In the News & Updates section of our blog, you'll find updates on many of the latest STEM developments. These include happenings from the STEM and MakerEd worlds as well as important Eduporium announcements. This is where we'll share updates on product additions, announce the recipients of our monthly educational technology grant, pass on company news, highlight upcoming events, and discuss a whole lot more when it comes to cool topics in STEM education. Beyond our STEAM coverage, we also touch on various elements of 21st century learning. These include remote instruction, special education, social-emotional learning, and equity and diversity. If it's happening in the world of education, we're interested. And, we'll offer our analysis on what's affecting students, teachers, and administrators, attaching our genuine thoughts to keep you updated.
This is an area for us to keep a repository of recent happenings. Whether it's the release of a new type of technology, any additions to an EdTech product line, the arrival of new brands to our store, or some thoughts on the current state of education, there's a good chance you'll find it here. As time has gone on, we've participated in more STEAM and makerspace events. So, we've started to keep curated collections of those experiences. You can find them all throughout the News & Updates category. As Eduporium continues to expand and we get to participate in more STEM education projects with educators in some of the country's biggest school districts, we'll share those stories, too. We hope our collective accomplishments and partnerships with members of the K–12 community inspire others to innovate in new ways!
We have awarded our educational technology grant for the month of April to Creighton Helms of the Gervais School District. Creighton serves as the principal of the Gervais Elementary School in Gervais, OR and has really worked to create relevant STEAM learning opportunities for the students he supports.
We’ve awarded our EdTech grant for March to Andrew Nikola from the Wappingers Central School District in New York! Andrew works with students throughout K-12 and serves as one of the district’s innovation leaders. Learn more about how we’ll be helping them advance their district-wide approach to providing equitable hands-on experiences.
Luckily, students still have the potential to use STEM tools to boost their overall social-emotional connections. It comes down to finding the right technologies and aligning those tools with accessibility and relevant projects. Other SEL tools are built more for the classroom and that’s okay, too. Here are a few of the best for combining SEL and STEM.
With over 15 specialized kits, littleBits is transforming STEAM education in all grade levels. They feature a progressive approach to hands-on learning, making, and engineering, and encourage kids to creatively explore millions of inventions. The solutions continue to evolve and, now, teachers can combine making and coding in one STEAM experience!
The virtual STEAM solution from Wonder Workshop is designed to work just like the physical Dash Robot. Teachers can lead coding and computational thinking lessons using this online version of the Dash and, in the brief webinar, members from their team will outline everything educators need to know. Click inside to find the recording!
Comprised of three different robots, Milo, Veda, and Carver, RoboKind’s solutions are designed to help students with learning differences meet their academic and social goals. Starting by empowering educators to help students foster social connections, these robots can ultimately be used to aid student emotional well-being and more.
For his award, we will be providing Justin and his students with some micro:bit V2 kits to use in their STEAM program. Since the micro:bit’s allow students to complete standalone activities as well as take part in new experiences that are tied to their existing PBL units, they’ll make a great fit as Justin expands CS opportunities for all.
Not only can students use the micro:bit to learn about coding basics using MakeCode, it has a ton of secondary applications in STEM education. Join us on Thursday, March 4 as we team up with our partners from micro:bit to discuss integrating the micro:bit and its new features in remote, hybrid, or in-class education!
Whether students are coding with the micro:bit and MakeCode or using it with other STEAM tools, it’s a powerful tool for CS education in any grade. Speaking of its integrations, the micro:bit is compatible with a number of other technologies, allowing students to add exciting elements to various STEM projects!
Designed for MakerEd experiences in Grades 3 and up, the Mayku FormBox helps spark creative product design, on-the-fly fixes, and innovative design thinking. Oh, and it’s on sale now through Feb. 28! Keep reading to find out how to access this limited-time deal on a versatile tool for design and maker education.
