Podcast Series: Innovations in Education

Explore the full series of eSchool News podcasts hosted by Kevin Hogan—created to keep you on the cutting edge of innovations in education.

National Math and Science Initiative Receives $100,000 Grant from TC Energy to Train Virginia Teachers

DALLAS AND NORFOLK, VA. — The National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI) is pleased to announce the generous support of  TC Energy through a $100,000 grant to bolster the training of Virginia teachers. This funding will be dedicated to implementing the renowned  Laying the Foundation training program for 6th- to 12th-grade teachers in the Newport News and Hampton Roads areas while playing a crucial role in STEM teacher recruitment efforts. The initiative aligns with NMSI’s ongoing work with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and districts statewide, amplifying the collective impact in advancing science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education.

NMSI’s Laying the Foundation program is widely recognized for its comprehensive and effective approach to equipping teachers with the necessary skills and knowledge to foster student success in math and science. By expanding the program’s reach, the TC Energy grant will directly benefit approximately 250 teachers across Virginia. Newport News and Hampton Roads areas were specifically identified due to their strategic importance in cultivating a new generation of STEM educators as part of TC Energy Foundation’s Build Strong program. Build Strong creates long-lasting relationships in TC Energy’s communities to help us all build a stronger future. The three-day event takes place at Norfolk State University (NSU).

“We are incredibly grateful to TC Energy for their generous grant, which will significantly enhance the quality of STEM education in Virginia,” said Michelle Stie, Vice President of Teaching and Learning at NMSI. “This partnership will allow us to extend our proven Laying the Foundation training program across the Commonwealth, thereby increasing our capacity to prepare Virginia’s educators for the critical task of equipping students with the skills necessary for success in STEM fields.”…Read More

5 to thrive: SEL resources to help students grow

Key points:

  • SEL teaches students to think and behave like healthy, mature adults
  • SEL helps students become better learners and take ownership of that learning

Every educator hopes to equip their students with the knowledge they need to thrive as a healthy adult. It’s a daunting task, especially considering there is so much to teach in such a small amount of time.

We want students to fall in love with reading while building up skills in language and grammar. We try to show them that math and science can be outlets of wonder and imagination, while also grounding them in foundations of history and social studies. And yet, out of all the knowledge at our disposal, fostering healthy social-emotional learning (SEL) may be the most important lesson that we impart to our students.   …Read More

How a middle school teacher grew students’ math scores despite pandemic challenges

This story was originally published by Chalkbeat. Sign up for their newsletters at ckbe.at/newsletters.

As a senior at Indianapolis’ Ben Davis High School, Jacob Gregory enrolled in an Exploratory Teaching program. He thought of it as an easy way to leave school for a few hours, but it ended up sparking “an unknown interest in teaching,” he said. 

Today, the sixth grade math and science teacher at McKinley Elementary School is a quiet rock star. The school’s sixth grade growth scores in math are at nearly 58 percent, meaning more than half of the students met their individual growth targets on the state’s ILEARN test.…Read More

New Report Shows the National Math and Science Initiative’s Long-Term Impact on Ensuring Equitable Access to STEM

DALLAS (PRWEB) MAY 20, 2022 — New data from the  National Math and Science Initiative demonstrate the long-term impact of NMSI’s  College Readiness Program in expanding learning outcomes and opportunities for all students. In a report released today, data suggest that compared to the national average, students enrolled in NMSI-supported Advanced Placement® courses are more likely to further their education and earn STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Math) degrees. The College Readiness Program expands access and achievement in high-quality, public STEM education, particularly among students underrepresented in STEM careers. View the full impact report  here.

STEM education is widely recognized as a critical component in preparing students for success in postsecondary education and their future careers. A  recent report shows that the U.S. will need to fill 3.5 million STEM jobs by 2025, with more than two million going unfilled due to a lack of highly skilled candidates. In addition, STEM inequities disproportionately affect young people of color, rural kids, kids in poverty, and girls. NMSI’s College Readiness Program is working to close the STEM gap for all students.

“Technology drives economies worldwide, and to keep up with the global economy, all students must be steeped in STEM education,” said Dr. Bernard Harris, former astronaut and CEO of the National Math and Science Initiative. “Right now, we have communities that don’t have access to STEM education. When that happens, not only do those communities lose, but we all lose. This report exemplifies the mission-critical work the College Readiness Program is doing to help level the playing field for all students.”…Read More

Mesa Public Schools and S.A.V.E. Consortium Name CoderZ as Approved Vendor

DERRY, N.H. – May 11, 2021 – CoderZ, creators of innovative educational solutions using virtual robotics to bring core subject areas like math and science to life through real-world applications, today announced that it has been selected as an approved STEM curriculum resource for enrichment by Mesa Public Schools and the Strategic Alliance for Volume Expenditures (S.A.V.E.) consortium.

“We are extremely honored to be selected as a preferred provider,” said CoderZ CEO, Ido Yerushalmi. “With this vetting initiative complete, Mesa Public Schools along with S.A.V.E. members, can implement our well-structured and inclusive curriculum with the knowledge that the program meets and exceeds the requirements to become an integral component of a school’s STEM implementation.”

The requests for proposals covered the following areas:…Read More

How our coding platform helps us teach STEM

In a district where most of our students receive free or reduced lunches, we have next to no access to high-quality STEM programs, computer science classes, or coding courses. When I was Googling different ways to fill some of these gaps and incorporate more STEM into my Girls Excelling in Math and Science (GEMS) after-school club, I discovered an online coding platform and coding competitions that are both accessible and affordable.

