STEM & Maker
Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) and Maker programs are the emphasis on more technical disciplines espousing innovation and invention as application, acquiring tangible skills that lean into those critical professions of the 21st century.
Smart Review | Scratch Coding Cards
What do you get when you combine a deck of cards, a laptop, clear instructions, plus room for creativity? A blended approach to coding and creating. Learn more here:
3 Ways Computer Science Class Can Help with Student Readiness
By: Sofia Cabrera. While I was initially intimidated by the thought of taking a computer science class my senior year, I now know it had a tremendously positive impact on my readiness for college, career and life in several important ways.
Smart List: 40 Coding & Computer Science, Assessment & Data Resources
Did you know that Cause + Code = The New Impact Formula? Today, we’re taking the time to recognize and share out 40 valuable coding, computer science, assessment and data resources for students and educators.
Building Confidence and Curiosity with littleBits Code Kit
Teacher blogger Amber Chandler reviews the littleBits Code Kit after observing her nine-year-old son using it and speaking with the lead designer.
Celebrating #EdCorpsWeek: How Student Entrepreneurs Are Contributing
By: Elyse Burden. Somewhere along the way we decided young people could only do what they were taught or told – and they definitely weren’t supposed to be participants in the ‘real world’ until they graduated. Here are three student businesses that are shifting the paradigm.
5 Science Experiments to Try With Your Elementary School Students
By: Scott Rhodes. Science experiments are a great way to elevate classroom participation and pique student interest in STEM careers and concepts. These five experiments can help pique that interest early, in elementary school.
Is Geometry the Unsung Hero of Mathematics Instruction?
By: Yana Mohanty. There is a widening gap between the effective teaching of geometry in elementary schools and the geometry skills students need in high school, and engaging instruction in geometry has traditionally been overlooked during middle school.
Addressing the Growing Need for Data Science Education
By: Natalya St. Clair. As massive datasets accumulate, so does the need for people who understand how to work with complex datasets and software. The workforce of tomorrow will require the services and specialties of data scientists. Here's one way to teach those skills.
Helping Students Learn to Love Math Through Science
By: Robyn LaTorre. Reaching today’s teen learners requires as much innovation and variation as their daily lives, which are filled with technology, blurbs of information and mini videos used to entice and excite. Would you believe me if I told you science could fill that role?
Highlights from NSTA’s 2017 National Conference
The National Science Teachers Association is a huge event and provides a plethora of free teacher resources. Here are just a few of the many available at this year's conference.