An alarming percent of educators report feelings of intimidation and a lack of confidence in STEM education. Creating a STEM classroom, developing a standards-aligned curriculum, and then initiating and maintaining student engagement is overwhelming. Take into consideration an educator who doesn’t have a strong STEM background, and the task can become even less feasible. Half-hearted attempts are a disservice to our students and our …
Science and engineering projects for kids sound anything but simple to busy parents. Visions of poster board, hot glue, and tears flash before their eyes. But simple machine projects for kids really are, well, simple. They’re much easier than many other STEM projects because they involve just the basics of engineering and physics – and very few parts. A simple machine is …
We live in a world where so much of an educator’s time is spent “teaching to the test,” – leaving precious few minutes for authentic, hands-on learning projects. Throw in pandemic-forced “hybrid” scheduling, and those project-based learning opportunities get even more difficult to integrate. STEM Clubs are a fun and effective way to bridge that gap. STEM Clubs allow students …
What’s up with that headline? You can imagine the frustration a parent feels when their child asks them how to build a robot. I think it’s written in the imaginary Handbook for Parenting that every kid asks their parents this question at least one time. (It’s right there in Chapter 6: Unanswerable Questions Every Kid Asks. It’s right beside, “If a …
STEM can be an intimidating topic for parents. What does STEM stand for? The easy answer to that question is to label each letter of the acronym. So let’s do that: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. See? Easy. Done. We can end this blog post. Mic drop. *insert screeching brake sounds** We know what you’re thinking – “Yeah but, what …
We live in an incredibly technological world that continues to innovate beyond our wildest imaginations. Some of today’s high-tech games and gadgets can have parents scratching their heads wondering, “How do they do that?”. More often than not, the answer is: Coding. To someone with no STEM background, it seems there must be a Wizard of Oz style curtain somewhere. …
8th Grade Science Fair Projects – Don’t make it harder than it has to be! It’s happened. Your eighth-grader brought home an assignment that can strike fear into the hearts of parents everywhere. It’s true. The science fair is upon us. The teacher has given them a lengthy rubric outlining all the requirements and presentation methods their assignment must adhere to. The scope of …
Online classes for kids are missing an important piece of the puzzle. Parents all over are getting up close and personal with dozens of online learning platforms. Khan Academy, Lexia, Freckle, Google Classroom, Flipgrid, Zoom, Flocabulary, and Class Dojo are becoming common household words. Like it or not – it looks like online learning is here for the foreseeable future. So you better write down all …
Curious about a STEM subscription box for kids? There’s a lot of different monthly mailing services out there. From Stitch Fix Kid’s fashion boxes to the Unicorn Dream Box subscription service for unicorn lovers (Yes – that’s a real thing). The options are varied and endless (and sometimes a little bit odd). If you’re looking to commit to one for …