This was a big find. I wanted my students to excel and compete effectively with important college and career and STEM skills, regardless of how rich or poor our school district was, but we just didn’t have the resources to make that happen. I was looking for a platform that taught basic computer coding, and one that would allow anyone at any skill level to jump in and participate.

I also wanted a program that included robotics, and that segued into our existing robotics program, which starts in seventh grade. CoderZ checked all of these boxes, so we started using it three years ago. It effectively replaced the Hour of Code general coding/computer programming platform that we were previously using.…Read More

VHS Learning Commits to CSforALL Movement for the Fifth Year

VHS Learning renewed its commitment to expand access to computer science education for all students at the 2020 CSforALL virtual showcase held recently. The showcase took the place of the annual summit, which was postponed until 2021. During the virtual event, CSforALL announced this year’s CSforALL Commitments from its member community.

VHS Learning, a nonprofit leader providing world-class online programs to schools and students globally, has embraced the CSforALL movement since its inception in 2016, and has made an ongoing commitment to expand access to computer science education for all students. This year, the nonprofit partnered with the National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI) to offer free enrollments in its AP® Computer Science Principles course to high school students in rural areas.
Participating schools from at least five rural districts will be able to enroll students in the AP® program at no charge, beginning in the 2020-21 school year. The aim is to provide more opportunities within the field of computer science and help close the education gap. Students will enhance their critical thinking and problem-solving skills, explore the world of computer science and its STEM applications, and better understand the opportunities available and skills needed for a future career in computer science.

“CSforALL aims to make computer science an integral part of the educational experience for all K-12 students and teachers, “said Carol DeFuria, President & CEO of VHS Learning. “VHS Learning offers computer science career pathways in middle school and high school through our innovative teacher-led online program. We want all students, regardless of their geographic location or economic circumstance, to discover the opportunities available to them through computer science.”
Technology courses currently offered by VHS Learning include CAD, Video Game Design, Java Programming, Programming in Visual Basic, and Creative Programming with Scratch. VHS Learning also offers a computer science certificate program. Students may enroll in any VHS Learning course of their choosing, as long as they meet course prerequisites. Students can choose to enroll directly in VHS Learning online courses or enroll through their school’s participation in the program.…Read More

VHS Learning and NMSI Program Enables Students to Take AP Courses

VHS Learning’s new partnership with the National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI) has helped over 100 students from rural schools take Advanced Placement courses that would have been unavailable to them. The partnership enabled the schools to enroll the students in VHS Learning’s AP courses via a NMSI grant program. Students also received guidance from NMSI coaches. Schools will receive grants to cover all enrollment costs and student access to laptops, as necessary.

The students came from 15 parochial and public schools in Massachusetts, New Mexico, North Dakota, Vermont and Pennsylvania. The program allowed them to enroll in the following courses:

AP Statistics
AP Biology
AP Computer Science Principles
AP Calculus BC
AP Chemistry
AP English Literature and Composition
AP English Language and Composition
AP Physics 1…Read More

5 ways esports levels the playing field for all students

An interactive experience that literally knows no boundaries, esports draws on the use of multiplayer video gaming to create engaging, educational experiences for participants. By breaking down barriers that exist in the traditional sports setting, enabling a diverse set of individuals to participate, and incorporating complex subjects like math and science, esports is taking both in-classroom and remote learning to new levels.

The latter is especially critical right now, during an era where schools not only had to finish out the 2019-20 school year in a virtual setting, but where the upcoming year still hangs in the balance for many.

Related content: How esports changed my school…Read More

Is STEM getting ‘IT’ right for female students?

March 8th was memorable for many reasons. Not only was it International Women’s Day, but Meghan Markle made one of her first official public appearances with her future husband, Prince Harry, at an event in Birmingham, England. Significantly, the event was organized by the STEMettes, an award-winning social enterprise working across the U.K. and Ireland to inspire young women to pursue STEM careers. The STEMettes were founded in 2013 by a math and science prodigy who had been motivated by the fact that only three of the 70 students in her math and computer science class in college were female. In its first five years, the organization has worked with nearly 40,000 girls, 95 percent of whom have expressed an increased interest in STEM.

Organizations all over the world, such as EngineerGirl in the U.S., are working hard to encourage more women to seek careers in STEM fields, and it is clear that these bodies and their events are having an impact. However, my feeling is that we can and must do more in our schools to increase the number of women represented in STEM careers, not just because of the drive for equality but because we are potentially missing out on a massive pool of talent. It is widely recognized that a career in STEM is more than technical knowledge; increasingly, it requires soft skills such as flexibility, creativity, and judgement. We need to look above and beyond people who rate highly in cognitive ability as it would typically be defined, and create an intentional plan to acquire talent from diverse sources.

One great example is that set by the Haysfield Girls’ School in the U.K. The school has won awards for its efforts in promoting STEM, including specialist days, a science fair, visits to science attractions and from female science role models, and encouraging STEM scholarship programs. The school’s STEM initiatives have been supported by corporations, including Dyson, and The James Dyson Foundation has developed brilliant resources and activities to teach STEM in fun and dynamic ways. Thirty percent of Dyson’s engineers are female, five times the percentage of the overall engineering workforce in the U.K. and almost three times the percentage in the US. When an effort is made to engage girls in STEM, great things will result.…Read More