 STEM Gems Heidi Rethmeier ESU 8 Staff Developer

Brogan & Partners created for the National Defense Education Partnership to increase awareness of STEM.

STEM Background  A little about my many lives:  Aeronautical Engineer for the USAF  College Professor in STEM  Secondary STEM teacher  ESU Staff Developer

STEM Education  Not just for High Ability Learners  Not just for students who excel in math and science  How can you infuse STEM school wide?  Where are the real opportunities?  What are some resources?

STEM Education  Are you a closet STEM Teacher?  Do you start projects with, “We have a problem”?  Do you shop at hardware stores for school supplies?  Does your classroom often look like a garage sale?  Do you assess in unconventional ways?  Do your students know it’s OK to fail and try again?  Do your students know there is more than one solution?

Preschool  STEM oriented  Play is Work!  Design  Build  Role play  Collaborate  Create

Kindergarten – 5 th Grade  William’s dilemma  STEM Gems  Open ended problems  Design a fence  Sciencebug.org Sciencebug.org  Exploring Light Exploring Light  Hour of Code Hour of Code

Middle School  Exploratory Classes  STEM Gems  LEGO Mindstorm Robots  Rube Goldberg Machines  Stop Motion Animation  Code.org  Hour of Code Hour of Code  Impromptu Design Projects  Makey Makey Makey  Build a Speaker

High School  Heavy technology consumers – we need more technology creators and producers  STEM Gems  West Point Bridge Design West Point Bridge Design  NASA Opportunities - Shoebox Glider NASA Opportunities  LEGO Mindstorm Robots  CEENBots  Hour of Code Hour of Code  Impromptu Design Projects  Mousetrap Race Cars  Makey Makey Makey  Build a Speaker

How do we incorporate STEM?  TEACHER (and student) QUALITIES  Inquiry  Design  Creativity  Collaboration  Problem Solving  Troubleshooting  Teamwork  Middle School exploratory classes  Independent study  After school programs/clubs  School wide emphasis  Intervention time

STEM concepts  Inquiry  Design  Creativity  Collaboration  Problem Solving  Critical Thinking  Teamwork Regardless of Age Group

 STEM GEMS Heidi Rethmeier ESU 8 Staff Developer