What Makes A Stem Activity Great?

A successful activity sparks the imagination and gives kids creative skills they can use daily.

The right STEM activities possess a unique set of characteristics that help enhance the learning experience. If you’re looking for new ways to connect with your students, learning how Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math better them as individuals and scholars is key. The lessons that you teach to the kids you’re in charge of today can significantly benefit the world in the future as many young students grow up and work in positions where the skills come into play.

The six characteristics of an excellent STEM activity are explained below.

Characteristic #1: Real-world issues and challenges are emphasized.

Whatever is going on in society, the economy, and the environment is explored through STEM activities. Students learn how they can affect these areas positively.

Characteristic #2: The engineering design process guides the lesson being taught.

Children learn to identify problems as well as create and develop solutions. They get to experience big picture thinking and directly influence the outcome of a situation.

Characteristic #3: Students get to ask questions and get fully immersed in a hands-on experience.

Students collaborate to come up with the best solution. They get to see how things work personally by having a hand in the creative thought process.

Characteristic #4: Teamwork is key to the lesson’s success.

Kids work with their classmates to build upon one another’s unique ideas and skills. This facilitates faster and better solutions overall.

Characteristic #5: Students get to apply the math and science lessons they’ve already learned to the STEM activity.

Taking knowledge that they already possess, children get to apply it to STEM lessons. They see why the information was important in the first place.

Characteristic #6: There is no one right answer and failures are seen as yet another step to learning.

Kids learn that there are many outcomes with each lesson. They also learn to see failure as a part of the learning process.

Now that you know what characteristics make a STEM activity great, you’ll be better able to plan activities for your own classroom. You’ll be able to add value to your students’ day by sparking meaningful discussion following a successful science, technology, engineering, and math event. The skills that the kids in your class learn are ones they can use in everyday situations.

The Importance of Project Based Learning

If you are conducting a systematic process to bring new ideas into your classroom, but you feel unsure how to start, you may find this article useful. To conduct an effective project-based learning (PBL) activity, you need to adapt to new developments and technologies that are available. It therefore makes sense to utilize the student's familiarity with technology from a young age in order to maximize their engagement in the classroom.

PBL in the elementary grades contains classroom-tested guidance, including step-by-step instructions and tips on how to use planning tools. This can be used in development workshops or just as a stand-alone guide. PBL is well designed to show results. The self-directed lessons require lots of advance planning and preparation.

These lessons begin with an idea and an essential question that the student must seek answers for. It is important to know that content standards have to be addressed when designing the project. Once your elementary grade students have devised a plan, they can integrate it into many subjects.

Having the right materials and resources accessible to the students is important. To implement PBL, you need to start by coming up with an essential question. Next, you need to help the student design a plan for the project and create a schedule. By monitoring the progress of the task and assessing the results, you can evaluate the experience.

The kind of question that launches a PBL lesson must be engaging to the student. Remember that there is not just one solution or answer to the situation and this must be emphasized to the students. PBL grabs hold of many notions and fosters deep learning in order to engage your students. With the available resources, you can use a variety of approaches and research for solutions. You can transform your students into independent thinkers who are interested and engaged in the assigned task.

All the best,

Steve 

Reading is one of the most important things young children can learn to love. Good reading and comprehension skills start early, so it’s important to lay the foundations and get children interested in reading from an early age. Here are some tips for getting students interested in reading. 

Give Options

Not all kids are going to like the same books. While you may have some that are a necessary part of the curriculum, you should try to introduce your class to a wide variety of books. There is a book out there for every child. You just have to help them find it. Once kids discover a book they love, they’re often excited to find even more. 

Make It Come to Life

For many students, reading can seem dull, especially when books are difficult or take them a long time to read. Try to find ways to make a story come to life. Have students draw pictures of what’s happening in the story, or make a play about it. Even simply reading aloud in class with different voices for the characters can make it more fun. 

Offer Rewards

When kids are just starting to read, you may want to offer rewards or incentives to get them to read as much as possible. Stickers and small prizes can be enough of a motivator to get kids to open a few books. Chart their progress and the number of books they’ve read to encourage them to read just for the sake of reading. 

Send Reading Home

Students should be reading at home as well as at school. The more practice they get each day the better. You can even send slightly more advanced books home with students to read alongside their parents. For young children, even hearing adults read more advanced material can help improve their vocabulary and comprehension skills. 

What are some other ways you’ve gotten your students interested in reading? Leave your ideas in the comment section below.