Resources for the Classroom and Educators

We are very lucky to have numerous resources available to us as educators. Some are free, while others are pay services. It can be challenging during the school year to use newly found resources, so I have a habit of saving links I come across on social media on my phone by leaving the tab open in Chrome. Here are a few so that I can close those tabs and still have easy access to the resources. It's not exciting to look at but holds a variety of free resources for use in the classroom, professional development, grants, and conference possibilities.

Classroom:

http://stemteachingtools.org/ - The STEM Teaching Tools site has tools that can help you teach science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). We are currently focused on supporting the teaching of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Each tool is focused on a specific issue and leverages the best knowledge from research and practice. 

https://www.sanfordharmony.org/ - Sanford Harmony is a social emotional learning program for Pre-K-6 grade students designed to foster communication, connection, and community both in and outside the classroom, and develop boys and girls into compassionate and caring adults.

http://www.ascd.org/publications/newsletters/education-update/mar19/vol61/num03/Deepening-Independence-in-the-Reading-Workshop.aspx 

https://orise.orau.gov/stem/k-12/index.html - Recognizing that it is never too early to excite students about science education, ORISE offers a variety of STEM education opportunities for both students and the teachers who will be inspiring them. As more teachers are able to connect authentic research with classroom curricula, the more likely students will pursue careers within the scientific workforce.

https://www.weareteachers.com/team-building-games-and-activities/ - Team-building games and activities are a great tool for helping students learn to work together, listen carefully, communicate clearly, and think creatively. They also give your students the chance to get to know each other, build trust as a community and, best of all, have some fun! Here are 33 team-building activities that will teach your students these skills and more.

https://www.notsowimpyteacher.com/2019/07/first-week-of-school-lesson-plans.html - Lesson planning is always a bit tricky, but planning for that first week back to school is extra challenging! How much time should we spend teaching procedures? How can we get to know our new students? How can we make the first week fun? When should we start with the curriculum?

https://www.cilc.org/Interactive-Content/Zoom-Live-Streaming-Events.aspx - During this school year Zoom is sponsoring at least 2 streaming programs per month on CILC! These programs are presented by some of our TOP content providers at no cost to all CILC members. See below for a variety of topics, times and grade levels and to register for the programs.

https://hearthookhome.com/teach-children-to-crochet/ - What is better than being able to crochet for children? Being able to teach children to crochet, that’s what! Crocheting gives children a sense of accomplishment while fostering their creativity. Teaching a child crochet opens them up to so many crafting possibilities, so let’s make that easier on all of us!

https://www.nasa.gov/stem/artemis.html - Going forward to the Moon will be the shining moment of our generation. This moment will belong to you–the Artemis generation. Are you ready?

https://www.nsta.org/corteva/ - “Now, more than ever, it is important for students to have access to high-quality, hands-on activities and experiences that expand their perspectives about science,” said David Evans, NSTA executive director. “Agriculture provides a unique opportunity for teachers to engage students in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) concepts in a way that directly

and indirectly impacts their lives. We are thrilled to collaborate with Corteva Agriscience to

provide teachers with dynamic, real-world content that will enhance student engagement and

provide students with relevant examples of how their learning is linked to the agricultural world

around them.” 

https://www.edsurge.com/news/2018-02-14-why-taking-risks-in-the-classroom-pays-off-for-students-and-teachers - "For the past 13 years, I have been a social studies teacher at the middle school level. I’ve taught in a few districts with unique missions and priorities, but one thing that has remained constant is the fact that to make sure that learning remains engaging and relevant for the modern learner, risk-taking in the classroom is a necessity."

https://www.nasa.gov/stem/foreducators/k-4/a-year-of-stem.html - Make this your best year of teaching so far. Plan a year of involving your elementary school students in exciting, real-world science, technology, engineering and math, in a variety of ways with NASA and its partners. Some of these opportunities take minutes, and some require more planning. Click and print the checklist. Use the links below to find more information and to stay current, as details may change. Let this be a year of authentic learning with NASA STEM Engagement.

https://www.aiaa.org/get-involved/students-educators/k-12-teacher-resources - AIAA supplies teachers with all the tools they will need to stir the curiosity of their students, and those tools are fun, engaging, and, mostly, “hands-on,” to ensure the students thrive in their learning environment. From classroom grants, to standards based projects, to Aerospace Micro-Lessons, AIAA is committed to providing students with exceptional learning experiences, and teachers with the tools and resources to create those moments.

