Professional development opportunities focusing on innovation and applied STEM are essential to meet the demands of a rapidly changing educational landscape. Inventionland® Education’s professional learning training programs and workshops provide a transformative platform for teachers, offering them the tools they need to inspire and engage students in the classroom.

Applied STEM: The Catalyst for Innovation:

Applied STEM education gives students a practical and holistic understanding of real-world applications. Inventionland’s professional learning workshops expose teachers to innovative approaches to bridging the theoretical knowledge gap and practical implementation. By incorporating project-based learning, design thinking, and hands-on experimentation into their teaching methodologies, educators can ignite a passion for exploration and innovation among their students. The workshops offered by Inventionland®empower teachers with the ability to bring STEM concepts to life, fostering an environment where curiosity thrives, and creativity flourishes.

Preparing for the Upcoming School Year:

August and September mark the beginning of a new academic year, making it the ideal time for teachers to engage in professional learning opportunities. By enrolling in Inventionland’s workshops during this period, K12 teachers can prepare themselves to enter the classroom armed with fresh ideas, innovative techniques, and refined teaching strategies. Furthermore, early registration allows educators to secure their spot and ensures they can fully benefit from the transformative experience offered by Inventionland’s professional learning training.

Topics and Workshops:

Inventionland® Education offers a wide variety of workshops, including:

Topical Workshops
These engaging workshops will help you learn and guide your students in the use of advanced making equipment that makes learning easier! Our workshops go beyond the content of your machine’s instructions manual. We teach practical application of how to use maker technology in the classroom.

1. 3D Printing
This workshop covers effective use of your 3D printer, including common pitfalls to avoid. The full-day session allows for plenty of practice.

2. Vinyl Cutting
These relatively inexpensive machines are widely used. We describe the most popular options and great ways to teach with them, with practical projects.

3. Laser Cutting
Learn proper setup and operation of this powerful cutting and engraving tool. We also offer suggestions on how to get the most out of it.

4. Plasma Cutting
This insightful workshop will demonstrate the correct way to use the plasma cutter for optimal classroom instruction, and includes safety tips.

5. Electronics Kits
We introduce and explain electronic kits that offer fascinating ways to introduce beginners to the world of electronics, based on that you have.

6. Raspberry Pi and Arduino
These are the two most widely used basic electronics systems. Raspberry Pi is a mini-computer, whereas Arduino is a microcontroller. We’ll walk you through when and how to use both.

7. Stop-motion Animation
With a smartphone or tablet and an app, students learn how to bring still objects to life through the magic of animation. This module explains how with no previous animation knowledge required!

8. Prototyping with Cardboard
This is one of our most popular workshops since cardboard is easily to work with, inexpensive and excellent for STEM learning. We’ll share techniques and projects.

9. Video Production
Video production is much more than just taking a video on a smartphone. We’ll show you the steps and programs to make beautiful videos.

10. Logo and Package Design
This is a great way to bring STEAM alive in the classroom. Learn how to better teach these concepts from industry professionals.

11. Prototyping with Blue Foam
Blue foam is an excellent way to sculpt, and create 3-dimensional projects. We’re show you how to do it in the classroom.

12. Working with Silicone
Silicone is a synthetic rubber that is commonly used to create molds of existing objects. During the training, we will teach you how to create your own molds, cast your own copies of small items, and how to use it in the classroom.

Educators can greatly enhance the educational experience by investing in professional learning and empowering students to thrive in a rapidly changing world. Schools should seize the opportunity to schedule the Inventionland®PD to embrace the transformative power of applied STEM to benefit their students’ future success.

The post Igniting Growth and Innovation: The Significance of Applied STEM PD appeared first on Inventionland Education.

For example, if your classroom has four desks set up so that each desktop is touching one another, you can use a 2×2 divider which is one divider that will act as a barrier for all four desks. Another example would be a Floor Standing Divider, if you’re planning on separating the desks further you can use one of these which will be a stand holding up a piece of cardboard or polypropylene which will block the students from one another. In addition, if you still want students to be able to interact with either their fellow classmates or if you want a front divider where they’d still be able to see you, you can install desk dividers with window slots and polypropylene in these slots so that students can safely interact in the classroom.

Given the state of the world right now, it may seem beyond your means or budget to purchase dividers for your entire classroom (and sometimes multiple classrooms). Luckily, our incredible ILI team have created step-by-step instructions on how to build a divider that would best fit your classroom. Using these directions, you can build your own desk dividers using cardboard that you can either laser cut or cut yourself. And, if you’re into recycling, you could use discarded packages or cereal boxes for the divider materials depending on the width of the cardboard and the rigidity of the piece you’re attempting to construct. These guides specifically use low-cost materials in order to make it both affordable and possible for you to create a safer environment for your students.

