September 19, 2018
You already know that STEM learning is everywhere these days. The term “STEM” had its origins in the 1990s at the National Science Foundation. Since then, it has become a buzzword for all sorts of events, policies, or programs involving one (or several) of the acronym’s disciplines—namely, Science, Technology, Engineering, or Math.
STEM has been in the news ever since. Below we’ve collected an assortment of articles looking at some of the challenges, successes, plans, and controversies related to this important skill set.
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College level, Elementary level, High School level, Middle School level, STEM | Tagged: Educational Innovations, homeschool, parent friendly, PBL, phenomenon based learning, phenomenon-based science, science, STEM | 
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Posted by Donna Giachetti
June 11, 2018
By Tina Brown
We first heard the term “STEM” several years ago. In May of 2013, the National Science and Technology Council introduced their five-year strategic plan. It was a 127-page report on how to strengthen American schools’ science, technology, engineering, and math education programs.
Essentially, the goal of this plan was to produce children who would eventually be competitive in an international job market. However, within a few years of the STEM hype, educators realized there was something missing.
The Missing Element in STEM
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Leave a Comment » | Elementary level, Middle School level, STEM | Tagged: Educational Innovations, fun experiments, hands-on activity, hands-on science, homeschool, parent friendly, PBL, PhenoBL, phenomenon based learning, phenomenon-based science, STEM, variables | Permalink
Posted by Donna Giachetti
April 20, 2018
by Priscilla Robinson
Spring in the Pacific Northwest comes with a fanfare of germinating seeds, blossoming flowers, and budding trees. As a science educator, I like to jump on Mother Nature’s bandwagon to bring this burst of plant life into my classroom with a variety of biology experiments and activities. What your students see every day can bloom into teachable moments. These learning ideas will help you make the most out of the magic and science of spring.
Leave a Comment » | Biology, Earth Science, Elementary level, experiments, life science, Middle School level | Tagged: DIY, Educational Innovations, fun experiments, gardening, gardening for kids, green science, hands-on activity, homeschool, hydroponics, parent friendly, PBL, phenomenon based learning, phenomenon-based science, polymer crystals, science, seeds, summer science, variables | Permalink
Posted by Donna Giachetti
April 13, 2018
By Cathy Byrne
Virtually all fourth grade students explore electricity and magnetism. As part of this unit, students are asked to do two things:
1 – Make observations to provide evidence that energy can be transferred from place to place by sound, light, heat, and electric currents (4-PS3-2)
2 – Apply scientific ideas to design, test, and refine a device that converts energy from one form to another (4-PS3-4).
This year, the teachers at my school put a new twist on our electricity and magnetism unit… and the results were amazing!
Leave a Comment » | electricity, Elementary level, experiments, magnetism, Middle School level, STEM | Tagged: DIY, Educational Innovations, electrical circuits, electricity, energy, experiments, fun experiments, hands-on activity, homeschool, light, magnetism, parent friendly, PBL, PhBL, PhenoBL, phenomenon based learning, science, science fair project, STEM, variables | Permalink
Posted by Donna Giachetti
March 23, 2018
by Priscilla Robinson
If you teach STEM, you’ll want to learn about the OneCar system.
The performance components in the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) have spawned many wonderful chances to explore STEM in the classroom. The STEM curriculum is based on the idea that an interdisciplinary, applied approach is the best way to teach students these four specific disciplines. When your students are searching for solutions to real-world problems, they are more engaged, and their learning is more authentic.
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2 Comments | College level, Elementary level, energy, experiments, High School level, Middle School level, Physics, science fair, STEM | Tagged: air pressure, awesome science experiment, Educational Innovations, energy, fun experiments, hands-on science, homeschool, Newton's First Law, Newton's Second Law, Newton's Third Law, parent friendly, PBL, phenomenon based learning, phenomenon-based science, Physics, rockets, science, science fair project, STEM, variables | Permalink
Posted by Donna Giachetti
