The Makey Makey kit from JoyLabz has long been among the most widely used and respected STEAM tools for K–12 education. What exactly does it do, though? Technically, the Makey Makey acts like keyboards or a mouse, sending signals to a computer to execute functions like clicking a mouse’s buttons or the space bar, right arrow, left arrow, up arrow, or down arrow.
STEM and STEAM education, understandably, have plenty in common and educators can use some similar tools and strategies while they’re teaching both. To start, STEAM education involves opportunities for students to add more artistry and creativity to these projects and, by moving from STEM to STEAM, they can learn to display their knowledge using new techniques.
Both of the 3Doodler 3D printing pens enable makers to bring any creative ideas to life by drawing them out in three dimensions. With this specialized but simple technology, kids can write vertically and create cool projects of various sizes and colors. And, while each pen has value in the right setting, there are lots of key differences between the 3Doodler Create+ and Start.
This flexible robotics system is certainly intuitive for students of all different ages. It’s easy for kids to program in various STEM and computer science projects and it also unlocks tons of creative freedom in both makerspaces and other non-traditional classrooms. Plus, with its micro:bit compatibility, students can add interactive elements to any classroom STEAM project.
With the Hummingbird Bit STEAM kits from BirdBrain, students are able to combine robotics, programming, art and design, and the micro:bit into one valuable learning experience. With the micro:bit board powering their robot builds, elementary and middle school students can get super creative with their design while coding and inventing in the classroom or after school.
Like many educators, Jessica believes strongly in the power of STEM and community. She’s also seen, however, that it’s not always easy to achieve across-the-board excitement for some initiatives. That’s why she’s going to focus on student collaboration—particularly across disciplines—and help art and CS students build an interactive mural.
As we close out 2021, some of the Bare Conductive STEAM products will soon be retired. While it’s sad to see them go, we’re happy to continue offering others to the STEAM and maker communities. Among these continued offerings, you’ll find the classic Electric Paint jar and tube, the Interactive Wall Kit, Touch Board for incorporating sensors, and more.
The hands-on, physical skills students build through experiences are commonly referred to as hard skills and they’re certainly valuable to their futures. What about soft skills, though? What are they, why are they so widely talked about, and what can K-12 teachers do to help make sure their students develop these beneficial skills, too?
We found some time to research and try a different version of the 3Doodler 3D printing pen, the 3Doodler PRO. Compared to the 3Doodler Start and 3Doodler Create, the PRO version is a bit more advanced and a bit more powerful, making it a great ‘next step’ option in maker education. Keep reading to learn more about the 3Doodler PRO!
We’re big fans of STEAM education. Like, really big fans. If you’re not familiar with what the A in STEAM stands for, or even the other four letters for that matter, STEM represents science, tech, engineering, and math with the A added in to represent art and create a more well-rounded 21st century education with opportunities for expression.
