Guest expert Dr. Susan Pruet stresses the need to stretch beyond simple arithmetic to incorporate more challenging math content in STEM lessons. Pruet also cites the supports middle grades math teachers will need to spark student engagement in STEM careers.
In today’s budget-conscious and time-stressed schools, virtual field trips are a great way to excite students without leaving the classroom. Teaching expert Barbara Blackburn shares a sample lesson idea and some good places to hunt for relevant field trips.
As science teachers pursue Next Generation Science Standards, many wonder how STEM and NGSS match up. Can a good NGSS-aligned science lesson be a good STEM lesson too? Anne Jolly and guest Marsha Ratzel offer insights via the Matchstick Rocket Challenge.
Dialogue circles can facilitate brain function and help “increase generosity, trust, intrinsic motivation, social connection, and cooperation so students can work together for a common purpose,” writes inner-city middle school principal David Palank.
STEM By Design / STEM Program Design
by Anne Jolly · Published 03/15/2015 · Last modified 11/29/2019
Access to STEM education is more than an economic issue. It’s a matter of equity as well. Anne Jolly highlights the story of an urban district where an intentionally disruptive program is successfully involving all middle school students in STEM studies.
When Cheryl Mizerny invited her 6th graders to pursue a “passion project” of their own choosing, she included the option to help someone in need. The results surprised her. “I greatly underestimated my students’ capacity for wanting to make a difference.”
Teachers who want to combine deep reading of poetry with the joy of discovery will find engaging lessons and activities in Georgia Heard’s Poetry Lessons to Meet the Common Core. Reviewer Linda Biondi praises the book’s strategies to “live with a poem for a week.”
With the winter “read by the fire” season in full force, we offer a selection of 20 MiddleWeb posts that have garnered thousands of views apiece. They represent the wisdom & expertise of middle grades educators with a wide range of teaching experiences.
STEM By Design / STEM Teacher Development
by Anne Jolly · Published 10/15/2014 · Last modified 11/17/2019
Your school wants to offer STEM classes to its students. How do you select teachers? And what professional development and other supports will teachers need to successfully involve students and facilitate projects? STEM expert Anne Jolly shares ideas.
Whether you’re a principal, staff developer or teacher leader, you’ll find ideas to convey your PD message effectively in this checklist adapted from “The Ten-Minute Inservice” by experts Todd Whitaker and Annette Breaux. One tip: Walk your talk.
