STEM Everyday

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Each year Samsung hosts a national competition for public schools grades 6–12 in which students are asked to consider how science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) can be used to create change in their communities. 2023 is the 14th annual Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Contest, and with the help of their teachers, students compete to win up to $100,000 in prizes for their school, plus the opportunity to work with Samsung employees to develop their prototypes. Middle and high school teachers can apply for the 14th Annual 2023-2024 Samsung Solve for Tomorrow competition!

On this episode, Ann Woo, Senior Director of Corporate Citizenship at Samsung Electronics America shares info about what's new in this year's competition, including a new national "Rising Entrepreneurship Award," valued at $25,000 for a single winning school.

To learn more about the annual contest, and for official contest rules, please visit samsung.com/solvefortomorrow. Registration generally begins each September.

(Listen to Ep 232 &  Ep 217 for more ideas & info from Ann and contest winning teachers and Ep 246 for a conversation with Ann about the future of STEM education)

Connect with Solve for Tomorrow :

• Website samsung.com/solvefortomorrow
• Email [email protected]
• Twitter/X @SamsungNewsUS
• Instagram @solvefortomorrow
• Facebook facebook.com/SamsungSolveForTomorrow

Chris Woods is the host of the STEM Everyday Podcast... Connect with him:

• Website: dailystem.com
• Twitter/X: @dailystem
• Instagram: @dailystem
• YouTube: @dailystem

Get Chris's book Daily STEM on Amazon

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Do teachers have a front row seat to America’s decline? Jeremy Adams, a History and Social Studies teacher at both the high school and college levels, thinks so.

Jeremy Adams has spent decades trying to instill wisdom, ambition, and a love of learning in his students. And yet, as he notes, when teachers get together, they often share an arresting conclusion: Something has gone terribly wrong. Something essential is missing in our young people. Their curiosity seems stunted, their reason undeveloped, their values uninformed, their knowledge lacking, and most worrying of all, their humanity diminished.

Educators like Jeremy see a generation slipping away. The problems that have hollowed out our young people have been festering for years. A year of COVID-19 lockdowns and social distancing have magnified them. The result could be a generation—and our nation’s future—lost in a miasma of alienation and stupefaction.

In his 2021 book Hollowed Out, Jeremy reveals why students have rejected wisdom, culture, and institutions of Western civilization—and what we can do to win them back.

Jeremy Adams is a high school and University teacher living in Bakersfield, California. He and his writing have appeared in Newsweek, The Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, The Huffington Post, The Washington Times, New Discourses, C-Span, The DailyCaller, The American Mind, and numerous national education podcasts. He has won numerous accolades for his teaching and writing efforts including the 2014 California State Teacher of the Year Award (Daughters of the American Revolution) and was a 2013 semi-finalist for the California Department of Education's California Teacher of the Year Award.

Jeremy is also an education speaker and has spoken to large education groups and conferences across the country

Connect with Jeremy:

• Twitter/X  @JeremyAdams6
• Find Hollowed Out on Amazon

Chris Woods is the host of the STEM Everyday Podcast... Connect with him:

• Website: dailystem.com
• Twitter/X: @dailystem
• Instagram: @dailystem
• YouTube: youtube

Get Chris's book Daily STEM on Amazon

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Paul Shircliff is not your typical makerspace or STEM educator. He doesn’t just know about coding or cardboard or tools or electronics…he knows about ALL of it! And when someone says something about a makerspace, he’s quick to remind that “the real makerspace is between your ears”

Paul has been a nuclear engineer, a teacher, and most importantly a maker. He's currently working with the Uplands Maker Mobile Program (a part of the Indiana University Education program) helping bring Maker & STEM activities and skills to kids throughout South & Central Indiana.