Even with our building instructions, however, you may wonder whether a project like this is really within your means, budget, and time constraints. Luckily, we’ve taken the research element completely out of your hands because our team has created guides breaking down the cost based on the materials and distributors you could use. So say you wanted to use Corrugated Plastic from United States Plastic Corp (1/8″-3/16’) – that should cost you roughly $21.63.

Our team has also provided teachers with direct links on where to buy each of the materials as well as the direct contact information for the companies listed. This is because, in addition to many educational resources making their products available for a free or reduced cost due to COVID-19, many companies are stepping up to help educators during these trying times. If you’re having trouble finding the budget or supplies needed to create these classroom materials, it is well worth your time to reach out to one of the companies listed or even a local hardware store. There may be a local Makerspace that would allow you access to their laser cutter or CNC machine. There may even be parents or volunteers in the community who would be willing to help make these supplies with you. People care about the wellbeing and health of students, it’s not all on you!

In addition to desk dividers, another way to add additional safety precautions to your classroom is to add covers for phones, desks, computers, etc. During this strange time we’re living through, we’ve all become experts at tracing the spread of germs (whether practically or simply due to sheer paranoia).  Someone sneezes on their phone, they hand their friend their phone, their friend uses that same hand to touch their nose or mouth, and suddenly that student is now at risk. It’s hard for kids to both have that foresight and have an enjoyable educational experience, so it’s up to us as educators to create as many precautions and barriers as possible.

In one of our July Hour of Innovation seminars, we highlighted one company in particular, Jokari, who is developing a line of protectant covers using a material called Nano Silver. The material is specifically designed to attach to bacteria walls and suffocate the bacteria cells, making them consistently 99% bacteria-free. The material holds its potency for several weeks and has passed several ‘bacteria tests’ including Streptococcus pneumoniae, Escherichia Coli, and Staphylococcus aureus. Thus far, the line has announced plans to release a phone pouch, mask pouch, surface protector, office partition, car window shade, screen protector, and mask. Products like these or comparable models would go a long way to reduce the spread of germs within your classroom.

The post Classroom Safety Tips & DIY Supplies appeared first on Inventionland Education.

However, although our course is adaptable for different schooling levels (elementary, middle, and high school), from year to year within each level our curriculum remains relatively the same in structure, instruction, and material. That often leaves some of our friends in education scratching their heads, asking us- what’s the merit of taking the course multiple times? Well, we spoke with some of our curriculum students and educators from Burgettstown School District to shed some light on the subject.

One way we’ve noticed students grow throughout multiple years of taking the course is that they further improve their problem-solving skills. Over the course of the independent work and the various steps needed (prototyping, packaging, researching, etc.) you’re naturally going to encounter a few hiccups. Our first-year students are able to work their way around those roadblocks, but our second and third-year students can anticipate them before they even happen in a lot of cases. According to student Daniel from Burgettstown, who has taken the course for three years, “The first year we were diving in headfirst, we didn’t really know what we were getting into. Now, we’re like seasoned vets… We’ve done a few inventions now and we’ve run into many problems along the way, but it’s helped us realize how to overcome and adapt to problems.”

Another manner in which our ‘veteran’ students gain more throughout their multiple years is that they get more creative and confident in their products the more years they stick with the curriculum. When asked if students should take the course multiple times, Evan, a senior year student at Burgettstown who has taken the course for six semesters, stated, “Most definitely, yes. This first year can be a lot to take in, so you just have to get a feel for the course… I’ve done a different project every semester. That has been a lot of work, but I feel like it’s helped me develop my products and it’s given me a better understanding of what it takes to actually create something and start a business. You learn from each failure, that’s the biggest thing.”

Teacher at Burgettstown, Laura Wells, stated when asked how taking the course multiple years had benefited her students.

” It has helped students have a better understanding of design and how to solve a problem,” said Wells.

“They make an observation and then ask themselves, ‘Hey how do I solve this?’ This allows them to become better problem-solvers… Some of them take the class seriously and really want to move forward with their projects. And I think some of them are going to take it beyond just the classroom. That would be the dream, if they come back in five years and they say, ‘Hey Ms. Wells, I made this product and it changed my life.’

I’ve already had that kind of experience with a student who was in my class the first year. He got accepted at Penn State’s main campus, and he was in landscape architecture… He came back and he said ‘Ms. Wells, I just want to say thank you. I was so far ahead of my peers.'”

