STEM and Creativity Connect in Mrs. Catalone’s Classroom
Art is art, STEM is STEM, and the two don’t really connect, correct? No, incorrect, because art and technology come together when students study computer graphics! Read more
Check Out the U.S. Army’s Battery of Online Career Tests
Did you know that the U.S. Army’s website is home to a strong array of career exploration tests?
They are designed to help students test the interests and aptitudes that best qualify them for different specialties and roles if they enroll in the U.S. Army. As such, the tests could be classified as recruitment tools. But after taking the tests, we found that they are good, free online career evaluation tests that can be useful for students who fall into two categories . . . Read more
Bright Neon Markers Make for Great Learning Experiences in Ms. Nozik’s Classroom
“The classroom environment is very positive,” writes Ms. Nozik, a 9th-grade teacher at Carlmont High School in Belmont California. “Students enjoy doing labs because they get to engage with science directly, instead of hearing about it. The students enjoy doing inquiry work – figuring out things by themselves. This is engaging for them and helps develop their critical thinking skills and their independence. They work well with each other in the lab and have the opportunity to get to know each other better. This makes their learning more interesting, engaging and enjoyable.” Read more
Mrs. Riley’s Students Learn Computer Science
Thanks to Micro:Bit Basic Kits Donated by The Student Research Foundation
The students in Mrs. Riley’s classroom were eager to learn computer science, but the East Bernard High School in rural Texas lacked the funds to equip their classrooms with the computers they needed to learn to code. So Mrs. Riley, who is committed to providing the best learning opportunities possible for her students, came up with a solution. If she could equip her classroom with Electronix Express Micro:Bit Basic Kits, which cost only $22.95, her students could study computer science and learn skills similar to those being taught in larger school systems. Read more
Research on Students Who Plan to Study Computer Science in College
Students Who Plan to Study Computer Science in College Still Need Lots of Career Advice
The Student Research Foundation asked 267,363 American high school students about their career plans. Of those students, 33,535 expressed interest in computer careers.
That sounds about right, doesn’t it? But the study also uncovered something that borders on the shocking . . . Read more
Future Brain Surgeons…Become Better Scientists
Brain Dissection Supplies Are Helping Mr. Kincaid’s Students Become Better Scientists
Students can only learn so much about brain anatomy by looking at books or poking around online. If they want to learn about how complex brains are and how they work, there comes a time when they have to dissect actual brains. Read more
Let’s Praise the Number Pi on Pi Day, March 14th
Many educational tools have gone out of fashion in the past few decades. A partial list includes the blackboard, the slide rule, the so-called New Math, the study of cursive penmanship, the mimeograph machine, carbon paper, dot matrix printers, slide projectors, and screaming modems.
Yes, lots of things have come and gone. But there is one thing that students still need to know about and use . . . Read more
Living Sculptures Are Growing in a Philadelphia High School
Did you know that not all sculpture is made of marble, granite, bronze or concrete? Some of it can be made from living plants like rosemary, lavender and marigolds that are attached to underlying structures. And when you make a sculpture out of living plants, something interesting can happen. It can become a living laboratory where students can study how insects are attracted to plants, how predatory insects attack the first insects that arrived, and much more. The result? A living experiment where students can prepare for future careers in science and agriculture. Read more
How Slime Brings Science and STEM to the Library
Mrs. Dabney, Pasadena Texas High School Librarian, Helps Her Students Learn about Slime!
“Libraries aren’t just for reading anymore,” writes Mrs. Dabney, a high school librarian in Pasadena, TX. “Today’s libraries have books, technology, games, and maker spaces. We are striving to be the best library we can be in the 21st century. Our students lack many experiences due to socio-economic status, and we want to change that.”
New Student Research Identifies “Physics Fans” Who Have an Affection for Physics
New Student Research Foundation Study Finds that Students from All Backgrounds Feel the Same Way about Physics
In 2017, the Student Research Foundation asked 16,129 American high school students how they felt about the STEM subjects they were studying. The research was conducted in collaboration with our STEM Research Consortium partners, the American Association of Physics Teachers, National Girls Collaborative Project, and the National Association of Biology Teachers.
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