Raytheon offers professional-development scholarships for Grade K-5 teachers to incorporate the Engineering-is-Elementary engineering curriculum into their classes. The scholarship awards pay for a complete set of EiE curriculum materials for 30 students and a two-day professional-development workshop at Boston’s Museum of Science. Applications are due by midnight on Friday, October 10. Applicants must be full-time classroom teachers or STEM specialists in Grades K-5 with three years experience. Engineering-is-Elementary was developed at the Museum of Science with support from the National Science Foundation. It incorporates hands-on engineering challenges and coordinates with state and national STEM standards.
Category Archives: Resources
Newton South Offers Math and Science Support Centers
Newton South HS offers Math and Science centers to offer additional support to students. Each center is open throughout most of every school day and is staffed by teachers and student teaching assistants. These resources are in addition to teachers’ normal J-block hours. Students may attend during their free blocks (freshmen can ask for a pass from their Directed Study teacher). Math is in Cutler 4201 and Science is in Cutler 3104.
Tell a Friend About NewtonSTEM
Do you know a student, parent, teacher, or STEM professional who would like to be informed of NewtonSTEM’s announcements? Forward them a copy of this newsletter, and they can sign up here. Or just tell them about NewtonSTEM.org, where they can see what’s up and sign up. The NewtonSTEM newsletter is emailed not more than weekly throughout the school year.
WPI STEM Center Workshops for Teachers
The STEM Education Center at Worcester Polytechnic Institute offers professional development workshops for teachers, outside of school hours. The calendar includes:
- October 13: Engineering a Story
- November 11: Unpacking NGSS and MA STE Framework
- Oct. 29, Dec. 3, Feb. 4, Apr. 1: Project-Based Learning Series: Teaching and Learning with STEM Projects
- February 20: Increasing Diversity in STEM
- April 23: Project Presentation Day at WPI
For more information, contact Mia Dubosarsky at mdubosarsky@wpi.edu.
MassBay Receives $525K STEM Grant from U.S. Dept. of Labor
This week Representative Joe Kennedy III announced that MassBay Community College and Bristol Community College each will receive $525,000 in grants from the U.S. Department of Labor for additional instructors and equipment to accelerate students’ achievement and attainment of STEM degrees and certifications that match skills needed in the Massachusetts economy. These grants will be provided through Complete College America’s Guided Pathways to Success initiative.
A Guide for Developing STEM Clubs
The Arizona STEM Network is in its third year of promoting and funding STEM Clubs with supplies, teacher stipends, and professional development. After starting with pilots in 11 schools, it aims to have 200 clubs in Arizona schools by the end of this year. This collaboration of business, educators, elected officials, and philanthropic organizations has prepared on online STEM Club Guide for teachers, administrators, and funders to develop clubs, both in and outside Arizona.
RE-SEED: Retired Scientists and Engineers Assisting in the Classroom
Northeastern University’s Center for STEM Education runs RE-SEED (Retirees Enhancing Science Education through Experiments and Demonstrations) to train retired scientists and engineers (and those who are not retired but have time available) to assist K-12 science teachers in the classroom, with a particular focus on middle school. Volunteers complete a 30-hour training course about their supporting role in the classroom, the process for assisting teachers and students, and examples of hands-on inquiry-based learning activities. Each is assigned to assist in a classroom once a week for a school year. Principals and teachers can fill out an application to request a volunteer, and assignments will be made in late September through October.
The training sessions for new volunteers for the fall semester were over (September 2-5 and 11-12) before NewtonSTEM learned of this, but if you’re interested in volunteering, contact Daniel Sullivan at da.sullivan@neu.edu or 617-373-3382.
Annual Report of DIGITS Program for 6th Grade STEM
The DIGITS program for STEM education/awareness has released its 2013-14 annual report (PDF). Among Newton middle schools, Oak Hill participated again last year, for the fourth year in a row. For this year, sixth-grade Math/Science teachers may register online to host a DIGITS volunteer STEM., and STEM professionals may register online to become volunteer STEM Ambassadors. (More info at those links.)
Code.org Releases Open-Source Learning Platform, Code Studio
Code.org — the non-profit promoting the Hour of Code to expand participation in computer science — has released Code Studio, an open-source platform for learning the basics of computer science. Students and parents are encouraged to sign up to be able to save their progress in online courses such as the 20-hour courses for elementary students, the Fun for Everybody courses, and the General Course for All Ages. K-8 teachers are encouraged to sign up to use Code Studio for teaching computer science in the classroom.
PTC/FIRST Grant Applications Due Sept. 12
PTC, a long-time, strong supporter of FIRST Tech Challenge, will make $1,000 grants to FIRST teams across the U.S. for the 2014-15 FTC season. Grants can be used for travel, robot expenses, computers, etc. Grant applications will be due September 12 and awards will be announced by September 26. Details and forms are online.