Andy Larmand

Jorge Valenzuela has become an influential figure in STEM education with experience in both classroom and online teaching as well as higher education instruction. He worked in the Richmond Public Schools system for 10 years and helped build their Tech Ed program. In recent years, he’s shared his experiences, including in his book!

Many students love STEM experiences in their education and many teachers love creating those opportunities. They don’t typically just fall into place, however, and, like all lesson plans, require careful design. In STEM education, lesson plan options are almost endless, which often makes it easier for teachers to find or create something that’s relevant.

This month, we hear from Michelle Robinson, who’s a library media specialist at the Tackan Elementary School. Michelle has used a bunch of different types of technologies with elementary students in the library. Whether it’s tangible STEM tools or digital creation platforms, Michelle has done a lot to provide students with real-world opportunities.

We have awarded our educational technology grant for the month of April to Creighton Helms of the Gervais School District. Creighton serves as the principal of the Gervais Elementary School in Gervais, OR and has really worked to create relevant STEAM learning opportunities for the students he supports.

The importance of providing students with the opportunity to learn key computer science skills is often the top priority. We know how vital these skills may turn out to be for a large number of them. Empowering students to learn these skills early and perfect them often can lead to a whole lot more opportunities.

As the school year winds down, many students and teachers are experiencing some firsts. Some have been in the classroom all year, but others are getting their first taste of that return to normal in-person learning. In many cases, this even means students are meeting their teachers and classmates for the first time.

PBL involves students working as part of a group most of the time on a community-focused project designed to affect authentic change. You can see how this might be tough to do in a remote environment, but a lot of progress has been made. It takes true teamwork, but PBL IRL (in remote learning) is certainly a possibility.

The Dash and Dot Robots are a favorite among educators when it comes to coding in school. Since many students are no longer able to enjoy this, however, coding in remote learning has become the next best thing. Using the virtual Dash robot, which can be accessed through Class Connect, students are able to continue their coding from home!

The first and most obvious thing that’s great about the Sketch Pack is that it allows students to truly combine STEM and STEAM. It provides a surface and a few accessories to turn the Dash or Cue into a writing utensil. Students can slide a marker into the specialized slot and then write programs that tell the robot how to

We’re excited to share our latest Eduporium Featured Educator interview! This month, we hear from Katie Gardner, who’s an elementary ESL teacher in the Rowan-Salisbury School System in North Carolina. Katie has found great benefits from integrating various types of technology in her instruction. She’s even tried using AR tools with her ESL students!