Museum of Science, Boston releases equity-oriented engineering curricula

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Bringing public science learning beyond its onsite exhibits and programs, the Museum of Science, Boston has launched Youth Engineering Solutions (YES), a collection of preK-8 engineering and STEM curricula designed to engage students in authentic, hands-on challenges connected to their lives and communities.

YES draws on more than three decades of research and development by the Museum’s PreK-12 education division, under the leadership of founding director Dr. Christine Cunningham, senior vice president of STEM Learning at the Museum of Science. …Read More

Friday 5: STEAM education in action

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STEAM education–science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics–prepares students for success beyond high school by helping them develop much-needed durable skills such as critical thinking and problem-solving.

An integrated STEAM education also puts students on the path to success with higher test scores, stronger attendance records, better disciplinary records, and increased engagement and graduation rates. …Read More

Frontline Education Announces Chris Tonas as Chief Technology Officer

Malvern, Pa. (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Frontline Education, a leading provider of administration software purpose-built for educators in K-12, today announced that Chris Tonas has joined the company’s executive team as Chief Technology Officer (CTO). Chris brings with him over three decades of invaluable experience in software engineering and development, having held leadership roles at Pluralsight and Oracle.

As CTO, Chris is responsible for leading the technological aspects of the company including engineering and development and managing cloud infrastructure and security.

Mark Gruzin, CEO of Frontline Education, expressed his excitement about Chris joining the team: “As we continue to grow and innovate, we are pleased to welcome Chris as our new CTO. We will gain the benefits of Chris’ extensive experience in software engineering, a track record of strategic leadership, and his commitment to engineering advancements. Chris’ passion for innovation and collaborative spirit align seamlessly with Frontline’s goals.”…Read More

Here’s why STEM Career Days are a great idea

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A new study at the University of Missouri–in partnership with Harvard-Smithsonian researchers–shows that when colleges host ‘STEM Career Days,’ the students who attend are far more likely to pursue a career in a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) related field.

The findings not only highlight the benefits of college recruiters introducing high school students to STEM-related opportunities, but they can also help increase and diversify the STEM workforce in the United States.…Read More

Carnegie Learning Awarded LEVI Grant to Double the Rate of Middle School Math Progress by 2027

Pittsburgh, PA Carnegie Learning, a pioneer in AI-driven education technology, curriculum, and professional learning solutions for K-12, has been selected by the Learning Engineering Virtual Institute (LEVI) as one of seven teams committed toward accomplishing an ambitious goal: to DOUBLE the rate of middle school math progress for low income students by 2027.

The seven teams – Carnegie Learning, Carnegie Mellon University, Eedi, Rising Academies, the University of Colorado Boulder, Khan Academy, and the University of Florida – are committed to harnessing the potential of AI and machine learning to develop innovative, affordable interventions to enhance middle school math education. Carnegie Learning has particularly deep collaborations, as a partner with three of the seven teams –  Carnegie Mellon University on the LEVI Plus grant, and the University of Colorado Boulder/Saga, who are using Carnegie Learning’s award-winning MATHia as part of their intensive tutoring.

Carnegie Learning’s solution is MATHstream, which customizes avatars using generative AI to increase students’ motivation and engagement. It’s the only adaptive, interactive video streaming program for grades 6-12 where teachers who are high-profile math influencers deliver targeted instruction in an engaging, game-based environment.…Read More

Building a representative STEM pipeline needs to start in kindergarten

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The demand for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) professionals outweighs the supply. The number of U.S. technology job vacancy postings in September 2022 exceeded 804,000, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a need for 3,800 new aerospace engineers every year until 2031–an industry that is already grappling with employee retention and workforce shortages. These numbers are reflective of the broader STEM community and related career fields, including scientists and mathematicians.

I believe that the low supply of STEM professionals can be attributed to significant barriers to entry originating in educational settings–this is to no fault of teachers and administrators, but how the educational system is structured. Many of these barriers disproportionately affect those from underrepresented communities. Women, for instance, make up only 28 percent of the STEM workforce, and Black, Hispanic, and Asian adults combined make up only 30 percent.…Read More

Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents (ALAS) Launches Sister Schools Program Across Four States and the Territory of Puerto Rico

WASHINGTON, D.C. –The Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents (ALAS) today announced the launch of the ALAS Sister Schools Program, a year-long partnership in which teams of students from schools in the continental US and Puerto Rico collaborate on projects focusing on science, technology, engineering, arts and math (STEAM).

A total of eight schools have been selected to participate in the inaugural program. For the program, which launched during Hispanic Heritage Month, students work together to develop solutions to real-world challenges. Each sister school team will develop their own solution and the project will culminate in April 2024 with each team creating a TED Ed Student Talk about their solution.