Connect with the Uplands Maker Mobile Program:

• Website blogs.iu.edu/uplandsmakermobile
• Facebook @UplandsMaker
• Twitter/X @UplandsMaker
• Instagram @uplandsmaker

Major funders for the Uplands Maker Mobile Program include:

• Regional Opportunities Initiative https://regionalopportunityinc.org/
• Boston Scientific (Spencer, IN location)  https://www.bostonscientific.com/en-US/Home.html 

Connect with Paul:

• Website paulshircliff.org
• Twitter/X @shirky17
• Listen to more from Paul on Ep 183 & Ep 184

Chris Woods is the host of the STEM Everyday Podcast... Connect with him:

• Website: dailystem.com
• Twitter/X: @dailystem
• Instagram: @dailystem
• YouTube: @dailystem

Get Chris's book Daily STEM on Amazon

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Send us Fan Mail

Ekuwah Moses is an Elementary Engineering teacher in Las Vegas, NV. She uses a variety of techniques to help over 700 students engage with STEM concepts and build a STEM culture in her school. Ekuwah shares how her previous teaching positions in Literacy allow her to help kids improve communication skills while doing STEM.

Ekuwah is also the author of two children's books that build upon her Ghanaian heritage. Her first book My Name is an Address shares the stories of how most Ghanaian names are based on the day of a child’s birth and their gender. Ekuwah's second book Mama's Portraits focuses on her mother's award winning art to paint a biographical picture of love, family, heritage, and humanity.

Listen to Episode 99 with Ekuwah: dailystem.com/2018/07/03/9341-2/ 

Connect with Ekuwah :

• Website ekuwah.com  
• Twitter/X @ekuwah 

Chris Woods is the host of the STEM Everyday Podcast... Connect with him:

• Website: dailystem.com
• Twitter/X: @dailystem
• Instagram: @dailystem
• YouTube: @dailystem

Get Chris's book Daily STEM on Amazon

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Studies show that middle school students who become excited about science are the ones who will pursue STEM courses in high school and major in them at the technical and college level. At a pivotal time in decision-making that will open or close the door to opportunity, however, nearly 50% of 8th graders in America lose interest in pursuing the STEM-related subjects increasingly required for 21st-century jobs.

Created in partnership between the National Stem Cell Foundation and The Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science at Western Kentucky University (WKU), the National STEM Scholar Program selects ten teachers each year from a national pool of applicants based solely on the description of a “big idea” Challenge Project the applicant would implement in their classroom if funds were available. The application process begins around November. Selected projects are chosen for maximum impact in middle school classrooms where research shows lifelong STEM career decisions are being made. STEM Scholars convene on WKU’s campus for a week of advanced STEM training and finalize their projects with input from their STEM Scholar class colleagues. 

Dr. Paula Grisanti, CEO of the National Stem Cell Foundation, said, “We added education to our mission to support the development of a new generation of scientists in academic research, advanced technology, and infrastructure engineering. Supporting teachers who inspire and motivate middle school students at this critical decision-making age will directly impact how many choose to pursue the STEM skills essential for living wage jobs. By investing in the influential middle school STEM teacher now, we reach thousands of students in classrooms today and far into the future.” 

Now in its 8th year, there are 80 National STEM Scholars representing middle schools in 33 states. 91% teach in public schools, 41% teach in mid- to high-poverty schools and 38% teach in communities with a population under 15,000. A unique requirement of the program is the responsibility for STEM Scholars to share lessons learned with colleagues in their home schools, districts or states, magnifying impact over multiple classrooms and years. By June 2023, National STEM Scholars will have directly and indirectly impacted more than 104,000 middle school students in the U.S. 

Connect with The National STEM Cell Foundation :

• Website nationalstemcellfoundation.org
• STEM Scholar Library stemscholarlibrary.org
• Twitter @nationalscf
• Facebook @nationalstemcellfoundation
• Instagram @nationalscf

Chris Woods is the host of the STEM Everyday Podcast... Connect with him:

• Website: dailystem.com
• Twitter: @dailystem
• Instagram: @dailystem
• YouTube: youtube

Get Chris's book Daily STEM on Amazon

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Send us Fan Mail

CAD, or Computer Aided Design, is how the world designs ideas that turn into products and projects. There are a number of CAD software choices of all levels that are available to use (Tinkercad, Fusion 360, OnShape, AutoCAD, Solidworks, etc) to translate ideas from the mind to the screen.