Returning students also benefit from being able to work with multiple groups over the various semesters. So perhaps their first semester they play it safe and work with friends, but their next semester they take a risk and work with people they don’t know as well. Not only does this benefit them socially, but being able to work collaboratively with a variety of different personalities is an amazing real-world experience to bring into the workforce.

On this subject, senior at Burgettstown Michael, who has taken the course for three semesters, stated, “I would definitely recommend you take it more than once. I recommend taking it once with a group and once by yourself because when you do it with a group you learn how to work with a team, trust each other, and coordinate everyone’s roles in the project. Then you should do a semester by yourself so you can understand how some of the greatest inventions have been invented by one person.”

Finally, returning students become an excellent resource to help shape and guide students who are taking the course for the first time. Evan, who we spoke about earlier, worked with two first-time students in his most recent project- Riley and Cody. When asked how it has helped them to be working with a seasoned curriculum student, Riley stated, “It has helped us to have him on the team. He has more experience and knows what [the presentation judges are] thinking more than we do, so he can guide us more.” In addition, in regard to working with his partners, Evan stated, “Yeah, it’s definitely been exciting because you get to take what you’ve learned and pass it down in a way.”

Although the material remains relatively the same from year to year, there is so much our students get out of taking our course two, three, or even six times! Just ask one of our most seasoned students ever, Evan, what he has learned from his years of experience with the Inventionland® Education Curriculum, “Well, the course is what actually encouraged me to create my own company. So that’s definitely going to follow me through the entirety of – hopefully, my life! I’ve also learned about the ability to take the role of making something and presenting, not only the product but also yourself. Because you’re selling yourself just as much as your product.”

The post How Students Benefit from Taking Our Course for Multiple Years appeared first on Inventionland Education.

Core Differences

To start off, let’s dive into the very simple difference between the two machines. Laser cutting is a subtractive manufacturing process, meaning that it precisely cuts away material from the source to create the desired shape. On the complete opposite end of the spectrum, there’s 3D printing, which is an additive manufacturing process meaning that the machine is adding material layer by layer to create a 3D version of a design. So, keeping it as bare-bones as possible, laser cutting is taking material away while 3D printing is adding/creating material.

 What Can You Do With a 3D Printer?

3D Printing involves creating a file using 3D modeling software and choosing the material you want to build out of. You can 3D print plastics, resin parts, and you can even 3D print metals as well. The important thing to keep in mind is adapting the material you choose to the particular project on which you’re working. And, when you’re in the prototyping stage, making sure to start with less durable and expensive materials as you tweak your design.

As 3D Printing technology continues to develop, the project possibilities grow exponentially. As one example, 3D printing has now been used to completely construct houses from the ground up in under 24 hours. It is used in the architectural industry through the many steps of construction, starting with modeling. Using affordable materials to create 3D models of their designs not only allows architects to have a piece to show customers, but seeing if the design works in real life will allow them to make any necessary adjustments to the 3D file.

This form of printing also allows you to print large parts made of durable materials, which is used for the construction of houses. Using a giant robotic arm that looks like something out of a sci-fi thriller, large-scale 3D printers are able to use materials like concrete to 3D print a house entirely as one part. Using this process to construct homes allows a reduction in cost and material waste. In addition, since a machine can work continuously, it allows us to create homes quicker and with more accuracy.

Outside of architecture, 3D printing has many additional and equally useful purposes. It can be used for anything from jaw reconstruction to prosthetic limbs to fashion accessories to robotics. In recent years, 3D printers have even been used to create intricately crafted foods like cakes, cookies, pasta, chocolate, etc. And, as this technology advances, we’ll likely see many more equally innovative creations over the course of our lifetimes.

What Can You Do With a Laser Cutter?

A laser cutter is capable of two separate techniques- laser cutting and laser engraving. Laser cutting utilizes a high-powered laser to cut the material into various shapes whereas a laser engraver can engrave a piece with a design. You can laser cut a variety of materials such as acrylic, MDF, plywood, cardboard, & POM. Generally, laser cutters are more intuitive and easier to use than 3D printers because they’re a contained system. Just the concept of cutting a flat piece into segments or into a design is easier to program and construct than building a three-dimensional object from the ground up.

Essentially, laser cutting can be used to cut out and create intricate designs with a perfection that is impossible to create with free-hand cutting. Due to the intuitive nature of the machine, people have used laser cutting for a variety of projects from creating artistic clocks, to attaching logos to travel mugs, to even putting engravings onto food like pies.

