Sunrise STEM Club: Reaching Minorities, Reaching The Stars
It’s the real video testimony from PBS featured Nanoscientist who recharge my excitement about the premier of our STEM club, kicking off in January. The sunrise schedule idea came about via a curious student and a conversation with a teacher who saw a dwindling crowd for the afternoon Physics club on campus. The after school crowd has football, basketball, or needs to be home to care for elementary age siblings.
Educators: You Need To Pour Yourself a Big Cup of Calm Down
Until they figure out what they need, we need to pour ourselves a big cup of calm down and do what educators do: share knowledge, empower creativity, generate a spark of hidden genius, promote self responsibility, celebrate self and community, and be patient. No one has all the answers. Choose not to be a victim. Do what you can. Let the rest go.
As an educator, tough days remind me that I can only do my best. So I pour myself big cup of CALM DOWN and reflect.
STEM Student asks “Do I have to work in a team?”
Problem solving and team collaboration in the classroom are tough processes for some high performing students who just want to get the assignment done.
Given a choice, would you rather work alone or work in a team?
NPR looks at the science behind the team and how you can learn from the best.
Problem Based Learning: Putting It All Together with the Science of Photosynthesis
Problem Based Learning and STEM
As the state of our educational system changes in search of solutions to low Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math scores nationwide, teachers are in pursuit of learning strategies that meet the goal we’ve always had with our students (learning gains) with the statewide goals (student learning gains). Problem based learning is one of many methods in our teaching tool box we use to make this happen.
In a middle school science lab, how many students would you predict would get tongue tied when asked to describe photosynthesis? As a working example of learning gains in the classroom, the science concept of photosynthesis will take the stage as an example of how problem based discovery engages an unmotivated student.
Changing Social Expectations in the Education Equation
As a STEM (science) teacher, I experience a more meaningful day with my learners from bell-to-bell when we blend real-world problems that enable them to safely problem-solve with meaning. Immediate feedback is generated through their daily learning journals in my Space Lab classes.
I promote high expectations and use instant revision to energize it. This past Friday, I invested 12 minutes towards how-to- improve the three lesson facts each student picks for their daily journal. “Don’t pick facts that you cannot connect to your life. That is boring. Boring is the opposite of discovery. Find facts that are hooked into what you do, what you want to do, and what thrills you. Then, your journal activity becomes something personal, something meaningful.” I saw an instant return on that 12 minute investment.~Kay Borglum, STEM Science Teacher (FL)
How Do Your Students Learn? Creating Meaningful Moments in Science Technology Engineering and Math
We are here to inspire a generation with technology at their fingertips. The students entering my classroom are the generation who, for many of them, have been using the computer since they were two years old.
