How to Instill a Lifelong Love of Science

Stuff this week - How to Instill a Lifelong Love of Science I recently came across an article from 2015 titled STEM for Elementary School Students – How to Instill a Lifelong Love of Science. Please take 10 minutes to read it. It is an excellent summary of what STEM education is and how it should be taught in schools. I do note with interest that the article is from two years ago yet uptake remains slow.  I grabbed the following quote from the article and ask the question - How good would it be in a school that did this? STEM education is active and focuses on a student-centered learning environment. Students engage in questioning, problem solving, collaboration, and hands-on activities while they address real life issues. In STEM education, teachers function as classroom facilitators. They guide students through the problem-solving process and plan projects that lead to mastery of content and STEM proficiency. STEM proficient students are able to answer complex questions, investigate global issues, and develop solutions for challenges and real world problems while applying the rigor of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics content in a seamless fashion. STEM proficient students are logical thinkers, effective communicators and are technologically, scientifically, and mathematically literate.

Share Tweet +1 Pin Forward

Stuff in the news Makers Movement Changes the Educational Landscape - An article from the USNEWS website 22 May 2017 The exact age when girls lose interest in science and math - A new survey commissioned by Microsoft found that young girls in Europe become interested in so-called STEM subjects around the age of 11 and then quickly lose interest when they're 15. An article from CNN 28 February 2017 Australia lagging in crucial STEM component - An article suggesting artificial intelligence is lacking from the curriculum. The Educator website 19 January 2017 Tech Supergirls paving the way for women in technology - An article on The Source News from 27 September 2016

Stuff to buy Klutz LEGO Chain Reactions Craft Kit - With the stuff in this kit and a pile of your own ordinary LEGO bricks, you can build Ten awesome machines that can be combined to make dozens of different chain reactions. *At this point in time I earn no money from any product I list and I am not affiliated with any other company.

Stuff in education 3 Simple and Smart EdTech Strategies for Teaching With Technology - Providing teachers with quality training is so important yet sorely lacking. An article from the Global Digital Citizen website 30 May 2017. How Design Thinking Builds Empathy, Gives Purpose and Honors Educators - How making builds empathy, why it’s important to compensate teachers for continuously learning, and advice for administrators who want to drive change through design thinking. An article from Edsurge 15 May 2017

Stuff to do Australia Wide Edutech 2017 - EduTECH is the LARGEST education event in Asia-Pac and the Southern Hemisphere. 7-9 June 2017 in Sydney. Australian STEM Video Game Challenge - For grades 5+.The Australian STEM Video Game Challenge will ask participants to develop games in response to a central theme or idea. Registration open 1 May and submissions close 25 August. Young ICT Explorers -  A non-profit competition, which has been created by SAP to encourage school students to create their best Information and Communication Technology (ICT) related projects. Registrations are OPEN. See the YouTube video here! CSIRO CREST Program - CREativity in Science and Technology. Engage your students with open-ended science investigations and technology projects through the CREST program. National Science Week - Australia’s annual celebration of science and technology and thousands of individuals – from students, to scientists to chefs and musicians – get involved, taking part in more than 1000 science events across the nation. 12 - 20 August 2017

- - -

Bricks 4 Kidz® | Awesome Fun With LEGO® Bricks 

Young Engineers Australia - Provides an engaging, hands-on learning platform using LEGO® and K’nex® assembly kits

CoderDojo - A volunteer run programming club

Code Club Australia - A network of coding clubs for kids aged 9 to 11.