Which Should You Use?

In our experience, we’ve seen people use these two terms fairly interchangeably- even giving us some fun variations we’ve never heard of like ‘3D laser cutting’ (which, interesting as it sounds, is not a thing). But, walking through the processes of these two machines, one can see that they’re truly the complete antithesis of each other. The additive manufacturing process used in 3D printing allows you to create everything from high-quality prototypes to even your final product. It can help you cut down on material waste/cost for your project and 3D modeling software allows you to create complex three-dimensional designs.

Subtractive manufacturing such as laser cutting allows you to carve out a design as opposed to constructing one. This machine allows you to work on a flat surface, but will only allow you to create flat parts. So, if you need a design to be three-dimensional, you’d need to cut out multiple parts and mold them together if you’re going with laser cutting for your project. Since you’re working on a flat surface, you can create extremely intricate designs with a high rate of precision. It also may end up being less expensive to laser cut pieces as opposed to 3D printing if you’re working on creating a larger object.

Ultimately, though, they both work extremely well together. And, because they’re both crucial processes in today’s manufacturing world, they’re equally important for our students to learn.

Want to give your classroom the tools it needs to easily teach 3D printing/laser cutting in both a practical and ideological way? Check out our Maker Kits and Maker Charts!

The post 3D Printing vs. Laser Cutting: What’s the Difference? appeared first on Inventionland Education.

Although we’re seeing the number of women graduating with degrees in STEM fields steadily increasing (over 200,000 graduated in 2016 as opposed to over 140,000 in 2009, according to Statista), there’s still a large gender gap within STEM fields with women only making up 28% of STEM jobs. As educators working with STEM education, we’re all too aware of how important it is for our students to have inspirational figures within their fields that they can look up to. To both celebrate Women’s History Month and give our girls some STEM inspiration, let’s take a look at some women who made STEM herstory.

1) Eldorado Jones

Our first woman in STEM was nicknamed the “Iron Woman” (not to be confused with Marvel’s Iron Man, very different but equally cool). Eldorado started inventing after beginning her career as both a teacher and a stenographer at an insurance company. She created several inventions throughout her lifetime, including her most well-known invention- an airplane muffler. Eldorado was able to invent an airplane muffler that, according to Modern Mechanics, used “a series of small pinwheels which ‘chew up’ the sound waves and retard the passage of exhaust gases without crating undue back pressure upon the engine.” It was also described as the “first successful exhaust engine for airplanes.” In addition to her airplane muffler, Eldorado also invented a lightweight electric iron and travel ironing board. She established her own inventing company to develop her products and primarily hired women over the age of 40 as her employees- props to you, Eldorado!

2) Deepika Kurup

Born in 1998, this modern-day STEM innovator is making waves in the field of water purification. She found her inspiration to begin her inventing journey when she visited India with her parents at the age of 14. She noticed the lack of clean drinking water and how it affected the citizens of the country- especially the women. In an interview with CNN, Deepika stated, “So water also affects women’s health and … how women can contribute to the economy, because instead of spending time with their family and instead of spending time working and raising money, women have to walk hours on end every day to go collect water…That definitely is not something that I used to see in the United States and so I wanted to do something to change that.”

This prompted her to create a new and affordable water purification system consisting of a cement-like compost material that, when activated by sunlight, can dramatically reduce the bacteria in water. She was able to present her invention before President Barack Obama in 2012 and received the award for “America’s Top Young Scientist”.

3) Marie Van Brittan Brown

As with many inventors, Marie’s contribution to modern technology was inspired by a problem she faced in her own life. Marie and her husband, Albert Brown, resided in Queens. She worked as a nurse and he worked as an electronics technician so they often worked irregular hours, leaving their home more vulnerable in a neighborhood with a high crime rate. Marie desired to increase the level of safety and security in her own home, thus leading to her to become the inventor of the first home security system.

Her original design consisted of peepholes, cameras, surveillance monitors, and a two-way microphone to communicate with the person at the door prior to opening it. Her patent for this invention was approved in 1969 and she’s also been credited with inventing the first closed-circuit television. So when you sleep soundly at night knowing that you’ll be alerted of any threats through your security cameras- you have Marie to thank!

5) Ann Makosinski

Another modern-day innovator, inspiration struck Ann in the form of her friend in the Philippines. When Ann heard that her friend had failed her grade because she had no electricity or light with which to study, she knew she had to create a solution. This resulted in her invention The Hollow Flashlight, which is a flashlight that can run off of the heat of the human hand rather than electricity. She’s now in talks to manufacture the product, thereby bringing light to areas that otherwise couldn’t afford it. Ann also invented what is called an eDrink which is an invention that converts the excess heat from a hot drink into electricity that can charge your phone.