Josh Manley is a CNC professor, makerspace educator, and the co-owner of www.cadclass.org. He has been teaching CAD modeling to makers for years, and is hoping to build conversations with other makers and educators about bringing CAD to more classrooms.
Jake Sugden is a mechanical engineer and lifelong maker with a passion for engineering and design. He has taught many making skills at one of the premier makerspaces in the US and is the other half of the cadclass.org team.

Their online "Ultimate Online Fusion 360 CAD School" includes 28 step-by-step CAD projects to help anyone quickly master Fusion 360 and start building great ideas!
In June of 2023, their book Mastering Fusion 360 was released to make the lessons on the website even easier to incorporate into your design skills.

Josh and Jake are always happy to answer questions, talk shop, or discuss collaborations. And if you need help with something for your school, contact them via email [email protected]

Connect with Josh & Jake :

• Website cadclass.org
• Twitter @cad_class
• YouTube www.youtube.com/@cadclassonline

Chris Woods is the host of the STEM Everyday Podcast... Connect with him:

• Website: dailystem.com
• Twitter: @dailystem
• Instagram: @dailystem
• YouTube: youtube

Get Chris's book Daily STEM on Amazon

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Send us Fan Mail

"The tendency of the 21st century classroom teacher today is to use more technology in their classrooms and often times, students abuse it, teachers misuse it, and we all start to, well… lose it! There are lots of books, blogs, vlogs, webinars, professional development sessions, and even conference headliners, all trying to convert classroom teachers into believers that technology makes a difference in the classroom and that you just have to use it. The truth is, a great teacher is marked not by the amount of technology they use, or how quickly they can navigate a complex interface, but by how they are able to take the aggregate resources available to them, and design the most powerful learning experience they possibly can PERIOD. Yes, the 21st century has brought change to what we can use to teach our students, but let us not forget what we each recall form our own learning experiences. It all starts with a passionate teacher who always wants to try something new."

Kevin White is a teacher, a learning designer, a technologist, and "a risk taker who has stumbled, faltered and failed so many times, that I feel I have learned some very valuable lessons along the way." His career started as a History Teacher in Santee, California at West Hills High School, but his first 8 years included teaching 16 different courses (mostly STEM, but also just about every 6-12th grade Social Science/History course in existence)

He's currently teaching STEM at De Portola Middle in San Diego Unified School District and "Virtual Reality, Virtual Worlds and the Future of Learning" at San Diego State University.
Check out the "Cyborg Surgery" project here

Kevin hopes to begin offering Professional Development opportunities for 3D tools, such as OnShape for mechanical engineering ad design, CoSpaces VR and AR, as well as JellyBox and MakerBot 3D printers for educators looking to take STEM to the next level.  

Connect with Kevin :

• Website teachertechrescue.net
• Twitter @kevinwhitesd

Chris Woods is the host of the STEM Everyday Podcast... Connect with him:

• Website: dailystem.com
• Twitter: @dailystem
• Instagram: @dailystem
• YouTube: youtube

Get Chris's book Daily STEM on Amazon

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

The State of STEM Education survey was released by Samsung Solve for Tomorrow on March 23, 2023.  The positive impacts that U.S. public schools and their communities enjoy from STEM programs were underscored in a new survey conducted among some of the nation’s leading middle and high school STEM educators. Nearly 60% of teachers indicate that although teaching STEM is challenging, it offers educators unique rewards by engaging their student’s curiosity and enhancing their motivation.
Teachers also responded that implementing the Problem-Based Learning (PBL) techniques utilized in the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow STEM projects helped counteract the negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on education at their schools. 

