfiction space books for kids.
LinkEngineering has pulled together a list of STEM competitions that have a solid engineering component. Before you decide to participate in a contest with your students, make sure that you understand the time commitment, associated costs, and how the challenges will align with your STEM curriculum. And consider whether you have the time and resources to give the kids a shot at doing quality work. Be aware that sometimes it makes the most sense to create an afterschool club to work on the project, rather than integrating the competition into the school day.
Elementary Teachers Need to Begin Preparing Students for Success in STEM
The STEM education wave is nearly 20 years old, and it shows no signs of receding. A coinage of the early 2000’s that surfaced first in National Science Foundation grants, “STEM education” has become a foundational concept in American education.
It is hailed as both a vital workforce development asset and a method for integrating learning across disciplines. And it underpins growing interest in topics like “new collar” jobs, early-college high school, and the fusion of academic content with career and technical education.
However, all of this educational weight sits atop the slenderest of reeds in the STEM education landscape: the capacity of elementary educators to prepare their students for success in STEM-related topics as they move on to middle and high school studies.
To be sure, this condition is no fault of elementary educators. But their keystone role in fostering students’ capacity for and interest in STEM learning makes elementary STEM education an urgent issue for a parade of downstream stakeholders, whether in school, at home, or in the workplace.
The Elementary STEM Council (formerly ITEEA's Children's Council) is an affiliate council of the International Technology and Engineering Educators Association (ITEEA). The Elementary STEM Council promotes technology education in the elementary school by supporting teachers with instructional materials and inservice monographs, workshops and technology activity curriculum packages. Dues include a subscription to The Elementary STEM Journal. Follow ESC on Facebook.
Council Purpose:The Elementary STEM Council promotes technology and engineering education for the elementary schools.
Council Mission: The mission of the Elementary STEM Council is to build a collaborative network of educators dedicated to the advancement of technological literacy at the elementary level.
Council Goals: Goal 1: To provide teachers, supervisors and administrators with professional development opportunities that promote understanding and build capacity in teaching technology and engineering at the elementary level. Goal 2:To develop and share elementary technology and engineering resources that promote children’s creativity, ingenuity, and design-based problem-solving skills. Goal 3: To sponsor The Elementary STEM Journal, which offers articles and resources promoting the integration of technology and engineering into the elementary school curriculum. Goal 4: To plan and organize meetings, workshops, and events at the annual ITEEA conference which cater to the needs of those concerned with the integration of technology and engineering concepts and skills at the elementary level. Goal 5: To promote the study of technology and engineering as a vital aspect in every elementary school.
ESCape the Ordinary - Join ITEEA's Elementary STEM Council Today! Benefits of membership include:
Leadership opportunities for Elementary School teachers, administrators, and Supervisors
Promote model programs at the Elementary level
Professional development sessions designed for teaching technology and engineering at the elementary level
Dues include a subscription to The Elementary STEM Journal
ITEEA/ESC MEMBERS VIEW ARCHIVED WEBINAR VIDEO FOR FREE
Have you been looking for innovative ways to integrate STEM in your elementary school? Have you wondered how to incorporate STEM on a budget with limited space and supplies? Join Elementary STEM Specialists, Drs. Laura Hummell and Thomas Roberts, to discuss and share ways to incorporate STEM concepts and strategies in your elementary schools. This interactive Elementary STEM Council Webinar will allow participants to generate ideas and populate living documents to use and share throughout the school year.
Invention Education Professional Development Learn the value of invention education and practical ways to teach the invention process through this interactive, fun, hands-on professional development.
• Lunch provided
• Continuing education credits available
• Free mini-tool kit and access to curriculum
Saturday, Nov 17, 2018
9:30 am – 4:00 pm
Columbus College of Art & Design
LoAnn Crane Center for Design
(Corner of Cleveland and Gay)
112 Cleveland Avenue
Columbus, Ohio 43215
RSVP by November 10 at http://www.inventionleague.org/rsvp-pd-november-2018/
Engineering – Go For It National Day of Design Challenge
Every day, Americans waste enough food to fill a football stadium, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service. And school lunchrooms are part of the problem.
To celebrate National STEM/STEAM Day on November 8, the STEMconnector’s second annual National Day of Design is challenging students of all grade levels to design solutions for eliminating food waste in their school’s cafeteria.
The contest, which is aligned with Next Generation Science Standards, encourages real-world critical thinking, communication, teamwork, and overall STEM skills. It was created to spark interest in STEM and inspire more young people to pursue STEM careers. The 2017 inaugural National Day of Design drew more than 30,000 participants across the country.
The 2018 National Day of Design Mission, Food Rescuers: STEM Innovations to Reduce Food Waste provides an interdisciplinary, hands-on way for K-12 students to acquire a deeper understanding about an issue that affects their daily lives and their communities while using various science, English, technology, and engineering skills to tackle it.
Write a story that celebrates engineering design and problem solving.
The EngineerGirl writing contest is, for the first time, asking students to submit works of creative fiction.
