Designing an immersive learning environment does not have to mean a long renovation or major disruption. With Inventionland Education, schools can move from initial idea to completed installation through a clear process that manages scope, timing, budget, design, build, and community rollout.

The process starts with a discovery meeting. This first conversation provides school leaders with an overview of Inventionland Education and helps define the project’s scope. It is also the time to talk through timing, budget, goals, and the types of spaces being considered. Whether a district is transforming a classroom, media center, library, STEM room, or multi-purpose area, this step helps identify what the finished environment needs to accomplish.

From there, the project moves into the design meeting. Inventionland Education reviews client-provided photos, videos, and floor plans to understand the existing space. The team reviews early design concepts and shapes a direction that fits the school’s needs, instructional goals, student population, and available square footage. Once the design agreement is issued and signed, the creative work moves forward.

The next step is the presentation of concepts. During this phase, school leaders review floor plans, renderings, and visual design ideas before manufacturing begins. This is where the immersive environment starts to feel real. The design may include themed areas, graphics, flexible seating, collaboration zones, maker spaces, presentation areas, whiteboard surfaces, and custom features that support creativity and project-based learning. After review and approval, the build quote is issued and signed.

In the build phase, engineering is finalized, products are manufactured, furniture is ordered, and the installation window is reserved. This allows districts to plan ahead while Inventionland Education prepares the pieces that will bring the environment together.

One of the biggest advantages for schools is the short installation timeline, because Inventionland Education’s immersive environments can typically be installed in just 2-4 days. During this step, location details, timing, and shipping information are confirmed. Depending on the project, installation may be handled by Inventionland Education or by the client. Once installation and furniture setup are complete, the school will have a finished learning environment ready for students and teachers.

For many districts, this fast installation window is a major benefit. Work can often be scheduled around breaks, long weekends, professional development days, or summer periods to reduce disruption to instruction. Instead of waiting months for a traditional renovation, schools can create a space that encourages students to think, build, collaborate, test ideas, and present solutions.

The final step focuses on community relations and the grand opening. Inventionland Education can help schools plan media outreach, press releases, community engagement, ribbon cuttings, and open house events. These occasions give districts a chance to celebrate the investment and show families, staff, local leaders, and business partners how the environment supports innovation.

Inventionland Education’s immersive learning environments are more than attractive spaces. They are designed to support hands-on learning, STEM, career readiness, teamwork, communication, and creativity. With a proven process and installation in as little as 2-4 days, schools can turn ordinary rooms into places where students see themselves as inventors and solution-finders.

The post How Inventionland Education Designs and Builds Immersive Learning Environments 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.

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.

Inventionland® Education (ILI): This is your first year using the ILI curriculum. Tell us about your experiences so far.

Adrienne Hoffman (AH): I absolutely love it!  To have students develop an idea about a product and take their idea through Inventionland’s nine-step process is something that has never been done before at the elementary level.  This curriculum requires students to problem solve, think creatively, collaborate with their peers, and then communicate effectively with others which at times is difficult, but it’s very rewarding as a teacher when I see a group’s plan comes together.

The challenges that accompany the nine steps are what drives my students each day.  It requires them to work together and work through failure as not one class has met a challenge on their first try!  I love how it pushes the students to think outside of the box, collaborate, and revise in order to complete the challenge and/or step.

ILI: How has parental involvement been with the curriculum? Are parents able to help their kids at home? How much do they know about the curriculum?

AH: We had a STEAM Night during Parent/Teacher Conferences where the parents were able to come into the lab with their child and complete an engineering challenge.  We wanted to give the parents a chance to step into the lab and ask questions about what the Inventionland®curriculum actually was. Many parents were able to come and see that night.

I sent home a letter with students at the beginning of the year explaining the new lab and what exactly would be taught while in the lab.  In addition, I listed some items that, if parents were willing, could be donated to the lab for use throughout the year. The number of supplies I received, and am still receiving, has been tremendous.  Inventionland®definitely would not work as well without the parents and their willingness to donate necessary items.

I have had many students come in and say that they have brainstormed with their parents over the weekend about their product.  I have heard from parents that all their child wants to do is invent items while at home. I have even had pictures of students emailed to me working on creating different things at home.  I encourage them to bring their inventions into school so they can present them to their Inventionland®class!

