Walk into any Inventionland Education space, and you immediately feel the “wow factor.” These aren’t ordinary classrooms and spaces. They’re immersive Innovation Labs®, CTE Centers, and Media Hubs that transform the traditional school experience into something truly extraordinary. Every detail is considered in these creative zones, designed to ignite imagination and make learning feel like an adventure.

From Ordinary Rooms to Extraordinary Experiences

Inventionland Education’s award-winning design team specializes in turning existing rooms into environments where students can think, create, and invent. Each space is designed to support collaboration and project-based learning, a cornerstone of their Science of Inventing curriculum.

Innovation Labs® feature environments where students want to learn, and teachers want to teach. These immersive spaces help students feel like innovators, working in real-world creative settings rather than boring, static classrooms. These environments spark curiosity and storytelling, as well as entrepreneurial and career possibilities, often connecting CTE learning with actual industry career pathways.

CTE Centers that Inspire Career Exploration

Career and Technical Education (CTE) Centers benefit from Inventionland Education, bringing the “wow” of the professional world into the school setting. With workspaces that mirror design studios, prototyping labs, and broadcast suites, students gain hands-on experience in engineering, product design, digital media, and so much more.

Every corner of these immersive spaces encourages the design-thinking process and then some, from brainstorming and sketching to building and testing. Students learn about innovation by doing it. By creating real prototypes and pitching their inventions, they gain confidence and practical skills that align with future career paths in STEM and beyond.

Media Centers and Libraries Reimagined

Old libraries and media centers come alive with Inventionland Education’s touch. Instead of silent spaces filled with static shelves, these modern hubs are alive with creativity, flexible seating, beautiful backlit dry-erase boards, and collaborative work areas. Some feature themed zones, like space capsules or eSports theaters, that invite students to learn in exciting new ways.

The result? Students come to these spaces eager to learn and express themselves. Teachers report increased engagement and collaboration. Administrators see a clear alignment with district goals around 21st-century learning, innovation, and workforce readiness.

The Future of Learning Starts with “Wow”

Schools across the country are discovering that when you blend creativity, technology, and imagination, something magical happens. Students stay curious. Teachers stay inspired. And communities rally around the excitement of innovation.

Inventionland Education continues to lead this transformation, one “wow” moment at a time.

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A Space Designed for Innovation, STEAM, and Project-based Learning

The Innovation Center features a multi-purpose room equipped with dry-erase light panels, maker machines, and collaborative seating areas. In addition, a dedicated green screen video production and editing room provides students with hands-on opportunities to explore modern technology and creative expression. What makes this transformation even more remarkable is that the setting, a 100-year-old district office building, has been completely reinvented into a vibrant hub for exploration and discovery.

Dr. Anitia Rice, Superintendent of Lincoln Elementary School District 156, emphasized the vision behind the project: “We want our young learners to experience STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics) in a stimulating, non-traditional environment. We also want to introduce our students to early career exploration, so that they can grow up in a world of possibilities.” This vision reflects the district’s commitment to providing its PreK through 5th-grade students with hands-on, project-based learning that goes far beyond the traditional classroom.

Community Excitement and Student Engagement

As attendees walked through the newly unveiled space, a sense of wonder filled the air. Parents expressed enthusiasm for the opportunities their children would now have, while students eagerly imagined the projects and possibilities that awaited them. Teachers and staff also shared in the excitement, recognizing how the Innovation Center would open new doors for interactive and engaging learning.

The collaborative effort between administrators, school board members, and educators was key to bringing this vision to life. By repurposing existing space, the district demonstrated both creativity and resourcefulness in achieving its goals.

Designed in Partnership with Inventionland Education

The Innovation Center was made possible through a partnership with Inventionland Education, a leader in creating imaginative, hands-on learning environments. Known for their award-winning Innovation Labs® and applied STEM curriculum, Inventionland Education has worked with schools across North America to reimagine traditional learning spaces. Their work is often featured in national publications and on the television show Tomorrow’s World Today, which airs on the Science and Discovery Channels.

“Education is changing, and student engagement is more important than ever,” said George Davison, Founder of Inventionland Education. “We’re inspired every day by the transformations we help facilitate, and working with the Lincoln Elementary School District 156 and their stakeholders was one of the highlights of our summer.”