6) Karla Zimonja

There are numerous examples of influential women-developed video games throughout history, but a more modern example of note would be Karla Zimonja. Karla is both a game designer and one of the co-founders of developer Fullbright. She was one of the integral players in the development of the game Gone Home, a first-person exploration-based game in which you wander around a house, examine objects, and uncover a hidden story. In regards to working under their own company on the projects, Karla said to Vice, “It feels good to me to have full ownership of things, to be in control of the thing we’re making, as opposed to having a board that’s in control… Not having higher-ups saying things like: ‘What are you doing? Is that going to sell to males aged 18 to 35? Is it? IS IT?’ That is worth so much to us.” Additional gaming credits Karla has in graphics include Fate: Undiscovered Realms, Zoo Tycoon 2: Endangered Species, and Zoo Tycoon 2.

7) Alba Colon

Alba dreamt of being an astronaut all throughout her childhood in Puerto Rico. When she grew up, she pursued a degree in Mechanical Engineering and ended up joining the Society of Automotive Engineers. There she fell in love with cars and ended up joining GM straight out of college, working her way up to becoming the lead engineer for the NASCAR Sprint Cup series. Over the course of her illustrious career in car mechanics, she’s worked with prominent drivers such as Dale Earnhardt Jr., Danica Patrick, and Jimmie Johnson. She’s also led Chevy to earning 160 race wins, eight Manufacturers’ Cup awards, and six driver’s championships.

The post Women’s History Month: Women in STEM appeared first on Inventionland Education.

In addition, according to the White House, “Members of racial and ethnic minority groups are projected to become the majority of America’s population in the next 30 years. Today, however, they account for just 28 percent of America’s STEM workers.” Though we still have a long way to go to allow African American innovators to be proportionately represented in STEM fields, we can still look to African American STEM innovators as inspiration for both us and our students.

1) Annie Easley

Annie was a leading member of the NASA software development team. Among her many accomplishments, she developed and implemented alternative power technologies and identified energy conversion systems and alternative systems to help solve energy problems. Her work helped lay the foundations for future space shuttle launches and communication, military, and weather satellite technology.

2) Shirley Jackson

As the first woman to receive a doctorate from MIT, Shirley studied subatomic particles and became a theoretical physicist. She was also appointed by Bill Clinton as Chairman of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission- simultaneously becoming both the first woman and first African American to hold this position. She was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame in 1998.

3) Mark Dean

Mark is a computer scientist and engineer who helped create the first IBM Personal Computer, according to Salesforce. He began working for IBM in 1980 and eventually went on to hold three of their nine original patents due to his contributions to their work. So not only did he help develop the original home computer, but he also helped develop the color PC monitor and the first gigahertz chip.

4) Mae Jemison

According to iD Tech, Mae received a Bachelor of Science in chemical engineering from Stanford in 1977. She went to Cornell University Medical College from there, got her MD, and the spent some time working in the Peace Corps while doing medical research. She holds nine honorary doctorates and, in 1992, Mae became the first African American woman in space aboard the Endeavor.

5) Walter Hawkins

Walter was a chemist, inventor, and leader in fostering scientific careers in the African American community. He held 18 patents in the US and 129 more from foreign countries. According to The New York Times, most of his work involved conserving and reclaiming materials for communications equipment. One of his inventions was additives that gave long life to plastic coatings for shielding wire cables. These new coatings ended up enabling universal telephone service to become possible. He was also the first African American engineer to be inducted into the National Academy of Engineering.

6) Katherine Johnson

In 1952, Katherine began working at the NACA (National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics’) in the Langley laboratory. She was one of the integral people that worked to get the US into space. According to Nasa, in 1960 she co-authored a report titled Determination of Azimuth Angle at Burnout for Placing a Satellite Over a Selected Earth Position, which laid out the equations describing an orbital spaceflight where the landing position is specified. In 1962, during John Glenn’s orbital mission, Katherine was then tasked with running the numbers and equations that had been programmed into the computer by hand on her desktop mechanical calculating machine to double-check the calculations. Katherine Johnson August 26, 1918 – February 24, 2020.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0IyiYRq-ns

7) Garrett Morgan

Garrett has made various contributions to the field of technology and innovation, including inventing an improved model of the sewing machine, one of the first versions of the gas masks, and the original version of the three-light traffic signal. He was even a hero during the Lake Erie Crib Disaster of 1916 when a natural gas explosion caused men to be trapped beneath a building breathing in dangerous gases. Morgan himself arrived on the scene to save the day, bringing his gas masks with him. He, along with several volunteers, donned the masks and were able to rescue 8 men and recover the bodies of several others.

