We Do This Everyday #6

Hi friends,

What a pleasure to talk with Sarah Brambley and Brenda Calhoun in this episode about Innovation and STEM - at IU8. If you are from IU8 you know there is a lot going on!  If you like what you hear and read please hit that little heart icon!!

If you need World Languages Schedule Classes for Next Year now!

Shownotes and more…. 

We really connected on our mutual belief in providing high-quality learning experiences for students and teachers in rural settings during this episode. When Sarah told us that 100 teachers took professional learning modules that allowed 2500 learners to interact with STEM lessons and resources I was excited to think about all the possibilities. All the kids who could dream of inventing, communicating in a second language, learn to believe their ideas could make a difference. Listen in to learn more about our programs and how they engage learners virtually!!

Lauren, Pat, Sarah and Brenda

Here are a few key takeaways from our conversation:

1. The World of Learning and IU8 STEM program enjoy a shared vision of making learning more equitable by providing small and rural schools with high-quality learning experiences. 

2. STEM is hands-on learning, design thinking, and exploring robotics. It is relevant, real-world learning primarily based in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. As you can see from Sarah’s definition - it is important beyond gifted programs and is vital for ALL students to continually grow as critical thinkers. Being able to help all students get curious, get their hands on, and learn to think gives me great hope for our communities.  

3. IU8 STEM Ecosystem has expanded the ability to get our lending center resources into more classrooms for students to experience critical thinking, problem-solving, and seeing connections to the real world. With funds from the PA Smart Grant - teachers created courses to support other teachers to get comfortable using technology and resources to get STEM thinking in their classrooms. 

4. A Grable Foundation Grant has created opportunities for IU8 STEM to create a rural outreach program connecting kids and their families to STEM learning opportunities. Kids have enjoyed these opportunities so much they encouraged the STEM Rocks team to stay at their school all day - even on the weekends! (Listen in for the stories!)

5. We don’t see virtual learning going away! While face-to-face interactions are crucial to learning - there is also great value in providing adult learners’ with self-paced courses, like Sarah does for the STEM lending center. Both students and teachers have lots of opportunities to interact and learn from Twitter, Youtube, and many other open-sourced content platforms. If used well these virtual experiences provide both teachers and learners with expanded options.

What’s Happening at IU8 STEM 

Remake Learning Days - Check it out HERE

• May 12-23 in PA

• 40 + events in 4 counties

• Regional Map

• If you want to host an event - check it out HERE!

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Leadership Corner

This past week I was able to attend the PASCD’s 70th Annual Convention. The Pennsylvania Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development hosted 150 educators from across the state. We had some great opportunities to listen and learn from some great leaders. 

1. Heidi Hayes Jacobs - asked us to consider who our audience is? To engage students and their families in the learning process. To re-think curricula as a story. Make it feel less packed and cumbersome. More HERE. 

Olivia Grugan created this story of our Arabic 4 course.

2. Gregg Behr  - When You Wonder, Your Learning, encouraged us to remember the importance of adults modeling respect, care, and compassion among themselves and towards students. 

3. Robyn Jackson - Challenged us to think in terms of building the school we want. To get off the hamster wheel of annual planning. We all know that it takes 3 to 5 years to make any new idea a part of the culture. Listen on BAM Radion HERE. 

   

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