Looking Ahead

The Innovation Center at Lincoln Elementary is more than just a new space. It represents a shift in how education can be delivered. With tools that foster creativity, collaboration, and real-world problem-solving, students are being prepared not only for academic success but also for the future careers they may one day pursue.

For the community of Calumet City, this new Innovation Center is a symbol of progress, imagination, and possibility. As students step into this vibrant space, they are stepping into a world where innovation begins early, and the future is theirs to shape.

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Inventionland Education is transforming schools across America by creating immersive Innovation Labs®, redefining what a classroom, STEM center, media center, or Career and Technical Education (CTE) space can be. These labs go beyond traditional learning environments, turning them into dynamic, hands-on spaces where students actively engage in problem-solving, creativity, and real-world innovation.

Beyond the Traditional Classroom: A New Approach to Learning

The traditional classroom setup, with rows of desks and static whiteboards, often limits creativity and collaboration. Inventionland Education takes a different approach by designing immersive spaces that spark curiosity and ignite the creative process. These Innovation Labs® incorporate:

• Themed Learning Environments – Schools can transform a regular classroom into an innovation hub, a futuristic lab, or a high-tech STEAM workshop that stimulates students’ imagination.
• Hands-on Inventing & Prototyping – Leveraging the Inventionland K-12 applied STEM curriculum, students use materials like cardboard, 3D printers, and electronics to bring their inventions or innovations to life, making learning tangible.
• Collaborative Workspaces – Open, interactive areas encourage teamwork, mirroring real-world innovation hubs found in companies like Inventionland.
• Career Exploration and Skills Development – From digital design projects to prototyping and programming, students get valuable exposure to future-ready skills.

Why Innovation Labs® Matter in Education

Engagement is one of the biggest challenges in modern education. Many students struggle with passive learning models focusing on memorization rather than real-world application. Innovation Labs® shift the focus to:

• Active Learning: Instead of sitting through lectures, students are actively experimenting, designing, and solving problems.
• Creativity & Critical Thinking: Students develop essential skills for the future workforce by tackling open-ended challenges.
• STEM & Beyond: While these labs excel in STEM education, they also integrate art, business, and entrepreneurship, preparing students for diverse career paths.

Transforming STEM Centers, Media Centers, and CTE Spaces

Schools often struggle with underutilized media centers and outdated CTE spaces. By incorporating an Innovation Lab®, these spaces become hubs of invention and exploration. Whether it’s a STEM center filled with robotics and maker machines, a media center redesigned for digital storytelling, or a CTE space supporting hands-on trade skills, Inventionland Education ensures that every lab is customized to fit a school’s vision and needs.

The Real-World Impact of Innovation Labs®

Many schools across the U.S. have already adopted Inventionland’s Innovation Labs®, witnessing a remarkable shift in student engagement and enthusiasm for learning. Teachers report that students who were once disengaged are now thriving in a hands-on, project-based environment. These spaces also encourage cross-disciplinary learning, combining science, engineering, design, and business development into one seamless educational experience.

Inventionland Education’s Innovation Labs® aren’t just classrooms but incubators for future inventors, engineers, entrepreneurs, and creative thinkers. By reinventing what a learning space can be, they are paving the way for a new generation of innovators who will shape the world.

Bring an Innovation Lab® to Your School

If your school is ready to take learning to the next level, Inventionland Education can help design and implement a customized Innovation Lab®. These spaces are more than just rooms—they are launchpads for creativity, exploration, and future success.

Discover how your school can join the movement and transform learning with an immersive Innovation Lab® today. 

We are also offering Innovation Grants that can help offset some of the costs for bringing this into your school or district.

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1) Use TV as a reward system

It can be easy, especially on summer break, for kids to get consumed with watching cartoons or playing on their phones all day. One way to make sure they stay engaged is to use their TV time as a reward system. So, for example for every few hours of TV time they do, they have to do one hour of STEAM activities. Don’t get us wrong, you’ll definitely get some resistance at first. Once that rule has been established though, eventually they’ll get used to it and the whining will be kept to a minimum. It also helps when you shop around until you find a STEAM activity that they’re actually excited for because then, although you may still get some resistance, it will feel more like they’re taking a TV break to play a game than to do something purely educational.