ILI: What is the biggest challenge to teaching STEAM to elementary students?

AH: The biggest challenge is having them collaborate with others in their group.  The primary grades are very young and are still learning what it means to work together whereas the intermediate grades want to do everything independently and not rely on someone else.   They have difficulty wanting to accept everyone’s opinions and input so getting them to collaborate effectively has been the biggest challenge.

ILI: What inspired you to become a teacher?

AH: My mother is a teacher so I grew up in her classroom and seeing her teach her students.  I knew that I enjoyed being around children and would always help in my mother’s classroom after my school day had ended.  My mother made such a positive impact on her students’ lives through her way of teaching that I knew I wanted to be just like her, only making my own positive impact on students that I would see and teach.  After I came to realize that, the rest of history!

ILI: How long are your class periods? How has that played a part in lesson planning for this curriculum?

AH: Inventionland®is part of our Encore this year where the students will come for a 45-minute block of time.  Lesson planning and scheduling is a work in progress. My older students are able to work at a faster pace but take more time with the discussion aspect whereas my younger students need introductions into the Chromebooks we use as well as learning how to research.  I like how this curriculum is very flexible so I am able to push back lessons until each class is ready to move on. Sometimes this takes two class periods and others, like Step 2, took four class periods to complete.

ILI: How familiar were you with the technology used in the ILI curriculum? What advice would you give teachers who are teaching a new curriculum or may have the opportunity to use new technologies in their classroom?

AH:  With my Gifted Facilitator role, I was able to incorporate various forms of technology into my lessons with those students.  So far, every piece of technology that has been used in the Inventionland®curriculum I have been very familiar with.

My advice to teachers and students (and the advice that I have told myself this year) is that implementing a new curriculum or technology is not an easy feat and you will probably have times where you fail. Just as we remind our students that failure is growth, we need to remind ourselves that this is a growing stage. Knowing that failure is okay and what you do to work through your failures, that process, is the key to success.  Also, do not be afraid or too proud to ask for help!

ILI: Most memorable experience about the ILI curriculum so far?

AH: At the very beginning of the curriculum, students were required to build the tallest structure out of sticky notes.  One of my third graders was working on the challenge when I heard him say to his group, “This is making my brain hurt!”  I laughed but that statement is evidence that they may just be building a tower with sticky notes, but their mind is in overdrive trying to problem solve how to complete the task.  Since then, I have heard others remark about their brain working extra and it is a nice reminder that this curriculum is, in fact, enhancing their ability to think critically and creatively to become excellent problem solvers.

ILI: Do you run any activities/clubs at your school?

AH: Currently I do not.  We have started a News Production Club this year and I am working to get that up and running.

ILI: Tell us a little about yourself. Where did you go to school? Any hobbies/fascinating facts you want to share?

AH:  I attended Penn State University where I received my bachelor’s in Elementary Education.  I then went to Marygrove College where I received my Master’s in Reading and Literacy Instruction.  From there, I became the Elementary Gifted Facilitator and this year, I was asked to take on the Inventionland®course.

Whenever I am not at school, I spend all my time with my family.  I have three small children so they keep me busy! They are STEAM driven, so I am able to try out a lot of creations that I would like to bring to the classroom.  They drive me to keep asking the question “Why.”  I enjoy baking and love that my children want to help me in the kitchen. I also enjoy reading and spending time outside.

ILI: What does 21st Century teaching mean to you?

AH: The goal of the 21st Century classroom is to prepare students to become productive members of the workplace. The 21st Century classroom is student-centered, not teacher-centered. Teachers no longer function as lecturers but as facilitators of learning. The students are learning by doing, and the teacher acts as a coach, helping students as they work on projects. Students learn to use the inquiry method, and to collaborate with others–a microcosm of the real world they will experience once they leave the classroom.

Teachers are entrusted with mastering the 21st Century skills as well as with modeling these skills in the classroom. The characteristics of the 21st Century classroom will be very different from those of in the classrooms of the past because the focus is on producing students who are highly productive, effective communicators, inventive thinkers, and masters of technology.