“We created the Sister Schools Program to connect and enrich learning for students at predominantly Latino-serving schools across North America including our territorial affiliate, Puerto Rico,” said ALAS Executive Director Dr. Maria Armstrong. “It’s an amazing opportunity for these students to go beyond their traditional lessons and we’re excited to follow their experiences and their progression in academic and 21st Century skills, and to celebrate their successes at the end of the year.”…Read More

3 best practices to create a STEM-focused school

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The benefits of STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education are numerous, and one would be hard-pressed to find a school district that doesn’t have a project, initiative, class, or lesson with the acronym in its title.  According to the U.S. Department of Labor, in 2021, there were nearly 10 million workers in STEM occupations–a total projected to grow by almost 11 percent by 2031. This figure represents a growth rate twice as fast as non-STEM occupations.

The department also noted that STEM jobs often pay substantially more than jobs in other fields. Even if a student doesn’t select a career in STEM, the soft skills they will learn at a STEM-focused school (critical thinking, teamwork, problem-solving and more) will serve them well in whatever they choose to do in life.…Read More

Transhumanism and AI in education: Revolutionary leap or ethical abyss?

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We collectively stand in the beginning stages of academic and technological innovation. Universities and labs across the globe are stirring a revolution. Transhumanism, a philosophy advocating for human augmentation through emerging technologies like AI, genetic engineering, and nanotechnology, is shaping a new educational frontier. The genesis was Chat GPT, an AI developed by OpenAI that exhibits human-like text generation, but that was just the start of this profound transformation. Those who attempted an outright ban early in 2023 now seem out of step with the future.

Transhumanism aims to transcend human limitations, a concept no longer purely theoretical. In the realm of sports, for instance, we see strength-enhancing “powered clothing” by Seismic and performance-boosting drugs like EPO, repurposed by athletes from its original use for severe anemia. …Read More

Cae Announces Multiyear Partnership with Project Lead The Way 

NEW YORK  The  Council for Aid to Education, Inc. (CAE), a leader in designing innovative performance tasks for measurement and instruction of higher order skills and for subject area assessments, today announced a multiyear collaboration with  Project Lead The Way (PLTW), the nation’s leading provider of PreK-12 science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) curricula. The partnership, which commences with the 2023-2024 school year and continues through 2028, will leverage CAE’s best practices and decades of experience in developing high-quality innovative assessments.

CAE will provide assessment design, content development, and psychometrics for end-of-course assessments in all 15 of PLTW’s high school courses within the engineering, computer science and biomedical science pathways. The assessments will be aligned to PLTW’s rigorous standards and will be designed to provide students with meaningful feedback on their progress.

“The partnership of CAE and PLTW unites two complementary organizations that are similarly driven to best prepare today’s students for the realities of the future workplace,” said Bob Yayac, CAE president and chief executive officer. “Our team has a deep understanding of the needs of STEM educators and learners, and we are excited to create assessments that will accurately measure student learning and support their progress. Our partnership will ensure that PLTW’s students have the opportunity to show what they know and can do, and that they are prepared for success in college, career, and beyond.”…Read More

Prompt engineering: Cultivating curiosity in the age of AI

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Some of my most distinct memories from high school involve struggling to grasp abstract concepts without visual or interactive tools. When I was a high school student, technology was significantly limited compared to today’s. I recall longing for resources such as online encyclopedias, interactive simulations, and virtual tutoring that would have made learning more interactive and accessible. Instead, my classmates and I were left to suffer through content-heavy, teacher-led lessons that lacked imagination or passion.

Sound familiar?…Read More

AeroFarms Celebrates World Environment Day with Bronx School PS 85

Newark, New Jersey (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — AeroFarms®, a Certified B Corporation and leader in indoor vertical farming, will celebrate World Environment Day this coming Monday, June 5, at PS 85 The Great Expectations School with the official launch of its AeroFarms Community Farms program. This program promotes hands-on environmental education and year-round access to fresh and nutritious leafy greens through the proprietary AeroFarms unit and STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics) curriculum. The launch and celebration will help create life-long nutrition learners and will cultivate students and parents’ interest in incorporating more healthy leafy greens into their daily diets.  

“Our PS 85 community is extremely excited to celebrate World Environment Day together and partner with the AeroFarms Community Farms program to bring hands-on, STEAM learning to life in such a unique way for our students to experience growing and tasting their own food from seed to plate,” said Sara Medina, Principal at PS 85. 

World Environment Day is a time to reflect on how our society can encourage worldwide awareness and action to protect our environment, an important component to both the PS 85 community and AeroFarms. Being built with circular solutions in mind and creating opportunities for environmental protection is vital to AeroFarms product line and mission, which is to grow the best plants possible for the betterment of humanity.   …Read More