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Nathan Field, Executive Director

Eliminate assigned seats. If two students who don’t get along have to sit next to each other, they might not be comfortable expressing themselves. Giving students a chance to sit next to students they get along with goes a long way in creating a comfortable classroom environment.

Next, keep in mind that a change of scenery is a good thing. Schools used to be under the impression that students need to look at the chalkboard and not daydream out the windows. But studies have proven that nature inspires creativity. By changing the front of the room to a space that lets them see nature, you are inspiring them. It’s also not a bad idea to have desks in a circle. Giving all students a chance to see each other when they’re talking not only improves public speaking skills, but also encourages discussions.

Finally, if you’re incorporating STEAM challenges, make sure students are applying what they’ve done to the world around them. Yes, these challenges are fun and a great way to have students interested in the learning process, but if they can’t see how building a tower out of spaghetti and marshmallows applies to their lives or to the content you need to teach, then you aren’t using your time wisely. Give students a chance to reflect and make sure you add time to teach students the importance of the lesson. 

Clay Carlino, Senior Director of New Innovations 

Open-ended discussions are a great tool in helping kids learn. Instead of just having students memorize facts, ask them how they feel about events or ideas. Students remember lessons that strike a chord with them. And the easiest way to strike a chord is to ask them how they’re feeling.

I also think it’s really important to give students challenges that they won’t get right the first time. We have to teach students that it’s okay to fail at something and to keep trying until they get it right. Being able to reflect on work and how to change it is an important part of the learning process. 

I also can’t put enough emphasis on the importance of teaching students how to present. Giving presentations is something we have to do throughout our lives and the more practice students can get, the better. This should be a skill taught in all classes. 

Jessie Tymoczko, Director of Client Services

Don’t be afraid of color! Bringing bright pops of color into a classroom stimulates the mind and helps students think creatively. A bland and uniform classroom doesn’t inspire and students are more likely to zone out. Use resources like Pinterest for inspiration on gallery style walls full of color and art, look to your local hardware stores for discount paint, or even see if your local hardware or box store will donate paint to your classroom.

Ditch the teacher’s desk, or at least, minimize the space it takes up in the classroom. Take a look at your desk from your students’ perspective.  Does it create a visual barrier, or is it an approachable space? Create a space that you can work in comfortably, but that also allows students to come up to you if they need to for a side conversation.

Do you have a green thumb? Bring it, and your plants, into the classroom! Living plants add color and a bit of nature to any space. You can give students the responsibility for watering them with a schedule, use them as part of lessons, or keep them as air purifying decoration.  My personal favorite easy-to-care-for house plants are Snake Plants (Sansevieria trifasciata), Peace Lilies (Spathiphyllum), Aloe Vera, and Spider Plants (Chlorophytum comosum).

The post Our Best Tips for Converting Classrooms into Creative Spaces appeared first on Inventionland Education.

DO add STEAM to any class

You may not see the correlation immediately, but it’s there. If your goal as a teacher is to help students apply what they’re learning to the world around them, then a STEAM-integrated lesson plan is a natural fit. If, for example, you’re an English teacher working on the sometimes-dreaded Shakespeare unit, let your students engineer a scaled version of the Globe Theatre or research how modern technology may have saved the doomed lovers’ lives if this happened today.

DON’T only consider high-tech advancements as a STEAM integration

Contrary to popular belief, STEAM isn’t just about advanced technology. It’s about integrating the arts and sciences into a lesson in a way that encourages creative and critical thinking. There are many ways you can do that that don’t involve rocket science (although if you’re comfortable teaching rocket science, go for it!). Whether building a propeller-powered car or making their own Mondrian or engineering innovative packaging, you don’t need the most advanced technology to teach STEAM-based classes.

DON’T use every letter of the STEAM acronym every time you integrate

Go ahead and breathe a sigh of relief…a STEAM lesson plan doesn’t have to be a “STEAM” lesson plan. It can be a “SAM” lesson or a “ME” lesson or even an “A” lesson. It’s okay (and even encouraged) to only focus on a few parts of the acronym at a time. Your goal, after all, is to have an overall classroom environment that regularly uses these areas over the course of the school year…not a 45-minute class period that crams it all in every once in a while.