We want stories about women and girls saving the day with their wits, skill, and whatever resources they can find to solve the problem. Maybe they are working alone, maybe they are part of an elite team. Maybe they just find themselves in an unusual situation that requires some innovative thinking. We want stories that inspire EngineerGirl readers to think, “I want to be able to do that” or “I can do that.”
edWebinars are free and fun. Register for an upcoming live edWebinar or watch on demand. Join edWeb to connect with colleagues around the world who are passionate about teaching and learning!
Supporting Playful Learning at School and at Home
Monday, Oct. 29 at 2 p.m. Eastern Time
Messy Science: Using Art to Promote Scientific Reasoning
Monday, Oct. 29 at 5 p.m. Eastern Time
Creative, Arts-Based STEM Learning in Early Childhood
Thursday, Nov. 1 at 2 p.m. Eastern Time
Powerful Teaching: Unleash the Science of Learning
Monday, Nov. 5 at 3 p.m. Eastern Time
Developing Future-Ready Students Through Coding
Monday, Nov. 5 at 4 p.m. Eastern Time
Supporting Preschool Science Learning Through Music
Wednesday, Nov. 7 at 3 p.m. Eastern Time
Design challenge: Help students focus with a design brief
Leading a design challenge can be daunting, especially when the problem is complex and wide-ranging. This year’s Ohio Design Challenge is no different:
Work as a team to imagine, design and prototype a solution to increase food security in your life, community, or world.
Food security can cover issues like how we grow food, how we transport it, and how it’s distributed.
For the Ohio STEM Learning Network, STEM is more than Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. In the schools we represent, Ohio students are inspired to collaborate across disciplines to successfully solve real-world problems. That is the essence of STEM— students demonstrating knowledge by applying it to real-world situations.
The STEM school model pairs career preparation with innovative
teaching, college credits, credentials, and local business needs.
STEM schools must:
Enroll students under an open admissions policy (with no minimum test scores) and match the local community.
Create meaningful local partnerships with businesses, colleges, and the school district.
Use teaching methods based on real-world problems (including problem-based learning and design challenges).
Coordinate with the Ohio STEM Learning Network to facilitate the spread of innovation
Unlike some school models, Ohio’s STEM schools do not screen out students with academic gaps or serve a small slice of the
community. Students graduate from STEM schools at higher rates (90% vs Ohio’s average of 84%). STEM schools serve more
economically disadvantaged and minority students, yet still post similar ACT scores.
STEAM:
Hot for Teachers, Cool for Kids Space is limited!
Featuring Jenna Sekerak
Monday | November 5, 2018
5:30pm-7:00pm
Lakeshore Store Polaris
2148 Polaris Pkwy, Columbus, OH 43240
STEAM provides an engaging and exciting approach for kids to connect Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math. STEAM careers are the future, let's get kids excited now!
Building Your STEAM Team
During this interactive journey, we will discuss developmentally appropriate activities for S.T.E.A.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics). We will define each component and explore how they can be integrated in centers and throughout the learning environment. We will look at the learning environment through the natural curiosity of a child as we explore topics including: growing things, parachutes, and transportation.
Abby Fisher, aka Professor Prototype talks about the Invention League and STEMIE!
Abby's work with the Invention League’s Ohio Invention Convention, state affiliate program for the STEMIE Coalition, and with STEMIE is to inspire youth in grades K-12 to activate their powers of creative and critical thinking, curiosity, perseverance, imagination, problem solving, determination and confidence by identifying a problem they see in their world and solving it using these powers and STEM skills through inventing.
The mission of both organizations is to “have every child become an inventor once, better twice, instilling creative problem-solving, analytical skills and critical thinking and confidence for life. STEMIE bridges STEM and Entrepreneurship to build an Innovation Ecosystem.”
STEMIE is a new education framework that elevates youth invention and entrepreneurship education to a core part of K-12 education. STEMIE stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math linked to Invention and Entrepreneurship (STEM+I+E) and maps essential unstructured problem-solving teaching activities to core STEM curricula and standards. The STEMIE framework also allows for the standalone teaching of invention and entrepreneurship outside of STEM – enabling all kids to learn life-long critical thinking and problem-solving skills. http://www.stemie.org/
Abby (Professor Prototype) appears in short videos to introduce each step in the invention process, as identified by STEMIE, for their national curricula available at no cost atwww.inventionconvention.org.
How It’s Made Videos
Have you ever wondered how every day products are made? How It's Made videos leads you through the process and gives you an inside look -- including apple juice, skateboards, engines, contact lenses, and many more! Select from 31 seasons and dozens of intriguing online videos. https://www.discovery.ca/Discovery-Science/How-It-s-Made/video?vid=1272578
STEM Connections is a free service of ITEEA in an effort to support educators from around the world who share the belief that technological literacy is a critical component of an education in today's world.
STEM Connections highlights the importance of all aspects of a STEM Education for all students. ITEEA believes that schools must include technology and engineering education in order to fully prepare today's students for the 21st Century workplace.
STEM Connections is packed with association news as well as the latest information and resources pertaining to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) Education. STEM Connections is a FREE! cutting-edge electronic newsletter. Please feel free to share STEM Connections with your colleagues.