https://www.lawrencehallofscience.org/do_science_now/science_apps_and_activities - Are you looking to explore the surface of the Sun from your phone? We have an app for that! The Lawrence Hall of Science continues its long tradition of excellence in educational technology with a suite of new apps that explore hands-on science and important health topics.

https://www.nationalgeographic.org/education/classroom-resources/ - Bring National Geographic to your classroom through lesson plans, maps, and reference resources.

http://dailystem.com/ - dailySTEM is created by Chris Woods, a HS Math Teacher, Education Presenter, & Host of the STEM Everyday Podcast

https://ditchthattextbook.com/how-to-create-a-digital-escape-room-for-your-class-or-pd/ - Digital escape rooms offer the same experience as physical escape rooms in a more manageable way. Read this post to learn how to create them yourself!

http://www.fortheteachers.org/instructional_strategies/ - We know that students learn best when they are truly engaged in what they are learning, when they have the opportunity to explore, debate, discuss, examine, defend, and experiment with the concepts and skills they are ready to learn.

https://www.edutopia.org/article/3-ways-ask-questions-engage-whole-class - These techniques guide all students to process course content and then actively demonstrate their learning.

https://www.sciencebuddies.org/teacher-resources - Hands-on STEM for Your Classroom

https://edu.google.com/teaching-resources/?modal_active=none - Explore resources and tools created by Google to inspire creativity, encourage hands-on learning, and equip your students with digital skills.

https://web.seesaw.me/ - Seesaw is the best classroom app for meaningfully engaging students in their learning

https://www.tinkercad.com/ - Tinkercad is a free, easy-to-use app for 3D design, electronics, and coding. It's used by teachers, kids, hobbyists, and designers to imagine, design, and make anything!

https://scratch.mit.edu/ - Scratch helps young people learn to think creatively, reason systematically, and work collaboratively — essential skills for life in the 21st century.

https://code.org/ - Every student in every school should have the opportunity to learn computer science

Professional Development/Opportunities:

https://www.discoverspace.org/education/for-educators/teacher-liaisons/ - Teacher Liaisons are extraordinary educators who use space-related education programs and principles in the classroom to act as advocates for space-based education in their schools and districts. If selected for the program, they receive Space Foundation training and resources to further integrate space into their classrooms. The program is open to public, private and homeschool teachers, as well as school administrators, principals, specialists, curriculum and instruction developers and others who deliver education programs to students.

https://www.irex.org/program/opportunity-us-k-12-teachers-fulbright-distinguished-awards-teaching-research-program - The Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching Research Program provides an opportunity for K–12 educators from the United States to conduct research and engage in other professional learning experiences abroad for three to six months. Fulbright Distinguished fellows complete individual inquiry projects on a topic relevant to education in the United States and the host country, take courses at a host university, and share educational practices with colleagues.

https://www.irex.org/program/opportunity-us-teachers-fulbright-teachers-global-classrooms-program-fulbright-tgc - The Fulbright Teachers for Global Classrooms Program (Fulbright TGC) is a year-long professional development opportunity for elementary, middle, and high school teachers to develop skills for preparing students for a competitive global economy. Fulbright TGC equips teachers to bring an international perspective to their schools through targeted training, experience abroad, and global collaboration.

https://stemtlnet.org/ - Working together to improve schools, effect policy, and re-envision the future of STEM teaching and learning.

https://orise.orau.gov/stem/k-12/competitions-for-educators.html - Monthly competition for classroom materials and funds

https://orise.orau.gov/stem/k-12/teacher-professional-development.html - Variety of STEM professional development opportunities

https://www.teachingtraveling.com/teacher-appreciation-travel-opportunities/ - The author of this amazing resource is an educator named Andi Webb who was previously featured on Teaching Traveling in the interview entitled, “18 Teacher Travel Grants.” That article has been read by thousands of people so far, but Andi realized there were countless other opportunities that are not mentioned there.

https://stem.idaho.gov/apply/ - Applications for professional development and resources

https://www.polartrec.com/educators - PolarTREC has several activities, opportunities, and resources for educators to learn more about the polar regions and polar science. Navigate through the features of this page to learn more about the PolarTREC program, explore ways to participate in research experiences or the polar science online course, and search for resources to teach about the polar regions.

