Andy Larmand

We were joined by iRobot’s Anna Elzer and Daniella Bonazzoli, who shared the iRobot story, including how, despite being known for the world-famous Roomba robot, every member of their organization is also committed to education. With help from the audience, they discussed the Root robots, the tech within them, creating SEL connections, and more.

Jacie is an author, consultant, and speaker from Pittsburgh, PA who’s done a lot to contribute to the betterment of STEM education. Whether it’s been creating PD resources for teachers or designing hands-on, engaging STEM lessons for students, she’s certainly helped extend the reach and impact of various programs.

In offering these grant opportunities, we’re looking for educators who have creative ideas for addressing these deficiencies. Whether your primary focus is on helping students overcome learning loss or boosting their social-emotional health, this award is designed to help teachers reclaim normalcy starting in the next few months.

An art-inspired platform, Storybird is designed to help students become better writers. One of the most important soft skills in today’s world, we know that communication is key in any future career. Since so much of today’s workforce requires a reliance on digital technologies, it’s easy to see why educators place such an emphasis on writing skills.

Lori wants to give her unique children an opportunity to partake in student-centered, accessible, and collaborative learning opportunities, which mesh perfectly with maker education. In fact, she’s even thinking about modeling this space after a college library or maker studio to really help create much more of a real-world feel for all of her students.

For the month of October, we hear from Matthew Strine, who’s a STEM teacher in the Monessen (PA) School District. He’s had the opportunity to impact students through STEM learning and, whether it’s hands-on projects or challenging students to think critically, he certainly understands the importance of relevant learning experiences.

As they’re becoming an increasingly important part of 21st century schools, libraries are evolving to better serve the needs of modern students. They’re being transformed into instant information hubs, innovation centers, and makerspaces as they grow into a tool for 21st century learning—breaking away from past standards.

Glogster helps students combine the two and share their talents with ease. With access to all sorts of creative elements, students can design their own interactive digital posters, giving them a unique opportunity to show what they’ve learned. Besides that, much of the content students create is completely three-dimensional!

Microlearning has emerged as a more widely talked about form of instruction. Though previously uncommon in K-12 education, this method has been used in other areas. By definition, microlearning consists of much shorter lessons filled with content that’s straight to the point with teachers working to eliminate any potential ‘filler’ content.

The newest MakerBot 3D printer, the MakerBot METHOD, is a powerful STEAM tool that students can use to create 3D objects, but pairing it with the MakerBot Cloud software makes it much more valuable. Using MakerBot CloudPrint, students can collaborate and 3D print objects from anywhere, including their homes needing only an Internet connection.