A few years ago, Baltimore educators and researchers launched an innovative STEM program for elementary students. One goal was to get parents engaged in their students’ STEM learning; another was to connect STEM learning to real-world issues in the local community. This focus on local connections is how Engineering Adventures, the out-of-school-time curriculum developed by Engineering is Elementary, came to be part of the “STEM Achievement in Baltimore Elementary Schools” project—SABES for short.

Reading is a clear priority in elementary classrooms across the nation. The average
K- 3 elementary student gets nearly an hour and a half of reading/language arts instruction each day, according to the 2012 National Survey of Science and Mathematics Education. Science and engineering instruction are a much smaller part of the school day in most schools. But here at EiE, we’ve found that reading and engineering are natural partners.

We know that elementary teachers value high-quality STEM professional development (PD). We also know that funding for PD can be limited, and even when there is plenty of funding, it can be hard to get release time from class, or find a sub to cover. What’s the solution? Engineering is Elementary is developing a suite of online professional development resources for K-8 engineering educators. We’re pleased to share that our first offering, "Introduction to Engineering for Out-of-School-Time Programs," is now available.

Every Thursday on the EiE Blog we provide teaching tips and resources for your engineering classroom.

When Brittney Armstrong taught her first Engineering is Elementary unit to second graders at Slaughter Elementary in Louisville, KY, she was concerned. "It took us two entire class periods to complete the storybook and discuss it," she says. "That was too long for second graders."

When she shared her concern with another EiE teacher, Brittney got a helpful tip: You can download the illustrations for each of the 20 EiE storybooks from the project website!

When teachers talk, we listen. You told us you love the storybooks that introduce each Engineering is Elementary unit . . . but you’ve also shared ideas for enhancements. So we’re pleased to announce a new project here at EiE: the Digital Storybook Initiative. Digital storybooks are books you read on a tablet or computer; we’re creating digital versions of all 20 EiE storybooks that will have a host of flexible features to support every learning style.

Now we need your help! Please share your thoughts on the most useful features for this new kind of book by taking a brief online survey.