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.

Building pathways to successful STEM careers for ALL learners

The journeys that children take through education are not as straightforward as most people think.  

In recent years, close to 70 percent of students went straight from high school to college, with those going to four-year universities typically outnumbering those enrolling in two-year colleges by roughly two to one. But a growing number of young people are forging new paths that involve a detour around college altogether.

College-going rates have been trending down since before the COVID-19 pandemic. And a national survey conducted in 2021 by ECMC Group found that less than half of high school students said they planned to attend a four-year college or university–a decrease of more than 20 percentage points from 2019. …Read More

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Focusing on upstream prevention can stem school violence

While instances of school violence are on the rise, there is strong evidence to suggest that upstream violence prevention is what’s needed to curb this trend. Since 1999 there have been over 300 violent tragedies that have played out from college campuses to elementary schools, and 320K students have been exposed to gun violence. 

According to a 2019 CDC study involving 13,667 students, 1 in 5 report of being bullied on school property within the last year and roughly 8 percent of high school students surveyed indicated they had been in a physical fight on school property at least one or more times within the last year.  

These events have cast a spotlight on school safety and have put teachers, students and administrators squarely at the center of taking steps to create a positive school environment. It is widely known that a safe and supportive learning environment has a profound, positive impact on the academic success, mental health, and social well-being of students.…Read More

Racism is a subtle, silent enemy of STEM classrooms

When you think of racism in our classrooms and schools, what immediately comes to your mind? Signs that say “Whites Only” or Confederate flags hoisted on flag poles?

Although these are pieces of evidence that racism does exist, racism isn’t as blatant as a physical sign that favors one race over another. In fact, racism is systemically embedded into our educational institution and can be camouflaged with other issues like socioeconomic status and even the learning loss from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Take, for example, the recent California Science Test (CAST) scores released in October 2022 that showed 29.45 percent of students met or exceeded the Science standards. When race is considered as a factor in how students scored, the CAST scores show that only 13.75 percent of Black or African American students met or exceeded the Science standards. With Black students not even scoring half of the overall percentage, we’ve just gotten a sign to ring the alarm on equity in science education. We are clearly not serving our Black students. …Read More

The ups and downs of girls in STEM

Are girls really underrepresented in STEM?

Yes. 

In the US, the workforce is pretty evenly split between men and women, but in STEM fields men make up 73 percent of the workforce to women’s 27 percent. Why?

It’s easy to want to find a well-meaning solution for this disparity, or even to brush it off as unimportant. But achieving a gender parity in STEM fields (particularly computer science, engineering, and programmers, among others) isn’t just a feel-good social justice crusade. The number of open tech jobs far outpaces the population of traditionally qualified candidates—data projections have pointed to a global shortage of 85 million tech workers by 2030.

It’s not a matter of encouraging girls to pursue STEM programs just for the heck of it, to prove they can and earn a good paycheck—it’s a matter of graduating enough highly-skilled workers to meet economic demand.

Still, the imbalanced statistics for the genders in STEM are damning. What can K-12 schools do to play their part in preparing the next generation for a talent-hungry workforce?

Let students lead…Read More

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Discovery Education Premieres Haul!: An Interactive STEM Learning Experience that Digs Into Sustainable Copper Production with Freeport-McMoRan

Charlotte, NC. – Freeport-McMoRan and Discovery Education present a new, first-of-its-kind gamified educational experience with Haul!. This immersive, virtual STEM mission is part of Dig Into Mining – The Story of Copper, an educational program for students grades 6-12 that explores the use of metals such as copper in our everyday life.

Releasing September 22 at 1 P.M. ET, this cutting-edge learning experience is designed to give students the opportunity to discover how copper ore makes its way into items that power our day, including cellphones, computers, vehicles, and more. Students must navigate a loaded haul truck through a 3D copper mine to earn their Haul Truck Operator’s Scorecard, while learning how STEM is used in this larger-than-life operation. The learning experience is accessible through web browsers and Chromebooks using a keyboard and mouse or a USB game controller. An accompanying educator guide makes it easy for educators to integrate the hands-on STEM learning adventure into any lesson plan. The accompanying resources also include classroom extensions to engage students before, during, and after they explore the resource. Learn more and register here.

“Copper is a critical mineral in the renewable energy transition and one essential to our sustainable futures. At Freeport-McMoRan, we are committed to the highest standards of environmental stewardship and social impact. In this new interactive virtual experience created with Discovery Education, students discover first-hand the STEM activities and skills behind this resource powering our world,” said Tracy Bame, Director of Corporate Social Responsibility at Freeport-McMoRan. “The gamification of learning engages students in exciting ways, while the accompanying educator resources and activities make it easy for teachers to connect the classroom to the wider world.”…Read More

Creating student engagement through the power of play

Recently, my colleagues and I attended a summer camp where we introduced students to some fantastic STEM activities. Kids learned how to create their own lava lamps out of everyday kitchen materials. They programed Sphero robots and used them to make cooperative artwork. We also taught them how to make circuits out of batteries and wire, as well as exploding paint bags. The events were endless, and the students had a great time, because more than anything science should be fun!

As I look back on the events of camp, I’m reminded of how important this type of play is for young minds. Play is an essential part of learning and growth. In nature, animal cubs play to sharpen their hunting skills or learn valuable foraging techniques. Among humans, play teaches valuable social skills like communication and cooperation. It also fosters a learning mindset, teaching students to absorb knowledge through exercise and practice.

While unstructured play has its place in education, most teachers need something with a little more organization if we’re to help our students grow. We can accomplish this by dividing play into two distinct categories: Playing Downhill and Playing Uphill.…Read More

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Gen Z students are aiming for STEM careers

A majority of high school and college students chose STEM as their No. 1 preferred career path, according to a survey of 11,495 Gen Z students conducted by the National Society of High School Scholars (NSHSS).

The 2022 Career Interest Survey gives insights into what motivates an adventurous, civic-minded, concerned, vocal, tech-savvy, emerging workforce.

NSHSS is an academic honor society that recognizes and serves high-achieving student scholars in more than 26,000 high schools across 170 countries.…Read More

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Phenix City Schools Awarded Cognia STEM Certification

Phenix City, Ala. (August 4, 2022) — Phenix City Schools (PCS) are now STEM certified, becoming the largest and fourth district in the nation. Every school in the PCS system earned Cognia’s STEM Certification in June.

According to Cognia, its STEM Certification Program, “guides leaders with a specific framework and improvement process, culminating in recognition for programs that demonstrate a strong and effective STEM focus… These standards, which Cognia identified through robust research and extensive observations, focus on characteristics like problem-based experiential learning and the integration of
STEM thinking into a broad range of activities and learning opportunities.”

PCS met and exceeded each of the standards and expectations set forth by Cognia. Cognia recognizes and certifies PCS’ STEM program:…Read More