2) Encourage STEAM-based TV programming

You can balance STEAM and screen time well, but you can also encourage STEAM-based programming to keep them stimulated even when it is TV time. There are so many STEM & STEAM-based programs out there for young minds of varying ages. For younger kids, there are shows like Sci-Girls, Sid the Science Kid, and Magic School Bus (which we all remember). And for older STEAM learners there are shows like Bill Nye the Science Guy and How Stuff Works. Again, you’ll likely get some resistance at first, but once you find the right show you’ll find your kids electing to watch Sci-Girls over Doc Mcstuffins (and what a good feeling that will be).

3) Add in STEAM-based gaming apps

If you have trouble tearing your little ones away from their screens, make their screens part of their STEAM learning. Instead of finding physical activities for them, find apps for your/their phones/iPads and make that their designated STEAM time for the day. Instead of playing Doodlejump, they’ll play Orbit which is a science game where the goal is to keep your planet from being devoured by a black hole. Or they’ll play Bridge Constructor in which they design a bridge to see if it will hold up against certain levels of stress. They could even play The Robot Factory in which they design their own robot and test it to see if it can walk, run, fly, etc. As with any game on their phone, there will likely be a shelf life as to how long they find it engaging, but just make sure to research and find backups to introduce them to- there are so many out there from which to choose!

4) Make it a family activity

Instead of having family bonding nights be over Monopoly or Twister, make this the time to do a physical STEM or STEAM activity as a family. You likely already make family game nights a part of your schedule as a way to have some screen-free bonding time, what better time to incorporate some physical STEAM activities! Incorporate a game like Code Master which teaches programming logic through a board game. Or Roller Coaster Challenge which helps kids to develop engineering skills, reasoning skills, and planning skills. Utilizing board games like this, rather than your more traditional ones, will allow for the same amount of quality family time with the hidden bonus of education.

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The Inventionland® Education team quickly began working to create a way to give teachers some assistance in these desperate times. They wanted to build a workshop that wouldn’t be a huge time commitment for busy educators, taught teachers about tools they can use in their online classrooms, and allowed them to share with each other methods and techniques regarding online learning. Thus, the Inventionland® Education Hour of Innovation was born.

Inspired by the Day of Innovation, the Hour of Innovation is designed so that educators can log in remotely using their webcam and watch as a fellow educator gives them a tutorial on an effective online learning tool. Each session begins with introductions where the Inventionland® Education team will introduce themselves and any guest speakers that will be presenting throughout the workshop. They will also briefly explain their chat feature, where teachers can ask any questions that they have throughout the presentation and have them answered in real-time.

Next, the speaker will begin to walk the attending teachers and educators through the first portion of the seminar. What this section entails depends on the topic at hand. For example, in the Code.org seminar, they began by explaining the benefits and parameters of the program so viewing teachers could visualize how it could be effectively utilized within their classroom. Whereas in their ‘Making’ workshop, where they provided maker-based lesson plans, they began by describing and demonstrating the first of several physical activities that they adapted for online learning.

There is often a second or even third section to the teaching portion of each Hour of Innovation session. When the team or a guest speaker is walking teachers through a digital program, the second portion of the seminar will typically walk you step by step through how to sign up, create a classroom, view assignments, etc. Whereas with physical activities, they will often either provide a second/third physical activity or they’ll walk you through additional ways you can change the activity for various grade levels.

Afterward, the guest speakers and ILI partners will briefly touch on their roles in education and list any additional resources they can provide for fellow educators. Finally, each seminar ends with a Q&A session. During this final section, the Inventionland® Education hosts pose a few questions to attending educators in an attempt to facilitate a group discussion. This portion of the workshop allows fellow educators to share tools that they’ve been using for online learning and to voice any struggles they’ve been having so they can find possible solutions among a group of peers.

If you’ve missed out on some of the past seminars, the Inventionland® Education team has made them available online to view for anyone who may want to utilize the information. Thus far they’ve had Hour of Innovation seminars on Kickoff, Tinkercad, Code.org, Storytelling, Making, and Inventing. The team at Inventionland® Education attempts to have a balanced combination of seminars regarding digital resources and physical projects that students can complete at home and record their progress. As educators, the ILI team is all too aware that teachers will have students with a wide variety of financial or technological restraints. They’ll have some students with Mac laptops and some students who don’t even have access to a computer, so the physical activities are a good option for students who have fewer resources at their disposal.