Stuff to do in Brisbane SLQ Digital Futures - Each year the State Library of Queensland presents a theme of interest to the Queensland community. Throughout 2017, we invite you to join us in exploring Digital Futures. Robogals Holiday Workshops - Robogals from UQ are advertising for their next holiday sessions in June. Get in quick! (Grades 4+) Robotronica 2017 - Robotronica is a groundbreaking one-day event showcasing the latest developments in robotics and interactive design. QUT's The Cube 20 August 2017  - - - Brisbane Library Service has purchased the very flash NAO Robot and is showing it off in various libraries. The Cube at QUT has a number of changing programs.  Brisbane Planetarium - Features entertaining and informative shows for adults and children STEMPUNKS STEM classes for kids in Brisbane STEAMPUNX - Not to be confused with the organisation above! Offers in-school and out of school workshop programs Flying Fox Studios - A studio offering programs in the arts, music and construction areas from babies to teenagers in Brisbane Building Block Studio | Learning Activity Centre in Brisbane For Budding Coders And Engineers Fun Chess Classes For Kids in Brisbane | Chess Mates Red Cat Science | Kids get to do what they can't at school It's Rocket Science School Incursions - Educational and fully interactive project based rocket science incursions for primary and secondary schools in a safe and empowering learning environment.

Girls in STEM

Stuff this week - Girls in STEM If you are the average family you will have two kids with one boy and one girl. If you are not average like me you might have three girls! Either way you likely have an interest in girls and STEM. Many STEM industries are typically male dominated yet despite this women have made and continue to make significant contributions to the total of human knowledge. Since the 1800s women like Ada Lovelace, Marie Curie and Grace Hopper have been experts in their field. The recent movie Hidden Figures showed the critical roles women have played even in the face of overt racism. In the most recent times we can watch Physics Girl on YouTube, Ayeh Bedir is the CEO of LittleBits and Carrie-Ann Philbin started off as Geek Girl on YouTube, wrote some books and is now the Director of Education for the Raspberry Pi Foundation. (She is also doing the awesome Crash Course Computer Science YouTube series) What is interesting is that research shows that in school a high proportion of girls are interested in STEM yet only a small number go onto a career in these fields. This is not an Australian specific problem. There are a large number of incentives and organisations dedicated to addressing this imbalance. In Australia we have Tech Girls are Superheroes and Girl Geek Academy and there are Australian chapters of globals movements such as Robogals. Globally there is Techgirlz and Girls Who Code and many more. So there is plenty of support for your girls if they are interested in STEM. There are practical things you can do at home. Let the girls use the drill and the hammer; make a billy cart with them. Encourage them to make things with electronics. Have fun doing various science experiments. Include them when Mum or Dad is fixing something. There are some great pages on the Internet showcasing women in STEM which would be great to look at together. In my experience in primary school it is the girls who are more likely to be interested and focused during a STEM activity. We just need to maintain that passion throughout their schooling.

Share Tweet +1 Pin Forward

Stuff in the news Getting Girls into STEM: The Power of Blended (and All-Female) Instruction - An article from Edsurge 21 March 2017. Bucking the STEM trend: one student's journey to success -  Imogen Low, who wanted to become a doctor, shared the perception of many other students that ICT was for “geeks and gamers”. However, that all changed in 2014 when her teacher entered her into the Young ICT Explorers (YICTE) competition. An article from The Educator 18 April 2017. How Do You Get Middle School Girls Hooked on STEM? Ask TechGirlz - Philadelphia-based non-profit TechGirlz takes on the challenge of getting young girls to stick with STEM education. An article from PC Magazine 18 November 2016 Why is Russia so good at encouraging women into tech? - An article from BBC News 21 April 2017 Want to Break Stereotypes in STEM and Computing? Take a Look at Computer History - By sharing the history of computers with our students we can help break the stereotypes about gender and race in computing. An article from Edsurge 6 April 2017.

Stuff to buy New STEM Picture Books - STEM picture books introduce young children to science, technology, engineering, and math.  *At this point in time I earn no money from any product I list and I am not affiliated with any other company.

Stuff in education A STEM revolution across the curriculum - Amid urgent calls for an enrichment of STEM education in Australia, Terrie Jones and her team from Ravenswood School for Girls in Sydney plotted a plan of action. An article from EducationHQ Australia 18 April 2017. The next generation of innovators is here—and they’re girls - An article about a technology competition sponsored by gemaker 9 January 2017.

