Discovery is formalizing its programs related to science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) under an umbrella initiative called "Connect the Dots," intended to help young people make the link between STEM and their everyday lives. One new program under Connect the Dots is a bundle of free digital resources that can be used to put on STEM after school sessions or summer camps.
STEM Camp consists of a series of standards-aligned curricula available at no cost to schools, districts, non-profit organizations, and parents for use as part of educational events. The materials combine hands-on and virtual labs, engineering challenges, digital investigations, interactive videos, and career connections designed to engage students in STEM topics and connect them to specific
careers. The program will track along with "grand challenges" identified by the National Academy of Engineers, encompassing STEM-related approaches to water, urban infrastructure, and energy. A webinar introducing the program will be held on May 7 at 7 p.m. Eastern time.
The water program, which is the first one available, provides five days of activities. Each day's resources include an overview, a presentation that walks facilitators through the activities including experiments and videos, a proposed schedule, and a list of materials needed. To access the site's resources, the user must register.
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
Sunday, April 28, 2013
Proposed National Reorganization for STEM Education
In their 2014 budget proposal, the Whitehouse is projecting a significant reorganization related to the programs and funding for STEM Education. It would eliminate 78, consolidate 49, and launch 39 new programs. In the end, the request of $3.1 billion for STEM Education would be a 7% increase over the 2012 allocation.
The purpose of the reorganization is to reduce overlap and fragmentation, and to increase coordination and assessment of the effectiveness of the funding.
NASA, NOAA, and NIH have been projected for major reductions related to their respective education activities. The Department of Education, NSF, and the Smithsonian Institution would all have their STEM related programs realigned and their funding expanded.
ScienceInsider spoke last week with top officials at each agency.
While the Congress is likely to reduce the effectiveness of this reorganization, in the interests of preserving programs for various influential constituents, the reorg objectives seem sound and it is heartening to see the 7% increase in funding overall.
The purpose of the reorganization is to reduce overlap and fragmentation, and to increase coordination and assessment of the effectiveness of the funding.
NASA, NOAA, and NIH have been projected for major reductions related to their respective education activities. The Department of Education, NSF, and the Smithsonian Institution would all have their STEM related programs realigned and their funding expanded.
ScienceInsider spoke last week with top officials at each agency.
While the Congress is likely to reduce the effectiveness of this reorganization, in the interests of preserving programs for various influential constituents, the reorg objectives seem sound and it is heartening to see the 7% increase in funding overall.
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
HP Catalyst Initiative
International Society for Technology
in Education (ISTE), the New
Media Consortium (NMC), and HP have created a free, online professional development
initiative designed to help educators around the world teach STEMx subjects. The
HP Catalyst
Academy will launch in June 2013 with 15 free mini-courses taught by HP
Catalyst Fellows.
The HP Catalyst Initiative coined the term STEMx to expand on the traditional definition of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) education. The "x" in STEMx refers to other disciplines, such as computer science, nanoscience, and biotech, as well as skills like collaboration, creativity, communication, problem solving, inquiry, computational thinking, and global fluency, all of which the HP Catalyst Initiative considers important for success in the high tech world.
The HP Catalyst Academy is intended to "accelerate STEMx education, transform teaching practices, and continue to close the digital skills gap," according to a news release from the organization. The mini-courses will be taught by HP Catalyst Fellows, educators and entrepreneurs from around the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada who have experience developing and launching large-scale projects that have a positive effect on teachers and students.
"The professional development opportunities are designed to be completely practical and forward-thinking," said Larry Johnson, CEO of NMC. "They really have the capacity to transform STEMx teaching and learning as we know it.”
The first 15 online mini-courses available through HP Catalyst Academy include:
Further information about HP Catalyst Academy can be found at catalyst-academy.org
The HP Catalyst Initiative coined the term STEMx to expand on the traditional definition of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) education. The "x" in STEMx refers to other disciplines, such as computer science, nanoscience, and biotech, as well as skills like collaboration, creativity, communication, problem solving, inquiry, computational thinking, and global fluency, all of which the HP Catalyst Initiative considers important for success in the high tech world.
The HP Catalyst Academy is intended to "accelerate STEMx education, transform teaching practices, and continue to close the digital skills gap," according to a news release from the organization. The mini-courses will be taught by HP Catalyst Fellows, educators and entrepreneurs from around the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada who have experience developing and launching large-scale projects that have a positive effect on teachers and students.
"The professional development opportunities are designed to be completely practical and forward-thinking," said Larry Johnson, CEO of NMC. "They really have the capacity to transform STEMx teaching and learning as we know it.”
