The National Science Teachers Association is holding its annual STEM Forum & Expo next week in Kissimmee, Florida. Members of the Engineering is Elementary team will be there, and we’d love to see you! Find us at booth #716 in the exhibit hall, check out our session on developing Engineering Habits of Mind, and visit us at the Elementary STEM Showcase! If you drop by our booth or attend one of our sessions, you’ll have the opportunity to enter a raffle for the EiE materials kit of your choice.
Showcasing Elementary STEM
Katy Hutchinson, one of EiE’s knowledgeable professional development providers, is excited to take our Designing Parachutes activity to Kissimmee for Thursday’s Elementary STEM Showcase! She’ll be bringing tips for educators about incorporating science practices into engineering activities as well as sample parachutes to test and model atmospheres to investigate. Katy will be in good company with the 30 other STEM leaders who will also be exploring NGSS practices, providing hands-on activities for participants to engage with, and discussing connections to the NSTA PreK–5 journal, Science & Children alongside EiE. The Showcase is the only elementary session scheduled for 10:30 AM – 12:30 PM on Thursday, July 13th, so make sure to stop by Exhibit Hall C. Remember to head over early—the first ten participants will receive a free copy of the informative resource, Bringing STEM to the Elementary Classroom, and all attendees will be able to enter a raffle for an iPad!
Elementary Students Can Think Like Engineers
What happens when you ask students to solve a problem for which they don’t already know the answer? Students who have developed “Engineering Habits of Mind” can draw from a mental toolkit of problem-solving strategies that can help them succeed. To learn how to identify and foster Engineering Habits of Mind, join EiE professional development provider Katy Hutchinson and other like-minded educators for “Developing Positive Mindsets: Encouraging Elementary Students to think like Engineers” from 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM on Thursday, July 13th in Emerald 3. You’ll watch and discuss videos of real classrooms that showcase students employing EiE’s Engineering Habits of Mind as well as NGSS science and engineering practices in action. Whether you’re new to engineering or an experienced pro, Katy can help you recognize these practices and identify the necessary supports you’ll need to foster the development of this mindset in your own students. Participants will leave the session with resources to use in their own classrooms—and a newfound appreciation for problem-solving strategies!
A Model Implementation
Can’t get enough engineering education? Our friends from The Ohio State University and Columbus City Schools are hosting a session on implementing EiE from 8:00 AM – 9:00 AM on Friday, July 14th in Emerald 7. Make sure you stop by “A K–8 Model for STEM Teaching, Learning, and Professional Development Using EiE” to learn what a successful professional development and implementation model between a large school district and a university can look like.
EiE in Action
Want to know where the EiE team is heading next? Make sure you check out our list of upcoming conferences and events, we’re always updating it with the latest information! If you’re attending the conference, remember to tweet photos of your parachute designs at @EiE_org using the hashtag #EiEInspired!