Each year Samsung hosts a national competition for public schools grades 6–12 in which students are asked to consider how science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) can be used to create change in their communities. 2022 marked the 13th annual Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Contest, and with the help of their teachers, students competed to win up to $100,000 in prizes for their school, plus the opportunity to work with Samsung employees to develop their prototypes.

To learn more about the annual contest, and for official contest rules, please visit samsung.com/solvefortomorrow. Registration generally begins each September.
“We have seen the incredible projects that have emerged from the minds of students through this contest, and we cannot wait to see the ideas that come to life this year that will undoubtedly ignite lasting impact on communities while reducing our collective impact on the planet,” said Ann Woo, Senior Director of Corporate Citizenship at Samsung Electronics America. 

To reach out to Samsung with any ideas/questions, email [email protected]

(Listen to Ep 232 &  Ep 217 for more ideas & info from Ann and contest winning teachers)

Connect with Solve for Tomorrow :

• Website samsung.com/solvefortomorrow
• Email [email protected]
• Twitter @SamsungNewsUS
• Instagram @solvefortomorrow
• Facebook facebook.com/SamsungSolveForTomorrow

Chris Woods is the host of the STEM Everyday Podcast... Connect with him:

• Website: dailystem.com
• Twitter: @dailystem
• Instagram: @dailystem
• YouTube: youtube

Get Chris's book Daily STEM on Amazon

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

The strategy of Algopeers is to bridge the gap between education and industry in Africa by distributing digital skills, knowledge hubs, human resources, and STEAM labs, while leveraging intelligent data. Algopeers is providing in class, after school, and mobile maker-lab learning to kids in Ghana. They are working with parents, educators, students, developer communities, and organizations to create a responsive educational system that can adapt to the changing needs of the local communities

Sam Quansah is the founder & program director of algopeers in Ghana, Africa. He founded @algopeers to nurture talents in Africa for problem-solving and the future of work through STEAM education. 

They are piloting a 12-month coding training with micro:bit to 68 children from 34 suburbs in Cape Coast -Ghana, with over 10,000 children and 5000 educators within reach in the next 2 years. Their goal is to raise the next-generation of makers and problem-solvers in Africa.

Check out the digital home id project

Connect with Sam & Algopeers:

• Website: algopeers.com
• Connect: algopeers.com/about-us/#reachUs
• Twitter: @algopeers
• Instagram: @algopeers.official
• Sam's Twitter: @SamQuansah_

Chris Woods is the host of the STEM Everyday Podcast... Connect with him:

• Website: dailystem.com
• Twitter: @dailystem
• Instagram: @dailystem
• YouTube: youtube

Get Chris's book Daily STEM on Amazon

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

Dan Klitsner is an Industrial Designer, and loves inventing toys and games. Some of his most famous creations are Bop It!, Perplexus, and the new Freefall.
He and his wife also created bopitforgood on the 25th anniversary of Bop It! to help support Lighthouse School for the Blind & Visually Impaired and kids everywhere.

Freefall puts spatial reasoning and dexterity to the test as you build your way through progressively harder challenges. Build the puzzle and then flip, turn, and guide the ball from cup to cup to finish the maze. With 60 challenges to master, you’ll be building and flipping with each challenge more difficult than the last. Check out a video of Freefall in action or find a copy of Freefall

Check out the PeopleOfPlay website and find out more about the Young Inventor Challenge

Connect with Dan:

• Website: bopitforgood.com  
• Instagram: @bopitinventor
• Twitter: @bopitinventor
• ThinkFun website: thinkfun.com

Chris Woods is the host of the STEM Everyday Podcast... Connect with him:

• Website: dailystem.com
• Twitter: @dailystem
• Instagram: @dailystem
• YouTube: youtube

Get Chris's book Daily STEM on Amazon

Support the show