The STEM Space

Show Summary:

In this episode of The STEM Space, Claire and Natasha are discussing Claire's "Escape the STEM Room" challenge that she is teaching the first week of school, and the importance of introducing your students to difficult situations. From teamwork to public speaking and sharing what they've learned, tune in to learn more about Claire's plans to navigate this challenge and hopes to inspire educators everywhere!

Links from the Show:

Escape Rooms in STEM Teaching and Learning - MDPI (PDF)

Digital Breakout Template - Google (includes video & multiple helpful links!)

Engineering Design Process Worksheets (FREE from Vivify STEM’s TpT Store))

Podcast: Episode 34. We Interviewed an Astronaut

Bridge Engineering STEM Challenge (from Vivify STEM’s TpT Store)

Space Club Career Chat: Wanira Magaloni (Architect Designer at Stantec)

THE STEM SPACE SHOWNOTES: https://www.vivifystem.com/thestemspace/2021/40-escape-the-stem-room

THE STEM SPACE FACEBOOK GROUP: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thestemspace/

VIVIFY INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/vivifystem

VIVIFY FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/vivifystem

VIVIFY TWITTER: https://twitter.com/vivifystem

Show Summary:

The STEM Space loves hearing from you! In this episode of The STEM Space, Natasha and Claire address an email from listener Jess Luttrell, who wanted to know how they decided to make the transition from careers in STEM fields to STEM education. Having a STEM background can mean an easier way to connect STEM to student interests by engaging kids with the exciting possibilities of real-world STEM either by teaching or simply volunteering. Tune in as they talk about their inspirations and continuing to evolve with the wide world of STEM education.

Links from the Show:

Previous Podcast Episodes:

Episode 1 - The 3 Stages of STEM

Episode 2 - STEM Careers in Your Classroom

Episode 8 - STEM vs STEAM

10 Easy STEM Career Classroom Activities

Public vs Private Schools Certification

AAAS Guidelines for Starting a STEM Volunteer Program

Soft Skills in Teaching

San Antonio Doseum

National Museum of the Pacific War and Admiral Nimitz Foundation, Fredericksburg, TX

National Board Standards - NBPTS (5 Core Propositions)

THE STEM SPACE SHOWNOTES: https://www.vivifystem.com/thestemspace/2021/39-how-did-we-get-here

THE STEM SPACE FACEBOOK GROUP: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thestemspace/

VIVIFY INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/vivifystem

VIVIFY FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/vivifystem

VIVIFY TWITTER: https://twitter.com/vivifystem

Show Summary:

It’s time to go back to school! In this episode of The STEM Space, Natasha and Claire talk about ideas you can use at the beginning of the school year. From icebreaker activities and character-building exercises to engineering design challenges and classroom decor, tune in to get some tips and tricks as you prepare for the best year yet in STEM education!

Links from the Show:

Get Your Classroom Ready for Back to School

Name Plates STEM Activity for Back to School

Find Student Sparks

Brown Dog Gadgets Maker Tape

Paper Circuit Activity and STEM Challenges Cheat Sheet from our free resource library (Must first sign up for our free newsletter here).

STEM Space at Home Moon Solar Tower Challenge

The STEM Space Podcast: Episode 33. My Students Built a Wheelchair

10 Simple Summer STEM Activities

Brittany Washburn's Technology Teaching Resources

Robonaut STEM Activity

STEM Tower Challenges

Newspaper STEM Challenges

Mars Colony Competition

THE STEM SPACE SHOWNOTES: https://www.vivifystem.com/thestemspace/2021/38-back-to-school-stem

THE STEM SPACE FACEBOOK GROUP: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thestemspace/

VIVIFY INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/vivifystem

VIVIFY FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/vivifystem

VIVIFY TWITTER: https://twitter.com/vivifystem

Show Summary:

In this episode of The STEM Space, Natasha and Claire discuss their excitement around Space Club: a STEM program designed to excite your students about real-world STEM and space exploration. Whether you use Space Club during school hours, after school, or even at your local library, tune in to this episode to learn about the benefits of participating in Space Club, how it relates to various learning theories, and how you can launch your students forward with a Mission to the Moon.

