Science is cool. I strive to make it accessible and interesting to every person, even those who thought it was outside their realm of possibility.

book

To be launched in July

Two groups of high school students 37 miles apart did more than build a robot via Skype. They proved that technology brings people together, challenging the myth that personal contact is the only way to build a team.

Use art supplies, a circuit board, lights, motors and sensors to design, build and program robots that tell stories and express emotions. Robot Diaries development began in the summer of 2006 in a series of participatory design workshops with middle school girls. We set out to find a way to keep middle school girls engaged with robotics and authoring technology - at an age when many girls get away from such activities - perceiving them as activities for boys. The program has since developed to include both boys and girls - drawing upon students' interests in arts, crafts, communication, and storytelling while providing them with technical and design knowledge which enables them to build and utilize their own personal robots. Robot Diaries is currently in various stages of implementation in middle and elementary schools, kindergartens and after school programs.

This was shared on the CFF Coach listserv as something for elementary gifted - if you can get funding.

Showing need to focus on Middle School students - particularly: White students' average score rose by a point, to 163, while black students' performance increased by 3 points, to 129, and Hispanic students' grew by 5 points, to 137. The average black or Hispanic 8th grader performs below basic achievement.

The "Interactive" is worth a look.

Musician will.i.am is serious about making geeks and nerds the rock stars of the 21st century. Last fall, the Black Eyed Peas frontman teamed up Segway creator Dean Kamen to launch i.am.FIRST, an initiative that celebrates and encourages students' interest in science, technology, engineering, and math.

OBOTC is the premiere robotics programming language for educational robotics and competitions. ROBOTC is a C-Based Programming Language with an Easy-to-Use Development Environment.

From CMU

Arduino is an open-source electronics prototyping platform based on flexible, easy-to-use hardware and software. It's intended for artists, designers, hobbyists, and anyone interested in creating interactive objects or environments.

STEM merit badges in Boy Scouts

STEM merit badges in Boy Scouts

Organization working with New Hope Solebury SD

Organization working with New Hope Solebury SD

At New Hope-Solebury School District, a group of professionals are preparing high school students to become the next generation of innovators in science, math, engineering and technology.

At New Hope-Solebury School District, a group of professionals are preparing high school students to become the next generation of innovators in science, math, engineering and technology.

From McGraw Hill

McGraw-Hill Education just launched the STEM Innovative Educator Awards to recognize and reward teachers who are finding innovative ways to reach today's students. The awards, known as the STEMIEs, will acknowledge teachers who are pioneering effective techniques to engage their students in science, technology, engineering, or math - fields of study critical to our nation's economic growth. Teachers can enter by submitting a 2-minute video, a short essay, and lesson plan that demonstrate an innovative lesson or other project from their classroom. First place will receive $15,000, second place gets $5,000 and third place wins $2,500, plus McGraw-Hill will grant an additional $2,500 in other awards. In addition to the judging panel, members of the general public will have the opportunity to vote online for their favorite video. Applications will be accepted through May 31, 2012. For more information about the STEMIEs, please visit www.mheonline.com/stemie.

Career Database, Video Library, Salary Calculator, College Majors

Shared by instructional technology coaches in response to a plea for online career planning/personal assessments

STEM Career Match, videos about a variety of STEM careers, programs outside of school for exploring STEM careers, shares earnings, outlook, tech skills, how do I get there, etc. on STEM careers

Shared by instructional technology coaches in response to a plea for online career planning/personal assessments

Shared by instructional technology coaches in response to a plea for online career planning/personal assessments