The STEM Space

SHOW SUMMARY: Do you use extended reality technology in your classroom? Have you ever heard of extended reality? I bet you have heard of virtual reality or holograms. In this episode, Claire shares what she is learning in graduate school about some advanced technology trends that you may consider using in your own teaching. Tune in to hear how to prepare your students for the future of this emergi...

SHOW SUMMARY: Whew! Being a first-year STEM teacher can be very overwhelming. This episode is all about Claire’s experience after her first year as a formal classroom teacher. Learn about the curriculum she used, tips and tricks to make teaching STEM more effective, and some lessons learned that will help you with your own STEM education journey! Let us know what advice you would add in the commen...

SHOW SUMMARY: As a follow-up from Episode 27, learn about Claire’s recent experience launching a high-altitude balloon with her 5th and 6th graders. This project incorporates math, science, engineering, and technology in an incredible experience that students will remember forever! Listen in to learn more! For all the details about how you can do this with your students, join us for our session on...

SHOW SUMMARY: What is the narrative being promoted when we are teaching engineering? Are we trying to train kids to be ready for their careers or should the focus be on something else? Tune in to this episode where we discuss this subject and the importance of knowing why we teach (or perhaps even “if we should teach”) engineering in grade school. LINKS FROM THE SHOW: Engineering is Elementary (Up...

SHOW SUMMARY: The best virtual conference for STEM educators is just around the corner and we are sharing all the details to let you know why you don’t want to miss it. The conference is April 16-19, 2021 and the best part is, you don’t have to be available to watch anything on those days because your registration gives you access to ALL the content for an entire year! Here are a few of the detail...

SHOW SUMMARY: If you have ever thought about giving your students a high-flying hands-on project to apply their math, science, and engineering skills, we have the perfect project for you! Launch a high-altitude balloon to the edge of space! In this episode, Natasha shares her years of experience with this project as Claire prepares to embark on this epic journey with her students. Get all the deta...

SHOW SUMMARY: Do you find yourself desiring more time to teach STEM? Maybe you only have 15 minutes to complete a STEM activity, but is that enough? In this episode, we are joined by Kerry Tracy to discuss how to have meaningful STEM lessons in short class periods and ideas for gaining more time to do STEM! LINKS FROM THE SHOW: Episode 24- Craft Projects vs. STEM (featuring Kerry Tracy) For Quick...

SHOW SUMMARY: Makerspaces! They are popping up in schools, libraries, and beyond. Maybe you even have one in your classroom (I do!). But are makerspaces just a teaching fad or is it an effective tool for teaching STEM? Listen to our discussion about their definition, purpose, design, and more as we weigh in on this popular trend! Would you like us to discuss other possible teaching fads? Leave us...

SHOW SUMMARY: We shared a post from Kerry Tracy of Feel Good Teaching entitled Science-Themed Crafts Are Not STEM Challenges and it got A LOT of comments on our STEM Space Facebook group ! We sat down with Kerry to hash out why people are so passionate on both sides of this issue and what it all really means. Pull up a chair to our discussion and don’t forget to weigh in in the comments on our web...

SHOW SUMMARY: With a live leaderboard, weekly raffle prizes, and career chats with NASA engineers, Vivify presents Mission to Moon, a hands-on STEM program delivered virtually for classroom or at-home learning. Your students will design robot hands, rovers, roller coasters, and more while learning about real-world STEM, meeting real STEM professionals, and connecting with schools across the world!...

SHOW SUMMARY: Teaching like a pirate has become a popular teaching style since the release of the book (see link below). But what is all the hype around the enthusiasm and fanfare of this method? Tune in to this podcast episode to hear what it is all about and our thoughts on whether or not it is an effective teaching strategy that prepares students for the world of STEM. LINKS FROM THE SHOW: Teac...

SHOW SUMMARY: Is STEM education destroying the science classroom? In this episode, we discuss whether or not STEM is a teaching fad that does more harm than good. Fancy robots, fun design projects, and hands-on activities are always student favorites, but do our STEM programs actually reinforce science concepts, or are they just glorified craft and playtime? Listen in to find out and don’t forget...