 

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Today, if a teacher turns on the television (most likely already in the class and mounted somewhere near the ceiling in a corner of the room),  the students take that as a cue to tune out. Video clips aren’t innovative. A hands-on approach to learning, especially if it gets students out of their seats, is what works. While many teachers employ the Discovery Learning Method approach, there are also several other innovations that teachers can make to their teaching style to shake things up. Below are three ways that teachers can be more innovative in the classroom.

Technology

Keeping up with technology trends is the best way for teachers to be innovative. Granted, this can be expensive as new technology trends are never cheap, but even just taking cell phones into consideration is a small step that teachers can take to be more innovative. Many schools no longer have a zero tolerance policy with cell phones because teachers realize what a valuable source of information students have literally at their fingertips. If a student stumps the teacher, the class can find the answer together. Giving students a chance to use their cell phones for research–and teaching them the difference between a good source and a bad source–sets them up to be lifelong learners.

Additionally, while it’s not likely that schools will be able to afford a classroom set of top-of-the-line virtual reality glasses, they may be able to afford a classroom set of Google Cardboard.  With the help of a myriad of apps, students can go on virtual field trips around the world to explore famous buildings (Google Expeditions App), walk down streets in other countries (Google Street View app), look inside a human brain (InCell and InMind), and even use the Cardboard Design Lab app to learn the basics of how to create their own virtual reality experience.  Whether you have an entire classroom set or just a few pairs that students take turns using, Google cardboard gives students a chance to visit places they may never see in person. 

In the same vein, many school districts also provide tablets to their students. According to an infographic by PracTutor, 81% of teachers think tablets can enhance classroom learning and 64% of high school seniors said they help them study more efficiently.  You can use tablets for note taking, completing and turning in assignments, and to help with organization and communication. Gone are the days of lugging around 5-subject notebooks and 3-inch binders for every class. As long as a student remembers to bring their tablet to and from school every day (not to mention keep it charged), students lose less work, have more opportunities to be creative with movie-making and songwriting software, and parents can always check in to see what is going on.

Teachers can also utilize Skype in the classroom to bring in guest speakers that may not normally be able to make a classroom visit. This can include lawmakers, scientists, other classes, and celebrities. If you’re reading a book in class and the author is alive, all it takes is reaching out to see if they’d be interested in making a guest appearance in your class. It may not be for more than a quick hello, but just having the opportunity for students to connect with the work they are studying in a personal way is huge. If you are teaching persuasion, students can draft letters to people to meet virtually in their classroom. There is even a program called “Skype A Scientist” that connects classrooms with scientists for lively discussions. Teachers request a scientist from one of 20 different categories and are matched with someone in the field you are looking for. This is meant to be a discussion and not a lecture, so teachers will have to spend time with students developing questions to ask.

Of course, using technology for the sake of using technology doesn’t necessarily innovate a classroom. While 74% of teachers surveyed by PBS Learning Media agree that educational technology is a student motivator, there are caveats.  If a student is doing a math worksheet on a computer that is the same math worksheet they’d be working on with pencil and paper, there’s no innovation. If, on the other hand, students are completing a math assignment that, with every correct answer, they are coding and bringing an animation to life, then that is innovative. Teachers have to be very aware of understanding why they are choosing to use technology in the classroom and how it elevates a child’s thinking.  Steve Jobs famously said, “Technology is nothing. What’s important is that you have a faith in people, that they’re basically good and smart, and if you give them tools, they’ll do wonderful things with them.” While it’s great to have technology in the classroom, if you aren’t using it with good intentions, it’s a waste.

Self-Directed Learning

Self-directed learning gives students an opportunity to focus on something that interests them. Many teachers have attempted this by giving students a list of topics from which to choose for a research project, but what if a teacher gave students free reign to learn whatever they wanted? Is that even possible?

Google once used a concept called “20% Time” at its headquarters and a lot of companies have adopted the idea of allowing 20% of a person’s day to be spent working on anything as long as the work somehow benefited the company.  Believe it or not, “20% Time” led to major breakthroughs in Gmail, AdWords, Google Talk, and Google News.

