Posts by wkehl
Personalized Learning
The Art of Teaching Science
If only teaching K-12 science was itself a science – assess student knowledge deficits and remedy them. So here’s a new tool for any teacher who’s spent evenings and weekends trying to find a lesson that’s the perfect fit for their class: it’s called MOSART...
Leadership
Hacker Communities, Local Communities
Mariano Ulibarri, director of the hacker space Parachute Factory in New Mexico, heard about Hacker Scouts in the news just a few months ago. His immediate reaction was to start a troop locally – so he did.
Leadership
Extending Museum Learning with ARIS
A dozen museum educators stand nervously and watch a class of elementary school kids pour into the Minnesota History Center, iPods in hand.
Personalized Learning
Teaching with Technology in the Classroom
Once upon a time, pedagogy and subject matter content were two separate domains. Teachers were expected to know their subject (reading, math, science, English, etc.) and they were expected to know how to teach a classroom of students.
Uncategorized
Product Review: Cyber Science 3D
Cyber Science 3D offers a wide variety of 3D and 2.5D (more about that in a minute) manipulable anatomical models. The range of models available is impressive, including chemicals like acetaminophen and adrenalin, cells, mammals, fish, dinosaurs, invertebrates, plants, earth science models like a volcano and a geyser, planets, and mechanical elements like a satellite and a turbine engine.
Personalized Learning
Book Review: Self-Driven Learning
I am an informal educator. That is, I’m an educator with a focus on informal or “free choice” learning and public engagement with science. So it is a pleasure to say that, regardless of my informal education focus, Larry Ferlazzo’s new book on encouraging intrinsic motivation in students is an insightful and worthwhile sequel to his 2011 book Helping Students Motivate Themselves.
Personalized Learning
Hacking the Scouts
In the world of DIY, “hacking” is the idea of taking something and modifying it to fit your needs. With the spread of maker culture (think Maker Faire, makerspaces, or the proliferation of knitting clubs), many parents have found benefits beyond the ability to build Arduino-based gadgets. They’ve found a way to engage with their kids in “STEAM” – Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math – while at the same time building their kids’ confidence, resourcefulness, and ingenuity.
Personalized Learning
The Classroom as Makerspace
Given the popularity of "maker culture" - think Maker Faire, Etsy, and all manner of Do-It-Yourself websites and television networks - it's interesting that maker culture doesn't seem to be common in the classroom yet. It may seem counterintuitive, but classrooms and maker culture might just turn out to be a perfect match for each other.
Personalized Learning
Closing the STEM Gender Gap in K-12 Education: How Teachers Can Help
It is, unfortunately, no surprise that the gender gap in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) still exists – from primary school right up through STEM-related careers. Recent reports (call attention, once again, to the statistics: women earn disproportionately fewer STEM undergraduate degrees; women hold nearly 50% of all jobs in the US, but less than 25% of the STEM jobs; women with STEM degrees are more likely to work in education or healthcare than their male counterparts.
EdTech
One Game Fits All?
Is gamification the solution to student engagement? Gamification – the addition of game elements such as points and badges to non-games like ad campaigns, household chores, or public education – would seem to offer schools the perfect blend of engagement, entertainment, and education.