http://www.infosys.org/infosys-foundation-usa/pathfinders/ - The Infosys Foundation USA is pleased to host immersive professional development opportunity in computer science (CS) and making. All K-12 US public school teachers are welcome to apply. Teachers from all disciplines are encouraged to apply. Special consideration will be given to teachers from high-needs schools and under-represented communities, those new to teaching CS and making, and districts demonstrating significant commitment to these subjects.

https://www.nationalgeographic.org/education/professional-development/ - Explore opportunities and programs for K–12 educators

http://www.loc.gov/teachers/professionaldevelopment/teacherinstitute/ - Immerse yourself in the practice of teaching with primary sources from the unparalleled collections of Library of Congress this summer. Apply to attend a week-long professional development program for K-12 educators in the nation's capital.

https://www.uspto.gov/learning-and-resources/outreach-and-education/national-summer-teacher-institute - Each year, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) conducts the National Summer Teacher Institute (NSTI) on Innovation, STEM, and Intellectual Property. NSTI combines experiential training tools, practices, and project-based learning models to support elementary, middle, and high school teachers in increasing their knowledge of making, inventing, and innovation. The central focus of the Institute is on the creation and protection of intellectual property—this includes inventions, knowledge discovery, creative ideas, and expressions of the human mind that may have commercial value and are protectable under patent, trademark, copyright, or trade secret laws. Intellectual property is modeled as both a teaching and learning platform to help inspire and motivate student achievement in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines, computer science, and other fields of study such as innovation and entrepreneurship.  

Grants:

https://app.smarterselect.com/programs/60480-Air-Force-Association - Due date Dec. 15

https://www.aiaa.org/get-involved/students-educators/aiaa-foundation-classroom-grant-program - Due date Jan. 17

https://stem.idaho.gov/apply/ - Different due dates

Conferences:

https://www.stemleadershipalliance.org/ - STEM Leadership Alliance July

http://www.edfesthawaii.org/ - March

https://conference.iste.org/2020/ - International Society for Technology in Education June-July

https://www.iteea.org/ITEEA_Conference_2020.aspx - International Technology and Engineering Educators Association March

https://spacecenter.org/educator-resources/teachers-seec/ - Space Exploration Educator Conference (SEEC) February

https://www.nsta.org/conferences/national.aspx/ - National Science Teaching Association March

https://www.nche.net/conference - National Council for History Educators March

https://ncce.org/conference2020/ - National Council for Computer Education (NCCE) March

Note: I plan to keep updating this post with resources throughout the school year.

After School Botball

We had our first meeting after school on Thursday. I cannot say enough about how much I love teaching students #botball curriculum. Our group is a mixture of 3rd through 6th grade students, and no matter their grade level, they all showed the same excitement in getting their robot to move forward few inches. Using text-based programming is a challenge but empowers the students. It leaves no doubt that these students are coders. I can't wait to see where this takes them. You can learn more about the Junior Botball Challenge program for elementary students and Botball program for middle school and high school students below.

https://www.kipr.org/jr-botball/about

https://www.kipr.org/botball

Junior Botball Fun! Love these robots!

I became involved in Junior Botball Challenge (JBC) in 2017. The Idaho STEM Action Center offered a grant to receive training and robots. My colleague, Gina Kwid, joined me on this adventure. We worked with students in 3rd-5th grade after school in the 2016-2017 and 2017-2018 school year. When I left the school for my fellowship, Gina continued the program at Galileo STEM Academy during the 2018-2019 school year and added Botball for students in 6th-12th grades. When I returned to the classroom after my fellowship, I ended up in a new classroom, new school, and new district. My administrator supported me in starting up JBC at our school, and the Idaho STEM Action Center offered a grant that allowed me to refresh my skills with professional development and get robots to use with my students. My colleague, the school Librarian, Linda Reuling, joined me on this
adventure.


    

Since our training in early October, I have been using the robots with my 3rd grade students. Teaching a classroom full of students by myself was a little challenging, especially at the beginning. These students had not faced such challenging work it seems. Many of them did not know how to problem solve other than waiting for me to assist them. In order to maximize their time coding rather than waiting for me to help them, I reinforced my classroom policy of "Ask three before you ask me." Since starting in October, the students have worked through a variety of activities in the JBC Curriculum. Initially, it took a significant amount of time for students to connect to their robot or wallaby. It's important to know it will get better. Our class worked with the robots at least twice a week to keep the skills fresh and growing.






