Building Automation and IoT as a Platform for Introducing STEM Education in K-12

Publication

There is growing concern in the United States about the lack of interest and aptitude in science, math and, in particular, technology and engineering disciplines. Certainly one reason for this could be the lack of true engineering experiences available to students when they are in junior high and high school. This is in part due to the fact that while most teachers are well versed in math and science through their formal education, very few have experience and/or educational backgrounds in engineering and technology. To promote STEM careers, a partnership among university engineering faculty

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Petrosino shares ideas about integrating computer science in schools of education in NSF-sponsored event

News

Computer science education researchers, leaders from colleges of education, teacher educators, and computer scientists from across the U.S. participated in a workshop to address critical questions related to the integration of computing education into schools of education. The National Science Foundation (NSF)-sponsored conference was held in New York City April 8 and 9 and focused on bringing computer science into colleges of education around

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Preparing Teachers to Engage Rural Students in Computational Thinking through Robotics, Game Design, and Culturally Responsive Teaching

Publication

This article examines teacher preparation and teacher change in engineering and computer science education. We examined culturally responsive teaching self-efficacy (CRTSE), culturally responsive teaching outcome expectancy (CRTOE) beliefs, and attitudes toward computational thinking (CT) as teachers participated in one of three treatment groups: robotics only, game design only, or blended robotics/game design. Descriptive data revealed that CRTSE gain scores were higher in the robotics only and blended contexts than in the game design only context. However, CRTOE beliefs were consistent

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Relationship of Middle School Student STEM Interest to Career Intent

Publication

Understanding middle school students’ perceptions regarding STEM dispositions, and the role attitudes play in establishing STEM career aspirations, is imperative to preparing the STEM workforce of the future. Data were gathered from more than 800 middle school students participating in a hands-on, real world application curriculum to examine the relationship of the students’ interest in STEM and their intentions to pursue a career in a STEM field. Among the middle school students who completed surveys for the MSOSW project, 46.6% expressed a desire to pursue a career in STEM at the time of the

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Festival was just the start

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Debuted in 2012, the Arizona SciTech Festival celebrated its sixth season with more than 800 organizations planning to stage nearly 1,500 events for an audience total exceeding 400,000.

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Honeywell hosts 175 students to advance STEM in Arizona

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Honeywell hosted the second-annual Arizona Science Officer technology day and statewide cabinet meeting. The event is designed to inspire interest in technology careers and allow students to work on collective action projects that impact their respective schools and communities. The students were all elected by their peers to serve as chief science officers.

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Conversations: Startups need our students to buck up

News

In December, software companies WebPT and Galvanize are set to bring more than 800 new employees to the area as they renovate a 120,000 square foot building on Grant Street. How can the Arizona Commerce Authority continue to attract even more companies and convince them that the Phoenix region is the center of STEM and innovation? How will they convince startups that we’ve got the talent to build their workforce? Arizona SciTech is collaborating

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SIUE’s “Digital East St. Louis” inspires local students to explore city’s history and culture

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Students from East St. Louis are documenting the culture and history of their hometown, while gaining valuable knowledge and computer skills, by participating in Southern Illinois University Edwardsville's Digital East St. Louis program. Now in its third year, the program continues to incorporate new interactive projects for the students, with the underlying goal of inspiring a love for STEM through creative digital humanities content.

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Fun with GIS 2016: GRACE

News

Michigan's GRACE Project (GIS Resources and Applications for Career Education) helps students use GIS. GRACE uses a coordinated and multi-tiered approach for educators and students alike, and works with communities across the state to identify partners interested in high school student interns with GIS knowledge and skills. Last week, at the Great Lakes Research Center at Michigan Tech, in Houghton, in "copper country" of Michigan's Upper

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