Links from the Show:

Bring Space Club to your school! If you are interested in a space-themed curriculum, check out Space Club missions that connect students from around the world! In partnership with NASA, Vivify STEM ran semester-long space missions that included engineering design challenges, weekly career chats, a live leaderboard, career chats with astronauts and engineers, and a chance to win robots and telescopes before Natasha formed the non-profit Cosmic Leap Foundation! From afterschool clubs to STEM classes, teachers can implement Space Club either in-person or through distance learning, now completely FREE! 

How to Teach Growth Mindset and Failing Forward

Learning Theories podcast episodes:

Episode 13 on Behavioral Learning Theory

Episode 14 on Developmental Learning Theory

Episode 15 on Constructivist Learning Theory

Episode 16: Everything You Know About Learning Styles Is Wrong

Fad checker based on Learning Theories: in our free resource library!

Not all STEM is equal (podcast Episode 1) (blog post)

THE STEM SPACE SHOWNOTES: https://www.vivifystem.com/thestemspace/2021/37-the-learning-potential-of-space-club

THE STEM SPACE FACEBOOK GROUP: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thestemspace/

VIVIFY INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/vivifystem

VIVIFY FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/vivifystem

VIVIFY TWITTER: https://twitter.com/vivifystem

Show Summary:

Are you a visualizer or a verbalizer? In this episode of The STEM Space Podcast, Natasha and Claire discuss learning styles as well as exploring if the old adage of "left brain versus right brain" still holds true. How can we modify our teaching to accommodate individual student learning styles while maintaining the integrity of our subjects? Tune in to find out!

Links from the Show:

Article: The Role of Instruction Preference in Analogy Learning: Brain Activity and Motor Performance

Episode 16: Everything You Know About Learning Styles Is Wrong

Episode 7: How to ask questions.

Episode 19: How to motivate your students.

A Neuroscientist’s Top 5 STEM Activities for Kids and Families

THE STEM SPACE SHOWNOTES: https://www.vivifystem.com/thestemspace/2021/36-are-you-a-visualizer

THE STEM SPACE FACEBOOK GROUP: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thestemspace/

VIVIFY INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/vivifystem

VIVIFY FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/vivifystem

VIVIFY TWITTER: https://twitter.com/vivifystem

Show Summary:

In this episode of The STEM Space Podcast, Natasha and Claire discuss biases in the technology we use every day. We tend to trust computers and technology, but they are actually just as flawed as the humans who created them. These flaws can include biases in the algorithms that make decisions. How can you talk to your students about how to be cautious when using technology and interpreting the results? Tune in to find out!

Links from the Show:

Netflix: Coded Bias

Racial Bias in Facial Recognition Technology

Gender Bias in STEM: Top 10 Ways to Encourage Girls in STEM

Facial Recognition And Beyond: Journalist Ventures Inside China's 'Surveillance State'

Women are overmedicated because drug dosage trials are done on men, study finds

Amazon scraps secret AI recruiting tool that showed bias against women

Seven Houston Teachers, Houston Federation of Teachers File Lawsuit Challenging Constitutionality of Value-Added Measure for Evaluations

Mars Probe Lost Due to Simple Math Error

Critical thinking is a 21st-century essential — here’s how to help kids learn it

From Learning to Relearning: A Framework for Diminishing Bias in Social Robot Navigation

THE STEM SPACE SHOWNOTES: https://www.vivifystem.com/thestemspace/2021/35-question-everything

THE STEM SPACE FACEBOOK GROUP: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thestemspace/

VIVIFY INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/vivifystem

VIVIFY FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/vivifystem

VIVIFY TWITTER: https://twitter.com/vivifystem

SHOW SUMMARY:
Who doesn't dream of growing up to be an astronaut? In this episode, Natasha and Claire share their experience from interviewing an astronaut! So much can be gained from exposing your students to professionals that work in STEM fields too. Tune in to learn about the importance of connecting your students with STEM professionals and tips on how to bring speakers to your classroom.