SHOW SUMMARY: Thanksgiving is one of our favorite times of year for gathering with friends and family, eating good food, and doing awesome STEM activities. Listen in as we share some of our favorite Thanksgiving and Turkey themed STEM activities for elementary and middle school. These activities cover basic computer programming, forces of flight, STEM careers, and circuitry. LINKS FROM THE SHOW: T...

SHOW SUMMARY: Motivating your students can be a struggle. How do we get them to put forth the effort and engage in your STEM lessons? We need to dig into why students lack motivation and get to the root of the problem first. It may be that they need a boost in self-efficacy, or need a way to find value in how the class relates to them personally. Tune in to this episode to join the discussion and...

SHOW SUMMARY: This episode is a follow-up to episode 17 where we introduced an assignment for educators to fail at something! This allows for teachers to be able to empathize with our students so that we can better help them fail forward or learn from their failures. Listen to this episode for tips on how to address failure in your classroom, tools to equip your students for failure, and even how...

SHOW SUMMARY: When was the last time you truly experienced failure? As educators, we need a refresher on what failure feels like to put us back into the mindset of what it is like to be a novice at something. This perspective is how many of our students are walking into our classrooms. We can become more effective at teaching them if we are able to relate to the position they are in with our conte...

SHOW SUMMARY: Do you meet all of your students’ needs by teaching to each learning style? Maybe you make sure there is an audio recording of your content for the auditory learners or provide plenty of pictures for your visual students. Perhaps you even add some active components for those kinesthetic learners. What if I told you that learning styles are a lie? Turns out, there is no evidence that...

SHOW SUMMARY: Do you shy away from addressing students’ misconceptions? According to the constructivist theory of learning, kids make their own knowledge and ideas about how the world works based on their experiences. What if those ideas are wrong? As educators, we need an approach to correcting these misconceptions that first helps students become aware and commit to what they believe. Listen to...

SHOW SUMMARY: Do your students struggle with design challenges? Maybe they aren’t developmentally ready for that level of knowledge application. Research shows that abstract concepts often cannot be grasped by children under a certain age (this is the Developmental Learning Theory). We need to make sure our teaching is appropriate for a student’s age and know how to set them up for success in lear...

SHOW SUMMARY: In this episode, we are diving into the first in our series on learning theories. Learn how you can be more aware of how to effectively teach skills to your students with the Behavioral Learning Theory. In applying Behavioral Learning Theory, we realize the incredible value of being present with our students especially in a virtual or distance learning environment. This theory has th...

SHOW SUMMARY: In this episode, Natasha provides insight on involving your students in stage 3 STEM which is STEM Competitions. What STEM competitions are available? What is your role as an educator and sponsor? What should you expect in a STEM competition? Get ready to take your students to the next level in their STEM education! There are many virtual nation-wide STEM competitions available as we...

Show Summary: How should we praise our students and should we praise them at all? There are a lot of similarities between how we should parent and how we should teach kids when it comes to praising effort and not outcomes. Listen in to learn 3 specific ways that you can use praise to protect your classroom dynamic and promote growth in positive habits for your kids. THE STEM SPACE SHOWNOTES: https...

Show Summary: Maybe you have stocked up on exciting activities for your STEM classroom or program, but do you know how to manage the supplies, the students, and your class time? Aspen Meineke is back this week sharing her tips from running her STEM programs. Listen in to get inspired by the ways she has found to make a STEM program work well. Links From The Show: STEM Family Night How To Start an...

Show Summary: Have you tried Sphero robots? We love them and we tell you why in this podcast episode. Hear from Sphero Hero brand ambassador Aspen Meineke as she shares her tips and activity ideas to use Sphero robots in your classroom or program. Sphero robots are perfect for all ages and can be used safely with social distancing within your classroom. Tune in to learn more. Links From The Show:...

Show Summary: What’s in a name? Well, it depends on who you ask, but we feel that STEM does not need the addition of any other letters if done correctly. Tune in to this episode to hear about why we believe the standard STEM acronym (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) is important and complete. Have a different opinion, or does your school use STEAM, STREAM, or another version? Let us kno...