Stuff to do Australia Wide Australian STEM Video Game Challenge - For grades 5+.The Australian STEM Video Game Challenge will ask participants to develop games in response to a central theme or idea. Registration open 1 May and submissions close 25 August. Young ICT Explorers -  A non-profit competition, which has been created by SAP to encourage school students to create their best Information and Communication Technology (ICT) related projects. Registrations are OPEN. See the YouTube video here! Edutech 2017 - EduTECH is the LARGEST education event in Asia-Pac and the Southern Hemisphere. 7-9 June 2017 in Sydney. - - - Bricks 4 Kidz® | Awesome Fun With LEGO® Bricks  Young Engineers Australia - Provides an engaging, hands-on learning platform using LEGO® and K’nex® assembly kits CoderDojo - A volunteer run programming club

Stuff to do in Brisbane Robotronica 2017 - Robotronica is a groundbreaking one-day event showcasing the latest developments in robotics and interactive design. QUT's The Cube 20 August 2017  - - - Brisbane Library Service has purchased the very flash NAO Robot and is showing it off in various libraries. The Cube at QUT has a number of changing programs.  Brisbane Planetarium - Features entertaining and informative shows for adults and children STEMPUNKS STEM classes for kids in Brisbane Flying Fox Studios - A studio offering programs in the arts, music and construction areas from babies to teenagers in Brisbane Building Block Studio | Learning Activity Centre in Brisbane For Budding Coders And Engineers Fun Chess Classes For Kids in Brisbane | Chess Mates Red Cat Science | Kids get to do what they can't at school It's Rocket Science School Incursions - Educational and fully interactive project based rocket science incursions for primary and secondary schools in a safe and empowering learning environment.

STEM in Primary Inaugural Post

Stuff this week Welcome to the very first STEM in Primary blog post. I do a lot of research for my own interest, to support the STEM program at my girl's school and to provide opportunities for my girls at home.  I think that others will also be interested so I am starting this blog. For now this blog will have a bias towards activities which affect Brisbane students. In addition to the information and links in these posts there is a link to the STEM in Primary YouTube channel at the top of this page. There you will find a curated selection of STEM related videos. STEM Education has a global focus and the Australian government at all levels is promoting it as a priority. This is not to say that a balanced liberal education should be abandoned, far from it. However, there are significant structural issues that are preventing schools from nimbly shifting teaching practices and content to embrace the modern technological age. Hopefully, this blog will provide food for thought and be a conversation starter that will lead to positive and tangible change. It is so important however, to ensure that any change is done in a structured and informed manner to avoid wasted effort, money and our children's precious time in the classroom. At this point in time I earn no money from any product I endorse and I am not affiliated with any other company. If this ever changes I will certainly let you know! I look forward to hearing people's thoughts on this topic.

Stuff in the news The government is funding a number of programs designed to improve access and participation in STEM related fields for girls. Read the report here: Australia's STEM Gender Problem Is Getting $3.9m In Government Funding No matter how much you encourage STEM education it is not enough to enable and support innovation that Australia desperately needs in the future. New teaching methods are required. STEM needs all the help it can get

Stuff to do STEMPUNKS STEM classes for kids in Brisbane Flying Fox Studios School Holiday Coding For Kids From Prep To Year 7 | Code Camp Building Block Studio | Learning Activity Centre For Budding Coders And Engineers Bricks 4 Kidz® In Brisbane | Awesome Fun With LEGO® Bricks Fun Chess Classes For Kids | Chess Mates Fun LEGO STEM Programs | Young Engineers Brisbane Red Cat Science | Kids get to do what the can't at school CoderDojo - A volunteer run programming club

Stuff to buy Blueberry4 - A fantastic Australian invention teaches the fundamentals of computer architecture LinkSprite - Another Australian invention. Teaches physical computing with easy to connect components Raspberry Pi - A tiny and affordable computer that you can use to learn programming through fun, practical projects Airblock programmable drone New pink version of the mBot - A capable and low cost robot Chibitronics - Chibitronics LED Circuit Stickers combine arts and craft with technology Keva Planks - You build structures by simply stacking the planks. No glue, no connectors

Stuff in education Australia’s performance in science continues to slide due to ineffective, traditional teaching practices and an outdated curriculum, which is leading to students becoming disengaged with the subject. Three ways to boost science performance in Australian schools