In March I had the privilege of returning to Vietnam to continue providing on-going science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) professional staff development to teachers and administrators of STEAMe Garten and Apax Leaders. Early childhood teachers of STEAMe Garten in Hanoi and Apax Leaders from both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City were introduced to STEM practices and content during five-day STEM teacher training institutes. Participants were introduced to the foundational principles of STEM education, best practices in STEM education, and STEM content. Participants took an active role in the training by working in small groups to conduct a wide-array of STEM-based investigations. Participants were introduced to inquiry-based teaching practices, incorporating journaling in the classroom, using STEM-based children’s literature within STEM lessons, and the engineering design process. A great deal of time was spent on providing opportunities for the participants to see what a quality STEM lesson entails, how it should be delivered, and creating a classroom learning environment that provides opportunities for students to develop and strengthen their 21st-century skills. STEAMe Garten, Vietnam is one of the first private educational corporations to incorporate STEM within early childhood and kindergarten classrooms. Additionally, Apax Vietnam is now offering ESL after school programs that teach English through STEM-based learning experiences. During the two-five day STEM, teacher training institutes participants were actively engaged in conducting “real-world” STEM-based lessons that could readily be incorporated within their early childhood through kindergarten classrooms, and ESL lessons. From designing and building marble roller coasters, to reverse engineering and coding teachers were immersed in exploring the power and beauty that STEM education has in transforming education. The following photos are a sampling of the two five-day institutes that took place in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City for STEAMe Garten and Apax Leaders.
Tag: engineeringdesignprocess
STEM Explorations for Young Children
Looking for ideas to incorporate STEM practices and content within your early childhood through the primary-level classroom. Check out the following photos of VPK and Kindergarten students conducting hands-on STEM investigations as they rotate through a dozen or so STEM-based exploration centers. Children were free to explore a dozen STEM exploration centers of their choice and spend as much or as little time as they chose. Children had the opportunity to build dimensional structures with recyclable materials, code with simple robotics, explore electronics with Snap Circuits and Circuit Conductors, build a model robot, explore unique states of matter, test out an earthquake table, build with bricks, build ramps with paper tubes and marbles, use levels and draw in the block center, tinker, take household gadgets apart and more. Each of the centers helped to develop and strengthen 21st-century learning skills as well. The following photos and video provide a wide-array of STEM-based exploration centers that are age-appropriate and manageable. The following photos and video are from a recent STEM-based program I conducted for a local school for VPK and Kindergarten students. [envira-gallery id=”1568″] [embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HvRLomlZstQ[/embedyt]
Washington Teachers Explore STEM and MakerEd Challenges During Teacher Training Workshop
I recently had the pleasure of sharing my knowledge and expertise of STEM and MakerEd strategies with elementary and middle school teachers in Washington. During the two day training teachers were introduced to the engineering design process, incorporating lessons that develop and strengthen 21st century skills, the design cycle, and methods/strategies to incorporate Makerspaces within their school library and classrooms. During the two-day training teachers were given the engineering design challenge of designing a roller coaster marble run using recycled materials, designing and creating a vehicle that was powered by air, using recycled materials, as well as designing and building a Vibrobot. Teachers were introduced to strategies on incorporating a Makerspace within their library, as well as ideas for Maker Centers within their classrooms. Teachers were introduced to a wide-array of technology, tools and kits that are commonly used in school library and classroom Makerspaces such as: Makey Makey, Snap Circuits, LittleBits, Makedo, Ozobot, Fisher Price Code-A-Pillar, Squishy Circuits and more. Additionally, teachers were introduced to incorporating tinkering/ take-apart centers within their Makerspaces. Teachers were given the task of analyzing a toy or household gadget with their group, they were then asked to take the gadget apart. They were to identify and label the parts etc. The components from the deconstructed broken gadgets can be used to create new gadgets and inventions, or used to repair similar gadgets. Students of all ages love to tinker, and I find that adults love to tinker and take part in deconstructing gadgets as well. The process of tinkering, and deconstructing gadgets indeed develops and strengthens 21st century skills, and incorporates science and engineering practices. The following photos are a sample of the STEM and Maker Explorations that were conducted during the two day STEM and MakerEd teacher training workshop. To schedule a STEM, MakerEd, or NGSS teacher training workshop complete the contact form found on the contact page.
St. Paul School Hanoi Staff Attend STEAM Institute
My childhood days were spent growing up in Bangkok, Thailand and Vientiane, Laos thus when I was contacted to conduct science, technology, engineering, art, and math (STEAM) training for the entire teaching staff of St. Paul School in Hanoi, Vietnam I was elated! During a four-day STEAM Institute early childhood-grade 8 teachers and school administrators were introduced to STEAM practices and content. To make the training as beneficial and meaningful to all the staff, the staff was separated into grade levels. There was also scheduled time to meet with individual departments across the disciplines in small groups. The training started off with introducing and modeling inquiry-based teaching practices and learning to the staff. The staff was also introduced to incorporating journaling across the disciplines. All investigations incorporated 21st century skills, and were aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards. Throughout the four day institute teachers conducting hands-on-minds-on inquiry-based STEAM investigations including: engineering design process, materials science, connecting mathematical principles and architecture, building science, reverse engineering, building dimensional structures with recycled materials, sustainable engineering, incorporating meaningful technology and more. It was a great group of teachers, with a very supportive administrative staff that will help the teaching staff in their efforts to incorporate “meaningful STEAM experiences” within their classrooms in the 2017-2018 year. The entire teaching staff and administrators truly embraced the benefits of incorporating STEAM-based practices and content across the disciplines and all grade levels. I look forward to hearing how St. Paul American School in Hanoi students become immersed in exploring STEAM this year. The following photos are a small sampling of the STEAM-based investigations that were undertaken during the STEAM institute. For more information about the STEM, STEAM, and NGSS professional staff development Dr. Diana Wehrell-Grabowski conducts worldwide complete the contact form found on this website.