The first 15 online mini-courses available through HP Catalyst Academy include:
- Building a Framework for Digital Fabrication;
- ClassroomSalon.org: Social Textbooks;
- Computational Thinking in Secondary Schools;
- Connecting Students to their World;
- Game Design for Learning;
- Geospatial Tech for STEMx Learning;
- Helping Students Change their World through App Design;
- InkSurvey: Graphical Response Tool for Real-Time Formative Assessment;
- Multi/Interdisciplinary STEMx Teaching;
- Planning Enriching ICT-Mediated STEMx Experiences;
- Polar Bears in a Changing Climate;
- Project-Based Learning with Real-World Problems;
- Remote Labs;
- Weaving Social Media into STEM Teaching; and
- Strategies for Formative Assessment through e-Portfolios
Further information about HP Catalyst Academy can be found at catalyst-academy.org
Sunday, January 27, 2013
The Second Draft of the Next Generation Science Standards
The second draft of the Next Generation Science Standards opened for feedback on January 8, 2013 and will remain open for feedback until January 29, 2013. All interested parties are encouraged to review the draft as individuals or in groups and provide feedback to the Lead States and writers. In this draft, the standards are coded by Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCI) from the NRC's Framework for K-12 Science Education, and are available in two different arrangements- by DCI and by topic.
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
GoldieBlox
Debbie Sterling, the founder of GoldieBlox, launched one of the most impressive Kickstarter campaigns that I've seen so far ... which was very successful ... to move her Goldie Blox project from prototype into production.
GoldieBlox consist of a construction kit, an app and a book. In the book set the girls can read a short story about the main character Goldie and her friends and whatever problems they might be facing. According to Debbie, this combination gives engineering a female touch.
Read more about Debbie Stirling and GoldieBlox: Ms.blog article
Here's another YouTube clip regarding the successful Kickstarter
GoldieBlox consist of a construction kit, an app and a book. In the book set the girls can read a short story about the main character Goldie and her friends and whatever problems they might be facing. According to Debbie, this combination gives engineering a female touch.
Read more about Debbie Stirling and GoldieBlox: Ms.blog article
Here's another YouTube clip regarding the successful Kickstarter
Monday, September 24, 2012
Envisioning Ed Tech Future
I really liked this visualization created by the design for learning experts TFE Research and emerging technology strategist Michell Zappa that was posted on Envisioningtech.com.
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
NASA adopts new model to launch educational games
Abha Bhattarai, Washington Post
“There are more higher-end gaming projects going on at NASA than ever before,” Laughlin said. “Very few people are looking to textbooks to get students inspired anymore.”
But as the agency grapples with persistent education budget cuts, NASA is experimenting with new business models to fund upcoming projects.
When Laughlin first started working for NASA 10 years ago, the agency’s approach to gaming was very straightforward: NASA solicited proposals for educational ventures and then picked a handful of projects to fund every year.
But once budget cuts began rippling through the agency, finding the funding for NASA’s own projects, much less outside proposals, became much more difficult.
“We had to turn that model around,” Laughlin said. “We said, ‘Okay, we want to do something specific — we want to make this kind of game, and we want you to fund it.’ ”
There are some downsides to this commercial approach, Laughlin said. Universities and other research institutions that relied on NASA grants to do their work were completely out of the running. Instead, the model shifted toward big-name developers who could finance the project from start to finish.
In the long run, though, Laughlin said it may be for the best. The new model forces developers to think in terms of continued profit and visibility.
Read the article here.
“There are more higher-end gaming projects going on at NASA than ever before,” Laughlin said. “Very few people are looking to textbooks to get students inspired anymore.”
But as the agency grapples with persistent education budget cuts, NASA is experimenting with new business models to fund upcoming projects.
When Laughlin first started working for NASA 10 years ago, the agency’s approach to gaming was very straightforward: NASA solicited proposals for educational ventures and then picked a handful of projects to fund every year.
But once budget cuts began rippling through the agency, finding the funding for NASA’s own projects, much less outside proposals, became much more difficult.
“We had to turn that model around,” Laughlin said. “We said, ‘Okay, we want to do something specific — we want to make this kind of game, and we want you to fund it.’ ”
There are some downsides to this commercial approach, Laughlin said. Universities and other research institutions that relied on NASA grants to do their work were completely out of the running. Instead, the model shifted toward big-name developers who could finance the project from start to finish.
In the long run, though, Laughlin said it may be for the best. The new model forces developers to think in terms of continued profit and visibility.
Read the article here.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)