The 2019 Virginia Children's Engineering Convention will be held February 7-8, 2019, at the Hotel Roanoke and Conference Center, Roanoke, Virginia. In 2018, over 750 teachers, principals, and central office staff attended the convention. We invite you to join educators from across the Commonwealth of Virginia at this annual statewide staff development initiative.
Participants will experience STEM-based instructional practices that contribute to the development of technological awareness. Workshops will focus on experiences that enable children to:
explore how people create, use and control technology;
apply knowledge in mathematics, science, English, and history and social sciences in solving problems associated with design, engineering and technology;
use tools and materials to develop technological literacy and self-confidence.
The Virginia Children's Engineering Convention provides over 90 excellent professional development sessions and international keynote speakers for teachers to learn about STEM-based best practices in PreK-5 instruction, and strategies for implementing the Profile of a Virginia Graduate.
In my opinion, this is the best conference that I know of that is totally dedicated to engineering education for grades preK-6. It is well worth the trip! http://www.cpe.vt.edu/vcec/
Computer science is about so much more than computers. It’s about solving problems, helping humanity progress, and building a world that only existed in your mind. It’s not just coding, but the things that fuel it: passion, collaboration—and creativity.
The Hour of Code will kick off during CS Education Week, December 3 - 9th. Students worldwide will uncover something to love about computer science, to see that they too can code and create.
Join us as we post videos and stories about creativity
With 630 million served, you’ve helped build the largest learning campaign in history. Help us reach 1 billion! We invite students, parents, coders, artists, teachers, and creators of all walks to share what creativity means to you. You can post to social media in this format:
Creativity is _______ What will you create? #HourOfCode www.Code.org
Interested in starting a STEM club at your school? Read on to learn how to get support, find resources, and create an awesome experience for your students. We included tons of links to popular STEM competitions, curriculum resources, and much more to help get your club off the ground!
With the release of BOLT, Sphero has added some cool new features to their traditional robot design, including an animation matrix, light sensor, and BOLT to BOLT robot communication. They have also updated the Sphero Edu app, so robots can also connect to Chrome, Mac and Windows computers. But at $149.99, are these features worth the extra $20 over the popular SPRK+? Read on for an in-depth look at 6 new BOLT features plus 3 awesome STEM activities for your classroom set!
The Ruling our Experiences (ROX) organization released a new study with support from Battelle and the Ohio STEM Learning Network titled "Girls, STEM and Careers: Decoding Girls' Futures in an age of Social Media". The research report results are from a nationally representative survey of more than 10,000 girls, designed to develop a deeper understanding of the thoughts, experiences, perceptions, beliefs, behaviors and attitudes of girls throughout the United States. The study reveals some startling facts and data on what today's girls think about STEM. The companion report, the 'Girls, STEM & Careers Impact Report' is the second in a series of additional data releases from 'The Girls' Index' designed to provide a deeper analysis by examining the factors connected to girls' perceptions of their abilities in math and science, their thoughts on pursuing a career in STEM and the variables that may be related to these perceptions. http://files.constantcontact.com/2fa10179001/409ab55c-e14b-4b89-9f49-8f8bc252acbb.pdf
Connected Science Learning is a peer-reviewed online journal that highlights STEM education experiences that bridge the gap between in-school and out-of-school settings.
This month, CSL (Issue 8, Part 1) focuses on STEM Learning Through Afterschool Experiences. Learn how the Detroit Zoo engages with afterschool educators and students in hands-on, inquiry-based programs and activities focused on their urban environments. Explore the three-focus strategy used by an afterschool STEM program to bring together academia, the community, and real world experiences. Plus, learn how Minnesota 4-H engaged students in its Engineering Design Challenge.
CET Learning Services provides professional development in the use of classroom technologies and instructional strategies to K-12 school districts throughout our viewing area.
Educators can choose from the regularly scheduled workshops listed below, or work with CET to design on-site instruction for your staff. Online learning is available for some of these workshops.
The 3Ds of Learning: Building and Using 3D Resources in the Classroom
Putting the Blend in Blended Learning Blended learning
Learning for the Mobile Age
Learning to be Digital Citizens
Makers & Shakers: Making Things for Deeper Learning
Are you planning an Earth Science celebration for children this season? Use SciJinks as a resource to provide stickers, bookmarks, or temporary tattoos to your attendees at no cost!
If you are planning an event for the public and would like some materials from NOAA SciJinks/NASA Space Place, please fill out our materials request form*.
Ann Gadzikowski, early childhood coordinator for Northwestern University’s Center for Talent Development and author of several books on early childhood education, has written a wonderful book on teaching robotics and programming to children from ages 3 to 8. She has included 100 play-based computer science and engineering activities centered around robotics and programming. Many of the activities are pre-cursors to actually programming and controlling robots and do not require robots or computers. All activities are based on Computer Science and Next Generation Science standards. She does an excellent job of explaining why exposing young learners to robotics and programming is important, and provides a substantial list of recommended STEM, robotics and coding resources for educators and families. I found this book to be an invaluable reference when planning activities for young children on robotics and coding.
Please let me know of elementary STEM events, resources, or professional development opportunities that you would like to see in an upcoming edition of the STEM is Elementary newsletter!