Links from the Show:

Find out more about Space Teams here and use our Discount Code for 10% off: VSTEM321

Learn about Space Club

Astronaut Gregory “Box” Johnson

Astronaut Dr. Greg Chamitoff

How to teach Growth Mindset & Failing Forward

STEM on Station - lesson plans and videos for educators from the International Space Station

Request an astronaut speaker from NASA

Skype a Scientist

Weather Balloon Project:

Read our blog post on the weather balloon project

Check out our podcast episode about the weather balloon project (episode 27)

10 Easy STEM Career Classroom Activities

Free Interview Questions to Ask a STEM Professional

THE STEM SPACE SHOWNOTES: https://www.vivifystem.com/thestemspace/2021/34-we-interviewed-an-astronaut

THE STEM SPACE FACEBOOK GROUP: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thestemspace/

VIVIFY INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/vivifystem

VIVIFY FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/vivifystem

VIVIFY TWITTER: https://twitter.com/vivifystem

SHOW SUMMARY:
Do you know a child in need of a wheelchair? In this episode, Claire shares her experience with her 4th graders that took on building an inexpensive wheelchair for a child in need thanks to the Open Wheelchair Foundation. Tune in to hear how she was surprised by her students and what plans there are for future builds.

Links from the Show:

BYU students make the world's lightest, least expensive motorized wheelchair.

The Open Wheelchair Foundation

Thrilling STEM Activities for Kids: Roller Coaster Challenge

Pipecleaner STEM Challenge (Tallest Tower)

How to Teach Growth Mindset and Failing Forward

12 Ways to Boost Social-Emotional Learning

THE STEM SPACE SHOWNOTES: https://www.vivifystem.com/thestemspace/2021/33-my-students-built-a-wheelchair

THE STEM SPACE FACEBOOK GROUP: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thestemspace/

VIVIFY INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/vivifystem

VIVIFY FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/vivifystem

VIVIFY TWITTER: https://twitter.com/vivifystem

SHOW SUMMARY:
Do you use extended reality technology in your classroom? Have you ever heard of extended reality? I bet you have heard of virtual reality or holograms. In this episode, Claire shares what she is learning in graduate school about some advanced technology trends that you may consider using in your own teaching. Tune in to hear how to prepare your students for the future of this emerging technology.

LINKS FROM THE SHOW:

Five Principles for Thinking Like a Futurist

Report about Extended Reality and technology trends: 2021 Tech Trends Report, Vol. 3. New Realities

From the 60 Minutes archive: Letting future generations speak with Holocaust survivors

The creators of the Holocaust Survivor “Holograms” and also where you can see these exhibits near you: USC Shoah Foundation – The Institute for Visual History and Education

Everything you know about velociraptors is a lie

THE STEM SPACE SHOWNOTES: https://www.vivifystem.com/thestemspace/2021/32-preparing-our-students-for-the-future

THE STEM SPACE FACEBOOK GROUP: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thestemspace/

VIVIFY INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/vivifystem

VIVIFY FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/vivifystem

VIVIFY TWITTER: https://twitter.com/vivifystem

SHOW SUMMARY:
Whew! Being a first-year STEM teacher can be very overwhelming. This episode is all about Claire’s experience after her first year as a formal classroom teacher. Learn about the curriculum she used, tips and tricks to make teaching STEM more effective, and some lessons learned that will help you with your own STEM education journey! Let us know what advice you would add in the comments below.

LINKS FROM THE SHOW:

The 3 Stages of STEM (blog post) (Episode 1 podcast)

STEM Explorers Curriculum

Launchpad Curriculum:

- Mission to the Moon - Elementary School or Middle School

- Mission to Mars - Elementary School or Middle School

Designing a School Garden STEM Project

Weather Balloon STEM Project (blog posts) (podcast episode 30)

How to build a motorized wheelchair for a child- The Open Wheelchair Foundation

THE STEM SPACE SHOWNOTES: https://www.vivifystem.com/thestemspace/2021/31-reflections-from-a-First-Year-STEM-Teacher

THE STEM SPACE FACEBOOK GROUP: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thestemspace/

VIVIFY INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/vivifystem

VIVIFY FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/vivifystem

VIVIFY TWITTER: https://twitter.com/vivifystem