Linking in-school and out-of-school STEM learning
Spring can be a fascinating time to study our natural world as it emerges from its winter state. Observing and documenting signs of spring, such as the first frog call, the return of migratory songbirds, and the budding of plants, are cornerstones of many phenology-related citizen science projects. Citizen science, or science for all, invites public participation in science. … [Read more...]
After a string of successes in our teacher professional development programs at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science (DMNS), I recently began to notice a disconcerting trend: Teachers stopped coming. Despite efforts to draw program participants, it became harder to convince individual teachers to sign up for course offerings. In talking to colleagues at other museums and … [Read more...]
According to a 2012 United Nations report, many countries prioritize children’s learning about the genesis, prevention, and mitigation of natural disasters (Selby and Kagawa 2012); the United States, however, falls behind with respect to disaster education (FEMA 2010). The Next Generation Science Standards disciplinary core idea Natural Hazards (ESS3B) states, “Students who dem … [Read more...]
STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) mindset is critical to youths’ ongoing participation in STEM, as well as their functioning in today’s technology-rich world (e.g., Murphy 2019). This is true for all students, but it is especially important to support the development of STEM mindset among those who are underrepresented in STEM fields, including women (NSF … [Read more...]
A growing number of educators are focused on increasing students’ interest in and developing their identity in relation to science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) as an intended outcome of their out-of-school activities and programs. In everyday language, one might define identity as the way that people answer questions such as: “Who do I think I am, or who can I be … [Read more...]
