I have been participating in i-STEM Summer Institutes (https://sde.idaho.gov/academic/istem/)since 2010. The only year I missed was 2016 when I was recovering from finishing my dissertation. i-STEM is a coordinated effort by the State Department of Education, Idaho Professional-Technical Education, educators, businesses, and industry to support science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education in Kindergarten through 12th grade.
Teaching Teachers
The first three years I participated, I was taking part in strands such as I3 - Imagine, Innovate, Invent and LEGO Mindstorms NXT. This is where I actually got my start in using robotics in my classroom. The following years I began to teach strands as a provider. My first year was teaching LEGO Mindstorms integration, followed by two years of teaching LEGO WeDo integration, and finally this summer 3D printing integration. I have always taught with a colleague, but this year my daughter taught with me.
Pivothead Glasses
The great part about i-STEM is that not only do you receive training on the technology or instructional practices, but you also receive the materials to teach your newly acquired skills. Participants received a robotics kit in the past, and this summer receive a 3D printer to keep and use in their classrooms. In addition, there is also another piece of technology all the strands receive along with training. This summer all participants received Pivothead glasses for easily recording videos on the go.
We had a great week!
If you are an Idaho educator and have not heard of or participated in i-STEM Summer Institutes, I encourage you to look for registration through the Idaho STEM Action Center (https://stem.idaho.gov/). In the past registration has started on March 1 and strands fill quickly.
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