DO look for STEAM supplies in unusual places

Making your classroom a STEAM classroom with top-of-the-line equipment might not be possible on a teacher’s salary. You can, however, ask for donations using sites like Craigslist or NextDoor (just always pick up in a public, well-lit location). Contact local universities or hospitals to see if they would donate anything. Send a letter home to parents…they may work in for a STEAM company that donates supplies to schools. The options are endless. Check out the graphic below for more ideas.

DO attend continuing ed workshops

Keep your eyes peeled for innovative workshops you can attend. You need them to keep your license up-to-date, and they’re a great way to let you learn first-hand about STEAM innovations you can bring to your classroom.  Inventionland® Education offers Day of Innovation workshops where teachers can learn hands-on how to add STEAM lessons to their units. Keep an eye on our website for an up-to-date calendar.

DO ask for help

Team teaching is a great way to integrate STEAM into your classroom. If you teach a specific subject, talk to other teachers to see what units they are introducing in the semester and see if you can work together to create a project. Find the overlap or create one yourself.  A math lesson that transfers into a history lesson (or science lesson or art lesson…) creates memorable learning moments and gives students a chance to see how content really does apply to their everyday lives.

If you are an elementary teacher, talk to other teachers in your grade level about collaborating on a grade-wide project. You can have a penny boat challenge that doubles as a fundraiser for your school. You can make models of famous landmarks and host an “Around the World” night. Bringing students together for a large product creates a sense of community, encourages teamwork, and gives students a chance to show off their work on a larger scale.

And remember…you don’t teach because you know everything there is to know about your content area (although that may be true). You teach because you are passionate about your job. Even if you don’t know how the latest and greatest technology works, you want to help students. Don’t be afraid to learn new technology right alongside them and don’t be afraid to let them know you don’t know everything. It’s your passion for teaching and learning that will help you successfully teach any part of your STEAM curriculum.

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Sometimes the best-laid plans…are for subs

First, if you are the one that is sick, make sure you set your sub up for success.  There are a lot of ways to ensure that your classroom will still run smoothly just because you aren’t there. I know we like to believe we are the only ones who can execute a lesson, but there’s also something to be said about leaving lesson plans so incredibly detailed that your sub can deliver the lesson flawlessly as well.

Re-visit your future lesson plans

Next, look at what you’re teaching in the immediate future. If you have a hands-on activity scheduled that normally takes an entire class period, but your class has been reduced to a 30-minute block of chaos, you may need to re-organize your week. Is there a future lesson you can switch with today’s lesson that may work better with the shortened time? If you were supposed to do a lab, can you do any of the prep work or initial calculations today? Collect background information? Make predictions?

Be aware of the amount of time you (really) have

Remember, if classes have been shortened to thirty minutes, you’re not going to have your students’ attention the full half hour. There will be late students because some teachers are determined to fit a 50-minute lesson into 30 minutes, or because the time between classes has also been reduced and there’s no way a student can get to your class on time from the other side of–or a completely different–building. There will be more small talk than you’ve ever had with your students about weather, roads, and disbelief that they even had to come in that day. Your 30 minutes is likely closer to 25 minutes (minus two minutes at the end of class because they’re going to pack up early even if they never do. Shortened schedules are so hard for students to wrap their heads around, and they’re anxious about getting to their next class on time.)

If you had a test scheduled, reschedule it.  Even if you think students will have no problem completing it and you planned to begin a new unit that day anyway, it’s not fair to the students. If a class has been shortened, they will come into class feeling anxious and worried that they won’t finish in time. If a large chunk of students are missing because they’re sick, the students who are there will air their concern that it’s not fair that the “sick kids” get an extra day to study. Use the day for an extra review or give a sneak preview of the next unit. But, no matter how much they beg you to take it, wait until they are on a regular schedule again before you give them the test.

No sniffles left behind

If most of your class is home sick with the flu,  have an activity on hand for smaller class sizes. Make it something fun–you don’t want to “reward” students who made it to class with a worksheet. No matter how much fun you think your crossword puzzle of anatomical terms is, kids want to stand up and move. And no, working with a partner does not make it more enjoyable. It’s still a crossword puzzle of anatomical terms, no matter how many people work on it at once.  Can you play a game? Take the anatomical terms crossword puzzle and make it a game where students get to write on the dry erase board. Pictionary with anatomical terms? Now we’re getting somewhere…

What’s your emergency plan?

