Education in 21st century schools, especially when educational technology plays a role, is very much aligned with progress, growth, and the scaling of programs. Now that the summer is here, it seems appropriate to talk about some of the programs that students take part in outside of their structured school activities, including various afterschool programs and fun clubs.
Afterschool STEM programs and camps have been around for many years, but they are sometimes entirely for child care purposes. Recently, however, we’ve seen shifts in more kids actually wanting to participate in enrichment programs to continue developing various STEM skills outside of the school day. And, the best part is they often truly enjoy these STEM experiences.
In afterschool programs, educators enjoy more freedom to introduce ideas they might not have time to work into a regular lesson plan. For our newest Teacher Talk, I chatted with Mallory Davis, a curriculum director who works with afterschool programs. We had a wonderful conversation about how to integrate STEAM and SEL and the benefits of afterschool STEM education.
This organization was derived from one of the oldest and most prominent organizations for children in the country. We first partnered with them two years ago and, after working together for one year, were asked to return for a second year and provide twice as much content and STEM kits for the students involved around the country.
The highly interactive Dash Robot simulator from Wonder Workshop is very easy to access through their Class Connect platform and it enables kids to explore coding opportunities from anywhere. Perfect for summertime or as part of afterschool enrichment, this 3D environment provides students with virtual challenges and engaging STEM puzzles for robot-free coding.
The EdSketch add-on for the Edison Robot is a low-tech STEAM accessory that allows students to program Edison to draw or write. Like the EdCreate Packs, the EdSketch Kit is a super engaging and beneficial expansion kit that helps you scale up any Edison Robot lesson. Easily add an artistic component to coding or illustrate a concept related to the
A large percentage of parents and K–12 teachers are aware that computer science and STEM education can impact children starting at a very young age. They may not, however, have all the key information when it comes to how to facilitate these learning experiences. From kindergarten up through high school, these robotics tools help kids progressively develop CS skills.
One of the best things about school makerspaces is that so many different events can foster productive learning experiences. Since maker learning is so closely connected to 21st century development, MakerEd activities and exploration remain popular with both students and teachers. So, if you are looking to start a makerspace in your school, what are key things to know?
The Aerial Drone Competition is one of the most popular educational drone events in America and the CoDrone EDU is one of few drones approved for the competitions. In this blog, we’ll explain how to register teams for drone events, why the CoDrone EDU is well-suited for competition requirements, and how to be successful in each of the four piloting
Earth Day is the perfect holiday to apply the concepts of STEAM education and project-based learning. After all, the central goal of each opportunity is for your students to apply creative and innovative thinking while working to solve real-world community problems. Plus, Earth Day classroom activities can help all educators highlight the critical importance of going green.
