Professional Development in ITEST
HighlightThis STELAR Monthly Highlight showcases existing resources on the STELAR website focused on professional development. ITEST projects work in both informal and formal education, and in both settings a critical component of that work is engaging adults, whether teachers or informal educators, in the content and pedagogy of each ITEST project. ITEST projects have worked with more than 8,000 teachers across the country and provided them with
New program aims to bring fitness, fun into the classroom
NewsITEST project TECHFIT's summer professional development program for middle school educators was recently featured on WCSC-TV Charleston news! The news clip features interviews with project team members and participating educators as they share how the project is bringing fitness and STEM together through innovative and fun technology-based fitness games that students create.
Winners named in global underwater robot event
NewsThe Marine Advanced Technology Education (MATE) Center, the National Science Foundation, and the Marine Technology Society's (MTS) ROV Committee hosted their 13th Annual International Student ROV Competition June 26-28, 2014 at Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary (TBNMS) in Alpena, MI, USA.Sixty teams representing middle schools, high schools, home schools, after-school groups, community colleges, and universities from 18 different states and
Reflections on Youth Motivation in STEM Webinar
BlogWhat role does community, family, and culture play in the motivation to learn? What motivates young people to participate in STEM learning experiences? What do these experiences teach them about STEM educational and career paths?These are just some of the questions explored by presenters on the STELAR webinar on Youth Motivation. Webinar attendees heard successes, challenges and lessons learned from three ITEST projects that are using distinctive
ITEST at ISTE 2014
NewsThe International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) has hosted this annual Conference and Expo for over three decades and it has become the premier forum in which to learn, exchange ideas and survey the field of education technology.Part idea incubator and part collaborative workspace, ISTE’s conference brings educators of all types and grade levels together to share discoveries and develop solutions for their greatest challenges—all
Cracking the Code of Cyberlearning
BlogWhen I mention my work with the Center for Innovative Research in Cyberlearning (CIRCL), people often ask, “So, what exactly is cyberlearning?” It’s a good question with a broad answer.
May 2014 Newsletter
NewsletterYouth Motivation
HighlightThe STELAR Monthly Highlights showcase existing resources on the STELAR website around a particular theme. This month we are focusing on the theme of Youth Motivation. Since its inception, the ITEST program has funded projects developing strategies, tools, and models focused on increasing students' awareness of STEM and STEM careers and motivating students to pursue the appropriate education pathways for those fields. ITEST projects often have a
Project Spotlight: Energy for ME
BlogSTELAR recently had the opportunity to interview Ruth Kermish-Allen from the ITEST Project Energy for ME to learn more about the program's impact. Energy for ME is an energy education program of the Island Institute, involving ten island and coastal communities. Students in grades 6-12 – and their families – are learning how to better understand their communities' energy-consumption habits, as well as how to develop effective strategies to
STELAR Reception at NSTA
BlogOn April 2, 2014 the STEM Learning and Resource Center (STELAR) hosted an outreach event to introduce the goals of STELAR, celebrate the launch of our website, and to make new connections in conjunction with the NSTA conference in Boston.Participants were new to the ITEST community and joined the event to learn more about STELAR and the ITEST program. Attendees were introduced to the ITEST program and to STELAR’s goals to support the research and