Teachers can do this in their classrooms. If a classroom is 50 minutes long, the idea is to give students 10 minutes to work on any project they want, as long as there is learning involved.  It doesn’t have to be related to the specific content they are currently studying (although it can if the student is passionate about it), nor does it even have to be related to the broad subject of the class. Results have been anything from learning new languages to planning and running fundraisers to engineering robots, conducting science experiments, and filming documentaries. Students find what they’re passionate about and explore how to make it possible. Teachers help by providing tools needed to perform research or experiments and by having discussions with students about their projects. But all in all, students are given time to explore their passions. It’s a far cry from students being told they have to learn something and it keeps the fire ignited in students that makes them want to learn more.

Self-directed learning, believe it or not, gets schools, teachers and parents and the community involved. Students are excited to share what they’re working on. Teachers, however, need to spend time helping students develop the skills they need to be self-directed learners.  If a student is given the opportunity to learn what they want to learn in a way they want to learn it, it might be a little intimidating. They may not know where to start, but once they do, they will be unstoppable.  Even Einstein agreed, “Wisdom is not a product of schooling but of the lifelong attempt to acquire it.”

Place-Based Learning

Yes, students spend eight hours each day in the classroom. But a lot of learning happens outside of school. Place-based learning recognizes this. Obviously field trips are a great example of place-based learning  Teachers can take their students on field trips to local planetariums or museums. Students can tour a Community Theatre performing Shakespeare.  But place-based learning can go above and beyond afternoon field trips and truly immerse a student in his or her community. The Environmental Charter School in Pittsburgh, for example, often takes students to a 500-acre park that is right next door to the school.

While there are many distinct categories of place-based learning, three common types are project learning, service learning, and work-based learning.  Project learning gives students a chance to focus on something they consider a problem and work towards finding a solution for it. This is a great method for schools to use because it develops a student’s critical thinking skills as they brainstorm ideas and then teaches them to take action to solve a problem.

Service learning is very common. Many school districts have community service requirements in which students have to volunteer a certain number of hours per year.  According to the National Youth Leadership Council, service learning is “an approach to teaching and learning in which students use academic knowledge and skills to address genuine community needs….Successful service-learning projects are tied to specific learning objectives, and many of the best are tied to numerous areas of study…These connections not only deepened the impact projects had on learning, but also provided the young people with a broader understanding of how different subjects are interrelated.”

Work-based learning gives students an opportunity to explore a job field they are interested in pursuing. It provides students a chance to learn technical, academic and other work-related skills by working in a real work environment. This is different from part-time after school jobs because employers, students, and teachers decide at the start of the opportunity what the goals are for the student, how success will be measured, and what the learning outcome will be. Similar to an internship, it gives students a chance to see a certain industry first hand and start to decide whether it is where they see themselves working.

The best part about place-based learning? It can happen anywhere. Whether you teach in a large city or a rural area, the goal of place-based learning is to connect students with their immediate surroundings. When they can learn about things at the local level, then they can apply it to a bigger picture.

Scholar Gregory Smith explains place-based learning as follows: “Place-based education is nothing new…its focus on the incorporation of local knowledge, skills, and issues into the curriculum, involves an effort to restore learning experiences that were once the basis of children’s acculturation and socialization…In this way, communities could ensure their own sustainability as generations passed on their expertise to young people drawn to continue this work.”

Conclusion

There is a myriad of ways to make a classroom innovative. As a teacher, you have to keep in mind your students, their interests, the community, and how to make them excited about learning.  It doesn’t matter if you are using the latest and greatest in technology or taking your students to a nearby gallery, innovation is about finding ways to reach your students that you’ve never used before. You don’t have to re-invent the wheel to teach geometry. But you do have to re-evaluate whether your students are simply learning content or if they are seeing topics first hand and how they relate to the world around them.

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This week at the Inventionland® Education, we’re excited to welcome representatives from Pittsburgh’s Ligonier Valley School District. Though we’re always excited to welcome visitors to our very own creative makerspace, this visit is particularly exciting, because it marks the second time that Ligonier Valley representatives will visit Inventionland®- in just one month’s time!

Could there be exciting things in the works with Ligonier Valley School District? You’ll have to stay tuned in the coming weeks to see what collaborative announcements may be STEMming from our talks!

And, speaking of talking the talk… we’re also excited to now be walking the walk – the Inventionland® Education is helping to Remake Learning in the greater Pittsburgh region! Remake Learning is a professional network supporting the people, organizations, and ideas shaping the future of teaching and learning. Together, Remake Learning Network members are working together to inspire a generation of lifelong learners in Pittsburgh, West Virginia, and beyond. Learn more at remakelearning.org.

