STEMstitute – June 26, 2013

Presented by the Clermont County Gifted Program

Fay Wagner, Gifted Intervention Specialist

Bethel-Tate and Williamsburg Local School Districts in Partnership with the Clermont Co. ESC

BLENDED UNITS:ENGINEERING IS ELEMENTARY STYLE

LEONARDO DA VINCI COMBINED ART AND SCIENCE AND AESTHETICS AND ENGINEERING…THAT KIND OF UNITY IS NEEDED ONCE AGAIN. -BEN SHNEIDERMAN

THE CLERMONT COUNTY GIFTED STEM PROGRAM• Implementing a program that blends virtual learning with face-to-face lessons

• Utilizing Moodle, It’s Learning, and classroom space at the Gifted STEM Center

OUR PHILOSOPHY…• 21st Century Skills (The 4 Cs) – Communication, Collaboration, Critical

thinking, Creativity

• Mark Edwards (author of Every Child, Every Day) – Drivers of Student Engagement: instruction must be relevant, collaborative, personalized, and connected.

• Beers & Probst (authors of Notice and Note) – “…rigor does not reside in the barbell, but in the act of lifting it.” Students should be engaged, observant, responsive, questioning, and analytical.

• Carol Dweck (author of The New Psychology of Success) - Growth Mindset vs. Fixed Mindset

• Jim Stigler – Struggle for Smarts

RESEARCH IS SHOWING THAT BLENDED LEARNING, WHEN ACCOMPLISHED USING BEST-PRACTICES, CAN INCREASE STUDENT LEARNING.

Grades K-4:

• Observe and ask questions about the natural environment

• Plan and conduct simple investigations

• Employ simple equipment and tools to gather data and extend the senses

• Use appropriate mathematics with data to construct reasonable explanations;

• Communicate about observations, investigations and explanations; and

• Review and ask questions about the observations and explanations of others

Grades 5-8:

• Identify questions that can be answered through scientific investigations

• Design and conduct a scientific investigation

• Use appropriate mathematics, tools and techniques to gather data and information

• Analyze and interpret data

• Develop descriptions, models, explanations and predictions

• Think critically and logically to connect evidence and explanations

• Recognize and analyze alternative explanations and predictions

• Communicate scientific procedures and explanations

THE NEW SCIENCE PROCESSES…WHERE DOES ENGINEERING FIT?

ENGINEERING IS ELEMENTARY

• An Alarming Idea – Electrical Engineering

SAMPLE UNIT 1

• Thinking Inside the Box – Plant Package Engineering

SAMPLE UNIT 2

OTHER UNITS FROM ENGINEERING IS ELEMENTARY

Grades K-4:

• Observe and ask questions about the natural environment

• Plan and conduct simple investigations

• Employ simple equipment and tools to gather data and extend the senses

• Use appropriate mathematics with data to construct reasonable explanations;

• Communicate about observations, investigations and explanations; and

• Review and ask questions about the observations and explanations of others

Grades 5-8:

• Identify questions that can be answered through scientific investigations

• Design and conduct a scientific investigation

• Use appropriate mathematics, tools and techniques to gather data and information

• Analyze and interpret data

• Develop descriptions, models, explanations and predictions

• Think critically and logically to connect evidence and explanations

• Recognize and analyze alternative explanations and predictions

• Communicate scientific procedures and explanations

LET’S REVISIT THE QUESTION…WHERE DOES ENGINEERING FIT?

• Students are engaged in meaningful activities

• Makes appropriate use of rich online resources now available

• Improves students’ technology and keyboarding skills

• Prepares students for the online testing environment

• Collaboration between schools and districts becomes possible

• Increased quality of student performance

• Challenging activities geared to the learning styles and needs of diverse learners

• Tasks can be differentiated to match passions, talents, and ability levels

• As the years progress, so to does the curriculum we will be able to offer because units can be reused

• Parents can view any and all assignments

• 24/7 availability and support

• Affordable and Sustainable

BENEFITS OF BLENDED LEARNING:

• Ensuring that time and technology are available to students for online tasks

• Allocating teacher time for unit development and facilitation

• Educating students about online etiquette

• Remember… Baby steps are necessary at first!

POTENTIAL CHALLENGES:

HAPPY ENGINEERING!• Contact Information for Teachers:

• Heather Frost-Hauck, Gifted Intervention Specialist: heatherfrost1@aol.com

• Fay Wagner, Gifted Intervention Specialist: wagner_f@betheltate.org

• Contact Information for Administrators or Professional Development Requests:

• Amy Bain, Clermont County Gifted Coordinator: bain_a@ccesc.org

Developing Units for Virtual Learning Environments For Gifted and Talented Students through Pieces of Learning