Being cyber smart at school used to simply mean logging out of your computer before leaving the lab. But with the move to 1:1 digital devices and remote learning, schools and students are being exposed to a high volume of threats from across the web — and inside the campus. Now it falls on school…
This past year has been, without a doubt, the most challenging one of my entire teaching career. As an art teacher, I always say that my teaching style relies on that one-on-one connection with each student in order to help them build their confidence to prepare them for an engaging, hands-on learning experience. This approach…
In the spring and summer of 2020, Brooklyn Preschool of Science closed down for six months due to COVID-19. During those same six months, almost 300,000 people left New York, so there are certainly fewer families in our zip code than there were in March. Even so, our independent preschools are back to serving 300…
Preparing students for STEM careers and advanced learning opportunities is about more than just teaching math, science, engineering, coding, and computer science to the youngsters who want to dabble or specialize in complex subjects. We also have to work to get more students interested in these STEM learning opportunities, and those efforts have to be…
Cross-curricular connections throughout different subject and content areas help to make lessons more meaningful and relevant for students. Thoughtfully-crafted STEM lessons that leverage technology-rich resources similar to what your students are using outside the classroom are great ways to engage students in interdisciplinary instruction. As a STEM educator, I work with teachers at my school…
After the abrupt school closures in March, teachers have been on a constant back and forth outlining what online learning, in-person lessons, and hybrid approaches will look like moving forward. As the STEAM lead for 21 school districts in Iowa, I’ve seen plans change as the various districts in my state weigh our local government’s…
More K-12 schools are introducing drones into the classroom as educators discover how useful unattended vehicles can be to teach and strengthen science, technology, art, engineering, and mathematics (STEAM) skills. Students are engaged by the possibility of flying robots in their classrooms, but teachers will require support systems to understand how to best implement a…
One year ago, we at The Ecology School were confronted with the pandemic reality of cancelled in-person programs in exchange for remote, virtual learning. What we created in the wake of those changes led to new outdoor learning journeys–relevant not just on Earth Day, but every day. We quickly filled a need and began by…
Virtual STEM can be defined in various ways – some educators define it as broadly as an online recording of any STEM-based topic, while others are more specific, saying virtual field trips or activities are required for it to be virtual STEM. Regardless, the most important qualification for virtual STEM is an authentic learning experience…
School makerspaces have emerged as centers of creativity, problem solving, collaboration, and more. These skills–often referred to as soft skills, but also known as durable skills for their importance in the workplace–are a focus of 21st-century classrooms. These days, school libraries often include makerspaces and librarians are becoming well-versed in the coding, robotics, engineering, and…