Technology Tip of the Week

During all my years of teaching there has always been a push for cross curricular integration, but to be honest the effort given to this was mostly lip service.  This is not the case with the new initiatives in STEM education.  Both nationally and in individual districts there are more and more dedicated efforts to truly integrate STEM into the classroom.  One of the problems for teachers is finding materials that really are STEM oriented.  In this post I want to share a couple of resources that you might find helpful.  In our new McGraw-Hill/Glencoe iScience program we have integrated STEM activities in every unit.  These are project based learning pieces that incorporate science concepts, real engineering design and the use of technology.  Take a look at one of the sample projects at http://tinyurl.com/6r5g4cz
Another great resource is NASA's Explorer Schools Project.  Teachers that participate in the NASA Explorer Schools have access to STEM lesson plans and projects that they can choose from, PD videos on the project based learning pieces, NASA Now Classroom Videos, and more.  You can review the NASA Explorer School Site at

http://www.nasa.gov/offices/education/programs/national/nes2/home/index.html
 or read an overview at

http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewsr.html?pid=39361 Have some fun with these great STEM projects in the New Year!