Through project-based learning, children get to see concepts in action and build up a bigger variety of vital SEL skills like teamwork and responsibility. Science teacher Jeremy Jorgensen knows all about these benefits. For this new Teacher Talk feature, we discussed how he incorporates PBL activities in the classroom and the skills kids develop from hands-on experiences.
Helping students learn through both independent and guided experiences can enable them to view their education differently. When we use the term ‘scaffolding,’ we’re typically referring to any targeted teaching and learning approaches that gradually evolve and ultimately empower students to lead their own learning, which is very relevant in hands-on STEM experiences.
These days, kids gravitate towards the most engaging content and Buncee is an accessible, easy to integrate, and engaging platform for any students or educators to demonstrate their creativity and their content development skills. Even school and district administrators can use Buncee to create or enhance content for web pages or to distribute at community events!
Students have dealt with a slew of varying emotions and all-new stressors since learning went remote amid the pandemic and plenty are still working back from that. Infusing MakerEd tools into new types of instruction is one solution that could help children restore some of that emotional balance so they can keep learning, express ideas, and share feelings comfortably.
The Finch 2.0 and its range of classroom-friendly features help teachers to create more accessible STEM experiences for students who might learn in different ways. There’s also a huge range of options for using the Finch 2.0 to introduce children to coding. Starting in kindergarten with FinchBlox and up through high school with Java, the Finch 2.0 helps provide lots of value.
Educational leaders and school librarians routinely team up on repurposing traditional library rooms into versatile, multi-purpose facilities. There are so many benefits to this but it’s often largely tied to the importance of STEAM education and popularity of various makerspace kits. So, this week, we are exploring some top STEM supplies that also double as library supplies.
In afterschool programs, educators enjoy more freedom to introduce ideas they might not have time to work into a regular lesson plan. For our newest Teacher Talk, I chatted with Mallory Davis, a curriculum director who works with afterschool programs. We had a wonderful conversation about how to integrate STEAM and SEL and the benefits of afterschool STEM education.
With the 3Doodler Start 3D printing pen, children can experience hands-on design and creation starting in the early grades. Instead of kids choosing a 3D design and watching a 3D printer complete it, however, they get to print their very own 3D objects by hand. Plus, it is completely safe and its tactile frame makes it easy for young students to use in makerspace projects.
As education evolves, so do the methods of enriching students’ classroom experiences. For example, gamifying learning can help boost engagement, coding prepares students for the future, and multimedia tools help enliven instruction. Plus, they all challenge kids to apply what they’ve learned. So, we compiled the best supplementary websites for your teaching toolbox.
Robotics tools, in particular, are very valuable in K–12 classrooms because of the various sets of skills children can gain when coding with them. Most notably, teachers could introduce a variety of programming languages, like Scratch, Blockly, JavaScript, Swift, Python, and others—helping kids build a foundation for both their creative and technological development.