We first attended a Remake Learning event where we were able to meet up and share ideas with other community STEM education promoters last November. After working closely with Remake Learning’s Learning Innovation Strategist Sunanna Chand to see how we can take our new partnership to the next level, we’re excited to announce that Inventionland®will be hosting a Remake Learning event in the coming months!

We’re only weeks into the New Year, but already it is shaping up to be full of innovation and collaboration. Stay tuned for more exciting announcements ahead!

The post We’re Collaborating to Help Remake Learning in Pittsburgh! appeared first on Inventionland Education.

Our project-based inventing curriculum may have started to take off in the classrooms of Pittsburgh’s The Kiski School early this year; but, since then, it’s been a whirlwind of hands-on, collaborative learning for us all!

Students in grades 6-16 from Avonworth Middle School, The Kiski School, DuBois Business College and South Fayette Middle School, who’ve implemented the Inventionland® Education curriculum, have put their minds together to think through the new product development process and apply STEM-education subjects on a daily basis while doing so. On our end, we’ve welcomed countless new groups to our own creative space to learn more about the interactive curriculum; and, we’ve also been able to network throughout the Pittsburgh region to bring more of that project-based learning to students and educators alike.

Most recently, our team members have traveled everywhere from Philadelphia to Virginia to New Orleans to spread the word about the Inventionland® Education curriculum and STEM-education, in general.

Just last week, Executive Director Nathan Field was at CareerTech Vision 2015 in New Orleans, where he was able to connect with other STEM-education enthusiasts from across the United States.

“These connections will be great to get the curriculum in schools across the country,” said Field. “We’re already planning to meet up with a few of those connections in the coming weeks.” 

At the same time that Field was in New Orleans, Director of Client Services Katie Doas traveled to Lansdowne, Virginia for the Society of Elementary Presidential Awardees (SEPA) Professional Weekend.

According to Doas, the SEPA Professional Weekend was a great way to share STEM-education ideas and be inspired by others who are utilizing STEM in their professional lives.

“It was so inspiring to see and hear the ways that STEM impacts professionals like astrophysicists, pharmaceutical professionals and pilots in their careers every day,” said Doas.

Now that our team is back in Pittsburgh, we’re gearing up to sponsor and judge the Carnegie Science Center’s upcoming Chain Reaction Contraption Contest, which challenges local high school students to put their STEM skills to use to build, engineer and operate a wacky contraption that will perform an everyday task. 

With so much to be thankful for in 2015, we can’t wait to see what 2016 may bring! Stay with us to see where our curriculum and creative options may STEM out to!

From our team to yours, have a safe and happy Thanksgiving holiday!

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On November 7th, Executive Director Nathan Field attended EdCampPGH at Pittsburgh’s Montour Area High School. The day-long event was filled with educators from across the region who wanted to talk about… well, whatever they wanted to talk about!

“There were no moderators,” said Field. “Everyone wrote down the topics they wanted to discuss, then met with other educators with similar interests or issues. It was a fun day.”

Field said that talk about our curriculum and creative space made such an impact at EdCampPGH that he is already in talks to host the next unconference at Inventionland!

But, before our facility is filled with excited educators from the Pittsburgh area, we had the pleasure of welcoming a group of international educators!

Earlier this week, four administrators from La Cité collégiale in Ottawa, Canada came to Inventionland®to hear more about our hands-on inventing curriculum.

“They were so excited to learn more about us that they actually planned their visit a couple weeks ago, before even contacting us!” said Field.

That enthusiasm continued at Inventionland, where they discussed the possibilities of inserting the Inventionland® Education curriculum into their current coursework, which includes classes like welding, wood-working and engineering.

“Once they heard about our creative atmosphere and collaborative learning approach, they couldn’t wait to spread the word to their faculty,” said Field.

In fact, the La Cité collégiale administrators are already laying the preliminary groundwork to begin piloting our curriculum! Because the international college teaches in both of Canada’s official languages, part of that process will be translating the Inventionland® Education curriculum to French!

Are we excited about a possible international partnership with La Cité collégiale?! Oui! Oui!

The post An Unconference and an International Opportunity? Oui! Oui! appeared first on Inventionland Education.