Partnering with Universities on STEAM Programs: How Schools Are Doing It (And Why)

University partnerships offer benefits for K–12, especially for STEM and STEAM programs — and not just in the ways you might expect. From expertise and mentoring to hands-on experiences and career exposure, the positive results of working with higher ed faculty impact students and K–12 educators alike.

Kids Prefer Math and Science Subjects While Parents Value Reading and Writing

A majority of parents will say their children favor math and science subjects the most in school, while they themselves tend to think reading and writing skills are more important for future success, according to new survey data from the Overdeck Family Foundation and the Simons Foundation.

State Progress on K-12 Computer Science Ed Policies: 'We Have a Long Way to Go'

According to a new report, "States must both inspire and prepare a far greater number of students to pursue CS education and related careers."

Research: Let's Move STEM Learning Earlier

According to a new research project, children who engage in scientific activities at an early age (between birth and age 8) develop positive attitudes toward science, build up their STEM "vocabularies" and do better at problem solving, meeting challenges and acquiring new skills.

'Ignored Potential': Report Urges Schools to Encourage African-American Girls to Pursue Engineering

Among the many recommendations: working with community colleges and K-12 to "ensure smoother transitions and a more cohesive K-16 learning experience."

Initiative Will Train 20,000 Teachers to Introduce Computational Thinking in CS Education

A new national initiative from Discovery Education and Tata Consultancy Services will provide professional development content to more than 20,000 teachers in the United States so that they can introduce computational thinking concepts in computer science education.

NGSS Issues 'Lessons Learned' for Instructional Materials and PD

Start with a small cohort of teachers; provide professional learning opportunities to all teachers; include school leaders in the training. Those are some of the more obvious best practices tied to professional development for teachers learning how to teach to the Next Generation Science Standards, shared in a new guide published by NGSS.

Artificial Intelligence to Grow 47.5% in Education Over Next 4 Years

Artificial intelligence in the U.S. education sector is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 47.5 percent during the period 2017-2021, according to a new report.

MIT Brings Free Science and Math Video Lessons to Charter High Schoolers

The agreement with Atlantis Charter School is the first of its kind for the "Blended Learning Open Source Science or Math Studies" or BLOSSOMS program. While other schools have used BLOSSOMS on an ad hoc basis, the latest arrangement will include professional development starting this month for teachers to help them improve their STEM instructional practices.

Raspberry Pi Robotics Competition Coming to Philadelphia

A Raspberry Pi robotics competition is coming to the United States for the first time. Students in grades 6 through 12 will have the opportunity to put their robots to the test in the first-ever "Pi Wars USA," taking place at a Pennsylvania school in early June.

Are UTeach Teachers More Effective at STEM?

The researchers found that students taught by UTeach teachers performed significantly better on end-of-grade tests in math and end-of-course tests in math and science, depending on the grade and subject.

Waco ISD Extends In-Class STEM Instruction for Pre-K Students

Waco Independent School District (Waco, TX) has extended the amount of class time spent teaching STEM topics to its pre-K students from two minutes to an average of 36 minutes per day.

NASA and Texas Instruments Launch STEM-Related Virtual Scavenger Hunt

NASA and Texas Instruments (TI) today launched "The Search for STEMnauts," a virtual scavenger hunt designed to ignite students' interest in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). Each week for the next six weeks, students in sixth through 12th grade will be challenged to solve space-related puzzles for a chance to unlock virtual reward points.

STEM Camps for 8-12 Graders Offered at Rice University

Rice University's Tapia Center for Excellence and Equity will offer summer camps for middle and high school students aimed at increasing their interest in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) as future careers. The camps are targeting underrepresented populations in STEM fields.

NSTA Launches Professional Programs for K–12 School Districts

The National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) today launched a series of programs for K–12 school districts to meet the increasing demand for high-quality professional learning for science teachers. NSTA is now offering District Professional Learning Packages, a variety of tailored programs that support the implementation of new science standards, help elementary teachers infuse science literacy and STEM learning in the classroom and encourage secondary science educators to engage students in scientific practices.

STEM Activation Program Helps Utah Girls Prepare for Tech Careers

The Utah-based Women Tech Council today launched the first expansion event of its SheTech program to provide access to hands-on tech experiences and mentorship with industry experts to high school girls across the state and in rural areas to engage and inspire them to pursue science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields and careers.

Virginia Refreshes CTE Programs With $600,000 to Upgrade Equipment

Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe recently allocated $600,000 in competitive grants to 16 high schools in and technical centers to revamp career and technical education (CTE) programs.

All-Girl Team Takes First in Wonder League Robotics Competition

An all-girls team from Hartland, MI — the Pink Eagles — has won the grand prize for the 9–12 age group in the Wonder League Robotics Competition.

'Cabinet of Curiosities' Profiles STEM Professionals

The grandson of famed oceanographer Jacques Cousteau has launched a new, free website to introduce students to STEM careers.

Online Music Composition Tool Helps Students Engage, Learn and Socialize

A fifth grade teacher from Montana reflects on how Soundtrap helped an unmotivated, unfocused student discover his voice and passion.

Smithsonian and Lenovo Collaborate to Advance STEAM Learning

The Smithsonian is collaborating with tech company Lenovo to foster STEAM (science, technology, engineering arts and math) learning in school and after-school programs using the Smithsonian Learning Lab, a free online toolkit to find, customize and share digital museum resources with others.

SparkFun Opens micro:bit Technology to American Markets

SparkFun Electronics has begun carrying the micro:bit in the United States, starting this month and shipping in early May 2017. The micro:bit — a beginner-friendly, reprogrammable microcontroller — gained popularity after the BBC gave the board to every 11- and 12-year-old student in the United Kingdom to inspire a new generation to pursue innovation in computer science.

Startup Launches 'Built by Students for Students' Tech Incubator

An education technology start-up that intends to offer a platform that uses artificial intelligence to help people break down their education goals into achievable segments has just acquired a bot created by a 14-year-old to remind users to do their homework.

Students Win National 3D Design Competition for Future Missions to Mars

The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Foundation and Future Engineers, an online education platform, have chosen winners for their 3D Mars Medical Challenge: Lewis Greenstein, 18, of Seattle, and Lauren Lee, 12, of Cupertino, CA.

World's First Fully Interactive Coding Studio for Kids to Launch in Chicago

A trio of tech entrepreneurs have launched Codeverse, the world's first "hackable" classroom, studio and vertically integrated technology platform designed to teach children ages 6 to 12 the skill of coding. The studio is scheduled to open in Chicago in July.

Casio Adds High-Res, Touchscreen LCD Display Graphic Calculator to PRIZM Lineup

Math teachers and others who are attending the National Council of Supervisors in Mathematics (NCSM) annual conference April 3-5 or the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) annual conference April 5-8 can see Casio's new fx-CG500 graphic calculator in action.

3D Printing with Plants? Researchers Find a Way

A project at MIT has succeeded in replacing the common plastics frequently used for 3D printing with cellulose, the same abundantly available fiber that gives plants their structure.

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