One last tip: create emergency lesson plans for yourself. Yes, it’s extra work and we know many teachers don’t enjoy making them, but if you can create different lesson plans for different circumstances, you’ll be much better off on days that aren’t quite typical. Find a 25-minute hands-on activity that will get your students out of their desks and moving around the room. It should still be related to your content, but if you have a basic skeleton of a lesson plan that can be applied to different units, you’ll be ready for whatever scheduling curveball is thrown your way.

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And if you’re teaching in a STEAM classroom, you are also teaching students how to use new equipment and creating a hands-on environment that not only gives students a chance to create on their own…but is so because it’s carefully monitored. You’re teaching, exploring, creating, and troubleshooting one class period at a time.

But eventually….you’re going to need to take a day off and that means you’re going to need a sub. While many teachers try to leave subs instructions with an “easy” lesson of showing a video or giving students a test, it’s actually these hands-off lessons that cause the most problems. And if you’re teaching in a STEAM classroom, chances are you’re on a tight schedule to get a project completed. Students may have to sign up in advance to use different equipment, and if they can’t use it because you’re gone, it may throw the entire semester off.  That’s a lot of pressure.  

So how do you prepare for a sub when you’re in a STEAM environment?

Have a little faith in your sub

For many school districts across the country, substitute teachers need to not only have a bachelor’s degree but also have a teaching license in order to work. That being said, if you know you are going to have a sub who is a trained professional, give them a little credit and an opportunity to use their teaching chops. If there is a handbook for using equipment, leave it out for them. If there is no handbook, consider working with your school to create one that explains how to use the equipment easily; it could even be a good class project. Substitute teachers don’t just want to sit back and play solitaire for eight hours. They want to teach. Let them. 

Overplan your lessons

If you normally teach in 45-minute blocks, give subs enough activities for a 90-minute class. This way, if the class breezes through each mini-lesson, subs don’t have that awkward 20 minutes of letting students “talk quietly as long as they stay in their seats” (This is just asking for trouble!).

Develop relationships

Find your go-to sub. Seriously. The most jarring part of having a substitute teacher is that it messes with a student’s idea of routine. If students enter your classroom and see a substitute teacher that they’ve had before, it helps with that transition. New subs take a while to warm up to students. But subs that have been working in your school district awhile are worth holding on to. Also, if you teach a specific content area or age, look for subs that specialize in that area as well. If you are teaching in a STEAM classroom, find a teacher with a background in education technology. 

Revise your emergency lesson plans

Yes, they’re usually due before the first day of school, but it’s always a good idea to revise them once you know your students. Maybe a worksheet and video were what you started with, but as you get to know your students, you learn that they enjoy creative writing or scavenger hunts. You already know that one-size-fits-all lessons don’t exist, and that applies to your emergency lesson plans, too. Once you know students feel comfortable with the technology they are using in the classroom, make sure to incorporate that as well.

Tell your co-teachers

Whether your co-teachers are by grade or by department, let at least two of them know you are going to be out. They can check on the sub to see how it’s going and also make sure students are staying on-task. At the very least, let the teachers who teach next to you know you are out.  Also, if you have teachers use the same technology in their classroom that you do, see if they can help the sub out when needed.  If a 3D printer suddenly isn’t working, then make sure your sub knows who to call. 

Have a backup plan

Any lesson involving technology needs a backup plan.  Whether students are using high-tech equipment or conducting research on the internet, you need to have a backup plan. 

Talk to students about expectations

Let them know what behaviors are allowed and what the consequences are for not following classroom rules.  Also, if students are going to work in groups, go over expectations with students for group work BEFORE you have a sub. The first time students work in groups should never be when you’re not present. If you’re in a STEAM classroom, students should feel comfortable using all of the equipment on their own. In the same vein, never let the first time someone uses a piece of equipment be when you’re not there to help. You can also check to see which students excel with different pieces of technology and assign them as “helpers.” They may know how to troubleshoot tech better than adults do. By giving students responsibilities in your classroom, you are helping to build their self-esteem and creating leaders.

Welcome subs to your class

Leave a note with expectations as well as a teacher’s name they can contact if they have any problems. It can be scary to walk into a classroom as a substitute teacher. It can be even scarier to walk into a STEAM classroom filled with technology they’ve never seen before. But if you set them up for success and let students know your expectations, you can set the bar higher for your subs and your students. Then, when you finally DO have to be away from the classroom, you won’t have to spend the day worrying about what’s going on in your absence. After all, every teacher hopes to come back to a positive note from their sub accentuated by smiley faces, not an all-caps account that was written in frantically-illegible handwriting of how the day went.

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