Welcome to this third of many posts that will bring you over 70 STEM links. Along with this series, be on the look out for another series I will be posting entitled the ABC’s of PBL and Deeper Learning. First, to ensure you do not miss a valuable post or other resources covering PBL, Digital Curriculum, Web 2.0, STEM, 21st century learning, and technology integration, please sign up for 21centuryedtech by email or RSS. As always, I invite you to follow me on twitter (@mjgormans). Please give this post a retweet and pass it on. Have a great week – Michael Gorman (21centuryedtech)
Teachers Try Science – Provides teachers free and engaging lessons, along with teaching strategies and resources, which are designed to spark students’ interest in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). The site also features collaboration tools to enable teachers to discuss and share effective instructional practices. Access lesson plans that allow students to create water filters, design earthquake-proof structures, explore vertical farms, and much more. Also, find professional development resources such as a video on differentiated instruction or a tutorial on what engineering might look like in your classroom.
CAST Science Writer – Discover this amazing UDL tool from the people at CAST. It supports students in writing lab and class reports. This tool is geared toward middle school and high school students. Science Writer enables students to demonstrate their knowledge of science concepts through writing, structures the writing processes as it relates to content-area writing, structures the thought process required for scientific writing, provides opportunities for structured practice and utilizes the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Framework to meet the needs of a wide range of students.. Max and Sam give students a model and the reasoning behind it, and Eko gives students specific hints on how to progress.
The Lunar and Planetary Institute – The Lunar and Planetary Institute has a wonderful collection of resources for teachers as part of their website. The link provided is a searchable data base of resource from their programs, workshops, field trips, and products. They include activities, exhibits, spectrometers, power points, recommended Web sites, and more. They continue to add resources to their wonderful collection.
Citizen Science – Visit this scientific research collection conducted, in whole or in part, by non-professional scientists. You will discover that people just like you have helped look for asteroids, track migrating birds, and analyze fossilized shark teeth. If you enjoy doing science and would like to make important contributions to the scientific community, consider participating in one or more of the exciting citizen science projects.
Teach Engineering – This is a comprehensive collaborative project between faculty, students and teachers associated with five founding partner universities, with NSF National Science Foundation funding. This real world collection continues to grow and evolve with new additions submitted from more than 50 additional contributors, a cadre of volunteer teacher and engineer reviewers, and feedback from teachers who use the curricula in their classrooms.
ORAU Center For Science Education – This organization offers educators the opportunity to participate in STEM programs that enhance classroom teaching. During the summer months, ORAU offers a variety of programs to provide middle and high school educators the opportunity to engage in hands-on activities that enhance their STEM curriculum.
PBLU- A wonderful site from BIE… known for Project Based learning. Educators can sign up for free online professional development in order to learn how to make PBL happen in their STEM classroom. There is also a small collection of projects that are growing. PBL can provide the process for delivering STEM content.
Leaf Snap – This free mobile app uses visual recognition software to help identify tree species from photographs you take of their leaves. It contains beautiful high-resolution images of leaves, flowers, fruit, petiole, seeds, and bark. The collection currently includes trees of the Northeast and will soon grow to include the trees of the entire continental United States.
MIT and Khan Science – Khan has so much more then Math, in fact visit this Science site that includes resources with Khan Partner MIT K-12. Here you will find great lessons involving Physics, Natural Science, Resources, and Measurement. This is an area that may just help you flip your STEM classroom.
Afterschool Alliance – This organization realizes that getting funding and long-term sustainability for STEM programs can feel daunting. They have put together resources specifically for STEM afterschool programs. Also you’ll find more tools in their Funding and Sustainability toolbox.
Beyond the Chalkboard – This site from the Boston Children’s Museum provides activities that cover a wide range of subjects including science, literacy, culture, art, health, math, and engineering in ways that support what’s learned during the school day. It is also a great site that also facilitates those important 21st century skills.
cross-posted at 21centuryedtech.wordpress.com
Michael Gorman oversees one-to-one laptop programs and digital professional development for Southwest Allen County Schools near Fort Wayne, Indiana. He is a consultant for Discovery Education, ISTE, My Big Campus, and November Learning and is on the National Faculty for The Buck Institute for Education. His awards include district Teacher of the Year, Indiana STEM Educator of the Year and Microsoft’s 365 Global Education Hero. Read more at 21centuryedtech.wordpress.com.
