Today’s lesson: Arduino. What is it? Why is it? Where is it? How is it? We have the answers. Arduino is an open-source electronics platform. In the software world, open-source indicates something that can be modified by anyone. It’s “open,” with a design that’s publicly accessible. Arduino is a great introduction to programming for young engineers. It’s simple in design and easy to …
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. …
As STEM curriculums continue to grow in public school programs across the country, it is obvious that many parents will find them asking themselves the true effectiveness of this adaptive curriculum on their child’s education. The acronym created for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), was not established until 2001. Parents may remember the evolution of technology during their own time in …
Getting involved in STEM education doesn’t have to be hard! As STEM (or science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education receives amplified attention across school districts, it’s important to understand the beauty behind STEM’s accessibility. STEM lessons or an expansive STEM project aren’t limited to older students. In fact, there are numerous STEM activities and projects geared toward younger learners. Interested in learning more? Check out Thimble’s quick …
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 …
Are you hoping to get started with electronics projects, but you don’t have a breadboard, soldering iron, or other materials needed to built your own circuits? Don’t worry! We’ll teach you everything you need to know about how to use electronics! But first, let’s go over how to use a breadboard. Breadboards make it easy to build connections and develop …
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 …
There’s no better time than now for primary and secondary STEM education. STEM-based career opportunities continue to grow, which means our young learners only benefit from quality time spent on STEM projects in school. So if this is true, then why isn’t your child necessarily learning as much as he or she can about robotics, coding, and game design? And what can you do about it? …