Tagged: STEM

10 Engineering Projects Sure to Excite Students

STEM engineering – in class or after school – can come alive when young students encounter the 10 projects in McBride and Gonzales’ Engineer This. Reviewer Linda Biondi expects students will gladly accept their mission to solve interesting problems in creative ways.

What STEM Actually Is: A Zakaria Rebuttal

It’s scary to think how much misinformation about STEM one famous individual can put out, and how many people might be misled, writes author-consultant Anne Jolly, who critiques the STEM comments of WaPo columnist and CNN host Fareed Zakaria in a recent PCMag article.

Drones Take Flight in Middle School Program

Reading is reinforced when students have hands-on experience with the ideas they find in informational texts. ELA teacher Brian Cook’s after-school drones program helps students explore flight, consider privacy and safety issues, and learn more about new careers.

STEM and STEAM — What’s the Difference?

Anne Jolly has had more inquiries from folk in the middle school arena on whether they should implement a STEM program or a STEAM program. She doesn’t think it’s an “Either-or.” She thinks it’s a “Both” with creativity and critical thinking sharing space.

Problem-based Science for the Common Good

Problem-based Science encourages students to develop a love of scientific thinking, math, and the creative use of technology as they learn through invention, design thinking, fixing and tinkering. Teacher-author Christa Flores demonstrates her hands-on PbS model.

A Must-Have Resource for Integrating STEM

In addition to its value to schools and districts, STEM by Design will help classroom teachers make integrated STEM lessons a reality. Its step-by-step approach leaps beyond mere discussion to a real plan of action, says state science coordinator Kathy Renfrew.

How to Debug a STEM Lesson Plan

Expert Anne Jolly suggests a running assessment of your STEM lessons as the new school year begins to make sure your students are engaged, working well in teams, and involved in engineering solutions to meaningful problems. Try her Lesson Plan Debugger!

A Superior Guide to Project Based Learning

Each unit of Heather Wolpert-Gawron’s latest Project Based Learning book is filled with innovative ideas and detailed steps to implement rich PBL units. Sandy Wisneski, lead teacher in a PBL school, says the book’s guides and resources will engage students.