When it comes to STEM in 21st century teaching and learning, there are few limits to what students can accomplish. Besides helping boost their overall engagement and enjoyment levels in the here and now, access to STEM learning and opportunities to build real-world skills often significantly improve how students prepare for the future. Whether it's with introducing them to coding in the early grades, engineering in their middle years, or the benefits of more complex technologies, like virtual reality or artificial intelligence, in high school, STEM education is a crucial piece of student development. With such huge potential and importance, however, this instruction requires planning, guidance, and equipment. And, as the economy keeps trending toward STEM-dominated professions and opportunities, exposure to these areas is vital. Thankfully, there are few restrictions to leading effective STEM lessons.
Our mission is helping educators develop students who are truly Future Ready and helping them facilitate relevant learning is how. To that end, we offer a robust online store filled with the latest STEM solutions. But, beyond that, we love creating and sharing impactful content to help enhance how educators use these tools in instruction. In this section of our blog, you'll find countless posts on trending STEM topics, how-to articles, many recommendations for classroom solutions and projects, industry updates, connections between STEAM tools and the future, and a lot more. We are also extremely committed to closing certain gaps and increasing equity in STEM education. As such, a lot of this content contains context for advancing inclusive opportunities for all kids. We encourage you to search through the posts to find something relevant for you. And, if there's any topics we've missed, let us know.
We have another great educator interview to share with you! This month’s featured educator is Jen Leban, a middle school technology teacher from Illinois, who has made use of numerous various technologies, and helped give her students a meaningful (and long-lasting) education! Keep reading to learn more about her efforts in STEAM education.
As we close the book on 2018 and look forward to 2019, we’re extremely thankful for the community of educators we continue to build. Whether it’s by appearing at educational conferences or events or through our social media initiatives, we’re proud of the community of educators you’ve helped us build!
For this week’s Eduporium Experiment, we opened up our Buildings & Bridges kit, which is part of Engino’s STEM STRUCTURES series. It’s a great way for students aged between 8-16 to not only build some pretty cool structures, but also learn the science behind engineering and the physics needed to ensure its safe and sound.
As STEM education has developed over the last few years, now there are even more ways for teachers to deliver an innovative educational experience for their students. STEM education has been broken down into various focuses, including robotics, coding, 3D printing, and more, but there have also been letters added.
Now, Kano’s options have expanded and we’re excited to introduce their STEAM Packs, Club Packs, and Classroom Packs for both the traditional Kano and the touchscreen model. With these kits, innovative educators can support up to 30 students and empower them to code, create, and collaborate with all new options!
Whether in the classroom or the library, students need hands-on and future-focused learning experiences, which is exactly what this educator tries to deliver to inspire active learning in her students every day! Keep reading to learn more about our latest featured educator and how Mary uses EdTech in the library.
Every year, students in schools around the world take part in Computer Science Education Week and the Hour of Code. Participation in this fantastic initiative has continued to grow every year since its official inception and we expect this year to the biggest one yet! This year’s CS Ed Week begins on Monday (Dec. 3) and runs through Dec. 9.
After careful consideration, we believed the most deserving applicant from this past month is Victoria Blackmer from the Robert R. Jones Public Library in Coal Valley, Ill. Victoria is a librarian at this library in Coal Valley, which is almost on the border of Iowa, and she has also begun to work closely with the nearby Bicentennial Elementary School.
If you’re looking to expand the use of your Raspberry Pi’s and even expose children to in-depth programming challenges, this MonkMakes RaspiRover Kit is a great way to combine computing, coding, and robotics. It’s an ideal kit for engaging ambitious children who are ready to take the next step and with further explore computer science principles with the Raspberry Pi.
Following millennials, Generation Z emerged in the mid-90s and is now getting set to make its mark on the world. Many of them are now in high school (depending on when you define the end of Gen Z), meaning they are preparing for their lives and careers. Like other generations, they are facing some challenges and incredible opportunities.
