I’ve been giving some thought to what the most important keys are to any successful STEM challenge. I’ve summarized my thoughts below, and the video you see here explores each key in greater detail. However, if you prefer to read, you’ll find the video transcribed at the end of this post. Key 1: Criteria & Constraints […]
5 Keys to STEM Challenge Success Read More »
I’ve been working on creating a YouTube channel for the last couple of weeks, and I’ve just posted my first video! Well, I guess it’s the second if you count my Trello tutorial, but this is the first with my face in view. 🙂 It’s definitely harder than I anticipated, but it’s getting easier with
Intro to STEM Challenges Read More »
Are you a TpT seller or just someone with a LOT on your to-do list? I know I’m not alone. Thousands, if not millions, share my post-it-note-stacks-of-notebooks-hastily-scratched-paper-scrap-notes-to-self chaos. There’s a lot going on, and there are constant lists, ideas, and inspiration striking at all times of the day. Do you ever get that déjà vu sensation when you’re planning
Get out of Post-it Purgatory Read More »
Testing is over and as we inch closer to the end of the school year, summer is on the brain! It can be so difficult to keep kids engaged in ANYTHING, let alone meaningful and rigorous lessons/activities! You don’t want to waste instructional time, but you’re a little burned out from fighting the good fight
Summer STEM Challenge Events Read More »
Are you guilty? – of being a scientific method side-stepper? – a latter-steps neglecter? – all flash, but no bang? I’m a recovering latter-steps neglecter, and I want you to know there is hope & the grass is so much greener on the other side! Background I spent most of my ten years teaching 5th grade.
Scientific Method: Neglect & Regrets Read More »
Spring is HERE!  I am always happy to move on to a new season, because each new season provides inspiration for STEM challenges!  I’ve got some super-engaging & fun ways to bust through that spring fever — five collaborative, super-charged critical thinking & problem-solving STEM activities: Nice Nest, Egg-hanced, Basket Bounce, Carrot Carriage, and Bean
Easter & Spring STEM Challenges Read More »
Luck is in the air! Being Irish, I’ve always loved St. Paddy’s Day, but it is often a holiday that comes and goes in the classroom without much notice other than wearing our green. Now, I’ve created five St. Patrick’s Day activities using new STEM design challenges that will be a fantastic way to pay
St. Patrick’s Day Activities: STEM Challenge Events Read More »
If you’re like me, then you hate to waste a second of precious instructional minutes. On the other hand, you also loathe feeling like the “mean” teacher when all the other classes are having Valentine’s Day parties. Â The perfect solution to your problem is here! Valentine’s Day STEM activities are challenges that push your students
5 Valuable Valentine’s Day STEM Activities Read More »
Part 3: Drafting This is the third in a four-part series. Click to see Part 1: Brainstorming. Click to see Part 2: Outlining. I used to assume I didn’t need to model drafting paragraphs from outlines with students in grades 5th and up. They’d been writing paragraphs for 3+ years at that point, so they surely
Is Your Writing a Shack or a Mansion?_part 3 Read More »
Step 2: Outlines This is the second in a four-part series. Â Click to see Part 1: Brainstorming. Just as you need to create blueprints for a home, one has to plan the framework of an essay. Â Because I often teach planning and outlining before intro/opening and conclusion/closing paragraphs (OP and CP, respectively), I have students
Is Your Writing a Shack or a Mansion?_part 2 Read More »