Now, the majority of students are able to get connected without assistance. In addition, most connecting issues can be resolved by other students. This frees me up to work with students that are having bigger issues with their programming or understanding an activity. With the skills developed, I can now manage an entire class of 3rd grade students programming at the same time. As students became more adept at completing activities, I gave them the challenge of designing their own robot challenges. Seeing their smiles was all I needed to know they were ready to do a little less guided exploration. They have the basic skills that would allow them to test ideas they may have been wondering about.

  

Students had to write the instructions for their challenge. There were activities posted on the whiteboard from the JBC curriculum for examples. After writing their instructions, students had to code their own challenge before they could post it for others to complete. In addition, before they could post their instructions, they had to have them checked for spelling and other possible errors. We are currently still working on this challenge. Students who have completed their own challenge can continue experimenting with the robots or try other challenges created by their classmates.

In December, our after school group starts and will serve 3rd - 6th grade students. I'm excited to see where all of the students are at on their programming, critical thinking, and problem solving by the end of the school year.

Authentic Design Projects - Supply Storage

We have completed two design projects so far this year. Both challenges occurred through a natural process of identifying a need and developing solutions. I had initially planned to have students share supplies but that option didn't work out. My initial plan for storage was extra large zip-lock bags to hold their supplies and stored in a filing cabinet. The organization of the bags didn't work well for students to quickly and efficiently access their supplies. As a class, we discussed what might be alternative ways to store the supplies. We identified all the constraints together noting that they had to be movable because students switch seats. They also needed to be accessible but not in the way.

Students then brainstormed ideas. Once they had chosen a solution to develop, they had to create a sketch and label the different materials used. The design focused on using the existing large zip-lock bags as a component for storing supplies. Rather than store them in drawers, students wanted to have them at their tables.

Based on all the completed sketches, we determined a list of materials. Once the materials had been gathered, students set to work creating their solutions.

There were a variety of solutions with similarities. Some worked well and some didn't. Students were given the opportunity to improve their designs with a Supply Bag 2.0.

  

  

Repairs and improvements continue to be made as needed. This taught students about creating a solution with durability as well as aesthetics. It will be interesting to see if there has been more iterations of the design by the end of the year.

I'm still here!

I am thriving in the transition from Einstein Fellow back to classroom educator. I did not return to my same teaching position and have had many changes along the road. I am finally catching my breath and able to spend a little time on my blog.

I am thrilled to be back in the classroom and teaching in a 3rd grade general classroom. One of my big goals for returning to the classroom was to bring the STEM experiences I have had to the students. This is always easier said than done when considering all that goes into classroom instruction. There have been days when I said, "I got this!" and other days when I have to reset and try again. While I have a lot of experience, ideas, and possible resources, I still do not have all the answers, and I am definitely not perfect. I am enjoying learning from my colleagues and my students.

Examining primary sources for a playground design project

I can't believe we are a quarter of the way through the school year. It has felt at times as though I have been on a hamster wheel, except a little more productive. At times, I have to remind myself to slow down and breathe because if I get stressed over things that need to be done, it usually transfers itself to my students.

Counting our unifix cubes

Composing and decomposing numbers

It has been a whirlwind of collaborative activities, projects, and working to integrate STEM instruction into the core classroom instruction. The students do quite a bit of engineering whether through a 3D printing project, prescribed build, or a free build.

Constructing out of cardboard

They share a lot of their project work on Seesaw digital portfolios (web.seesaw.me). The digital portfolios allow me to keep records of student work and performance based assessments. Families are also able to view student work and helps them understand what we are doing in our classroom.

 

Enjoying a little garden time

     

A refreshing game of checkers

A great spot for pleasure reading

Peer assistance with 3D design on Tinkercad

Sharing math strategies

Cohosting a #MSFTEduChat on October 15

I am so excited to be a part of the October @TweetMeet about STEM and NASA. If you have seen any of my previous posts, well, those two areas are fairly prominent. My teaching career was transformed through a hands-on real-world experience with NASA. You can get a little preview with the Flipgrid video below. I hope you are able to join us on October 15 for the live @TweetMeet at 11:00 am MT or check out the discussion afterwards.

Implementing Genius Hour

I am enjoying planning for the upcoming school year and excited to be back in the general classroom. In addition to looking for ways to integrate primary sources and other resources, I will be implementing a Genius Hour time. In some ways, my engineering classroom was a bit like Genius Hour, except students didn't usually get to choose based on their interests or passions. Though they had choice on materials and ways to create outcomes, the topic was based on what we were covering in the classroom.

