Many children love to have STEM experiences in their education and many teachers love creating those opportunities. They don’t typically just fall into place, however, and, like all lesson plans, require careful design. In STEAM education, impactful lessons and activities are almost endless, which often makes it easier for teachers to find or create something that’s relevant.
Sometimes, teaching kids about coding can get complicated. Even with all of these excellent coding solutions that are available for K-12 teachers and their students, it can sometimes feel challenging to pinpoint how exactly to start. So, in this post, we’re exploring the SpriteBox Coding platform, a CS app that educators can use to introduce coding in early elementary school.
Inventiveness, if you ask us, is something that goes hand in hand with 21st century problem solving and creativity, but, despite how it could potentially really help enable instructors to challenge student creativity, it is oftentimes overlooked. Luckily, inventiveness is key in STEM education and one of the key soft skills students can work on as soon as they enter the classroom.
Since they are so group-oriented, project-based learning experiences truly help students develop more than academic skills. They often learn to build up connections with their classmates, their communities, their teachers, or their work. And, this also helps kids learn to take greater pride in what they are doing, knowing they can positively impact others’ lives and their own.
There is a huge deal of focus on coding in elementary school, and rightfully so but, this week, we wanted to go a little beyond the traditional classroom coding adventures that we love. Besides the always popular platforms, like Scratch and MakeCode, some more complex programming languages, like JavaScript, Python, and HTML, provide older kids with new opportunities.
Afterschool STEM programs and camps have been around for many years, but they are sometimes entirely for child care purposes. Recently, however, we’ve seen shifts in more kids actually wanting to participate in enrichment programs to continue developing various STEM skills outside of the school day. And, the best part is they often truly enjoy these STEM experiences.
Chances are, if you’re any type of teacher these days, you hear the familiar word ‘grant’ thrown around quite a bit from friends, peers, or perhaps even administrators. Chances are, you may have even applied for a few of them, too. These days, it’s not uncommon for teachers to spend hours and hours of their free time perfecting applications and chasing many opportunities.
A professional learning network (a PLN) may traditionally consist of groups of colleagues or like-minded professionals who regularly communicate and collaborate (usually online) to help the members maximize their skill sets. A PLN in the education world involves teachers sharing resources, answering requests, or offering guidance and support while building relationships.
Fostering environmental awareness in children could take many forms. We have identified some EdTech tools that truly help kids approach ecological learning from different perspectives. They can capture data from the world with robots, take their coding outside, use sustainable tools, and complete hands-on projects on renewable energy while expanding their eco literacy!
As EdTech tools evolve, their defining characteristics are often changing as well and, as we get further into the 21st century with a collectively stronger understanding of how to prepare our students for the future, those features keep improving. So, this week, we’re breaking down some of the very best things to look for as you vet any new educational technology solutions.