Since the Hour of Innovation launch, Inventionland® Education has received a positive response from the teachers and educators who have participated. According to a series of surveys, 83.9% of participants surveyed said they would attend another Hour of Innovation and 93.5% said that they’d recommend attending Hour of Innovation to a fellow educator. One teacher at Berkshire Local School District, Gina Kritz, stated, “I love the energy, creativity, helpfulness, and the collaborative, accessible approach from all the people at Inventionland. Thank you for giving us fun, inspiring tools to work with and facilitate ingenuity, creativity, and critical thinking in our students. You’ve been a fantastic resource. Thank you for offering the opportunity to connect with you through the Hour of Innovation!”

Educators have also been pleased to see a seminar that is creating a new way for them to learn about online learning portals and programs not from a technical standpoint, but from fellow educators who know how to actively implement them into a classroom setting. Another satisfied attending educator, John Heard of Par Excellence Academy, stated, “This meeting is great overall, I’ve never experienced anything like this and I think it’s great for others to experience. Especially since we’re walking into a different phase of learning.”

Although the program has only been running for a little over a month, the Inventionland® Education team has already been hearing back from teachers who have implemented the programs and lesson plans into their curriculum with a positive response from their students. One such educator, Michael Buckles of Mount Pleasant Area School District, stated, “These meetings are fantastic. I’ve used some of your ideas and resources throughout distance learning with positive responses from the kids. Thank you for sharing the creativity, innovation, and opportunity.”

Ultimately, Inventionland® Education is happy to be able to provide some much-needed support to teachers and educators during a very difficult time. The transition to online learning can be daunting, but having the guidance of fellow educators and access to peer support can make all of the difference in the world.

Click here to check out upcoming Hour of Innovation events and register to attend online!

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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.

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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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Materials Needed

• 1 copy of The Three Little Pigs
• 50 popsicle sticks for Team 1
• 50 small (hot drink) straws for Team 2
• 50 index cards for Team 3
• 1 thick piece of cardboard to serve as the foundation for each team’s house
• 1 poster board roof for each team
• One roll of masking tape for each team
• Small desk fan to serve as the big, bad wolf (preferably decorated appropriately).
• paper and pencils

Preparation

1. If you’d like to turn your box fan into a big, bad wolf, feel free to draw or print a cartoon photo of a wolf and place on top of the fan. If you have a wolf mask handy, you could use that, too.
2. Divide the materials into three groups so students can easily pick up exactly what their team needs for the challenge.

Procedure

1. Read The Three Little Pigs out loud to your class.
2. After reading, ask students what they think is needed to build a strong house. Consider linking this to different weather conditions–what would you need if you live in a windy climate? A hot climate? A snowy and cold climate?
3. Divide your class into three groups and Introduce the Three Little Pigs Design Challenge: Can your team design and build a house that the big, bad wolf can’t blow down? Requirements:
   1. Your house must be built on the provided foundation (must be at the bottom of the house) and using the roof (must be at the top of the house) provided.
   2. You can only use the materials provided to your team.
   3. Everyone must work together and all ideas need to be considered.
   4. You only have 20 minutes to build your house and have it tested.
4. Show students the “Big, Bad Wolf” so they know the force of the wind (huffing and puffing). Note: You can extend this challenge by using a fan with different levels (high, medium, low) and students that pass the “low” fan can move to medium and then high, etc. You can also move the fan to pre-determined locations measuring from further to closer to the house.
5. Hand out each team’s assigned material to use. (Note: If you have larger classes, you can divide the students into more than three groups and add additional building materials such as different straw sizes, different popsicle stick sizes, and different paper stock weight sizes. But every team needs to use the same foundation and the same room.)
6.  Encourage students to draw or sketch their ideas before building.
7. After 20 minutes, students must bring their house to the “testing zone.” Note: their house can face any direction, but the wind must always come from the same place. If the house is still standing after 20 seconds, success!

Discussion

Give students time to write down their answers individually and then discuss as a class:

• What material worked the best?
• Why do you think some materials were more effective than others?
• Was your house able to withstand the huffing and puffing of the big bad wolf?
• How could you improve your design?
• Extension: What are all of the different jobs that are needed in order to build a house (make a list on the whiteboard)? How many of these jobs require an understanding of science, technology, engineering, and/or math (place a star next to these jobs)?

The post STEAM Lesson Plan: Three Little Pigs Design Challenge 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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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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