Genius Hour is inquiry-based learning that allows students to work on individual projects that focus on their passion. Even if they don't know their passion, they know what they are interested in and may discover a passion. My planning is in its beginning stages, but I am quickly identifying how I want to implement this opportunity and resources I may need to manage and scaffold the open-ended student process.

I want to create an introductory video much like the video below but in another program with audio so that students can revisit it throughout the project as needed. I would also like to have Genius Hour at least twice each week. The amount of time is still to be determined.




I will ask students to complete an interest survey to assist with the brainstorming component of choosing a project for Genius Hour. After choosing a topic, students will be asked to identify the driving question they would like to answer and share. There are a lot of great existing resources for planning and sharing with students to support the process. I will continue to dive into those while formulating my plans. It will be interesting to scaffold 2nd and 3rd grade question development and research strategies for answering questions that go beyond an easy Google search. I plan to use Seesaw Digital Portfolios for managing student progress https://web.seesaw.me/. There is still a lot of work to be done, but I feel as though I am on solid starting ground. I found the article at We Are Teachers was a great starting point with additional resources listed. https://www.weareteachers.com/what-is-genius-hour/

Identifying Possible Resources

After going through standards and curriculum to find good connections for integrating primary sources, I next wanted to look at the different resources I have accumulated over the years, especially the new resources I have learned about during my time as an Einstein Fellow.

I am organizing materials for the upcoming school year within a single document with sections for resources. I am interested in uses ranging from digital portfolios to coding to associations and professional development opportunities. This document will then be used as a reference during project and lesson planning to maximize implementation for expanded student learning experiences with real world connections. Below are some of the various resources, pd, etc. that I am considering for my classroom. These do not include the resources that can be found at the various associations.

Library of Congress - https://www.loc.gov/

Primary Sources - http://www.loc.gov/teachers/

HABS/HAER/HALS - https://www.loc.gov/pictures/collection/hh/

YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/user/LibraryOfCongress

TPS Teachers Network - https://tpsteachersnetwork.org/

TPS Consortium - http://www.loc.gov/teachers/tps/consortium/

National Book Festival - https://www.loc.gov/events/2019-national-book-festival/

http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/presentationsandactivities/activities/science/resources.html

Seesaw - https://web.seesaw.me/

Ecology Project - https://www.ecologyproject.org/

Scratch - https://scratch.mit.edu/

Minecraft - https://education.minecraft.net/

Raspberry Pi - https://www.raspberrypi.org/education/

The National Academies of Press - https://www.nap.edu/

IEEE Reach - https://reach.ieee.org/

BreakoutEDU - https://www.breakoutedu.com/

Globe - https://www.globe.gov/web/elementary-globe

Digital Harbor Foundation - https://www.digitalharbor.org/ https://www.digitalharbor.org/whatwedo/projects/fabslam/

Code/FWD - https://techprep.org/codefwd/ https://www.sphero.com/education/codefwd/

Newseum - https://newseumed.org/

Smithsonian https://learninglab.si.edu/ https://www.si.edu/educators

NASA - https://www.nasa.gov/stem https://www.nasa.gov/education/materials/ https://www.nasa.gov/offices/education/programs/descriptions/All_Alpha.html http://ymiclassroom.com/categories/language-arts/

PBS - https://www.pbs.org/education/ https://pbskids.org/

AEOP - https://www.usaeop.com/

ORISE/ORAU Opportunities - https://orise.orau.gov/stem/k-12/index.html

ESRI - https://www.esri.com/en-us/home

Invention Education - https://www.lemelson.org/our-programs/us-programs/education

USPTO - https://www.uspto.gov/learning-and-resources/outreach-and-education

3D - https://www.tinkercad.com/

City X Project - http://www.cityxproject.com/

Civil Air Patrol - https://www.gocivilairpatrol.com/programs/aerospace-education

National Geographic - https://www.nationalgeographic.org/education/

Space Station Explorers - https://www.spacestationexplorers.org/ambassadors/

ShareSpace Foundation Giant Mars Maps - https://sharespace.org/education/mars-maps/

Idaho STEM Action Center - https://stem.idaho.gov/

AIAA - https://www.aiaa.org/home/get-involved/students-educators

Share My Lessons - https://sharemylesson.com/