# data[].attributes.body
In our elementary series we have three sets of video for you. Can 5, 6, and 7-year olds engage in scientific practices? With the right support they can do amazing things.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
In our elementary series we have three sets of video for you. Can 5, 6, and 7-year olds engage in scientific practices? With the right support they can do amazing things.
K-2 Modeling Series
These provide a glimpse inside kindergarten and 1st/2nd-grade classrooms that are developing scientific models to make sense of and more deeply explain a real-world phenomenon over time. The kindergartners in Ms. Tomokiyo's class at Southern Heights Elementary School in Seattle, Washington, are seeking to understand how a puddle on the grass appears and disappears over the course of a day.

The overview video describes scientific modeling in these classrooms and how to support the revision of students' ideas over time.

In the first strategy video, we see students using share-outs and discussion spotlights to learn from each other. As you watch, think about how share-outs of models can be more than "show and tell."

The second strategy video shows students engaging in an interactive read aloud. As you watch, think about how you can use informational texts to support scientific sense-making. Pay special attention to how students critique science ideas and representations from the books.
K-2 Argumentation Series
In our next series, we share key principles and strategies for engaging K-2 students in the practice of scientific argumentation with explanatory models. We join a second grade scientific community in the midst of exploring a real-life question: What caused the town of Moncton to flood? As they pursue answers to this question, you'll see that students are not making arguments about isolated observations (e.g., which kind of soil water flows through fastest), but rather arguments that connect to their explanatory models of the phenomenon (the flooding of Moncton).We call this "model-based CER (Claims, Evidence, and Reasoning)," where argumentation occurs in service of developing models of phenomena and supporting deeper, more interconnected science learning.

The overview video gives a bird's-eye view of the unit and how students can be supported in making arguments about a phenomenon at the beginning, middle, and end of a unit. As you watch, consider the following questions:

Our third series we call "foothold" practices for elementary teachers. Footholds refer to beginning routines that teachers use with students, to introduce them to ambitious work (both the teacher and the students). These routines boost participation by students and expand the rigor of the work they can do together, while being manageable for the teacher who is attempting new practices. Teachers then become comfortable with these ways of supporting intellectual work and create variations on these practices, often creating innovations that can get spread throughout the AST Community. Footholds lead to the use of other AST routines that extend the power of these initial practices.
Foothold Practices

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
In our elementary series we have three sets of video for you. Can 5, 6, and 7-year olds engage in scientific practices? With the right support they can do amazing things. K-2 Modeling Series These provide a glimpse inside kindergarten and 1st/2nd-grade classrooms that are developing scientific models to make sense of and more deeply explain a real-world phenomenon over time.

# data[].attributes.body
Want to learn on the go. Follow John Spencer as he dives into PBL, Design Thinking, Maker Education, and other wonderful ways to bring the wonder into your student's learning

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Subscribe to the Creative Classroom Podcast The Creative Classroom podcast is consistently ranked in the top 10 K-12 podcasts on Apple Podcasts. Subscribe below to get equipped and inspired to boost creativity and spark innovation in

# data[].attributes.headline
SAS PXES Science Aspirational Essential Agreements 

# data[].attributes.subject
SAS PXES Science Aspirational Essential Agreements 

# data[].attributes.body
Lab Out Loud is a podcast, hosted by two science teachers, that discusses science news and science education- Episode 110 is focused on Elementary Science

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Elementary science has been on our minds recently. So it is fitting that our guest this week has been working hard helping elementary teachers tackle the Next Generation Science Standards. As Coordinator for Elementary Science in Baltimore County Schools, Eric Cromwell has the task of moving a large number of schools and teachers into an NGSS based curriculum. Listen to the show to hear of Eric's experience in this transition as we discuss how elementary schools can embrace the NGSS.
Links:
To listen to this episode, download the mp3 directly, find us on iTunes, or use the player below.

http://traffic.libsyn.com/wsst/LOL110.mp3

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Episode 110 - An Elementary Journey to the NGSS

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Elementary science has been on our minds recently. So it is fitting that our guest this week has been working hard helping elementary teachers tackle the Next Generation Science Standards. As Coordinator for Elementary Science in Baltimore County Schools, Eric Cromwell has the task of moving a large number of schools and teachers into an NGSS based curriculum.

# data[].attributes.body
12 LESSON HACKS TO NURTURE INQUIRY

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Using a more inquiry based approach to teaching and learning can be an overwhelming challenge. There is a lot to it. For some of us, inquiry challenges our very identity as a teacher and throws into question our approaches to classroom design, planning, assessment, curriculum 'coverage' to name a few. One way to manage the feeling of being 'swamped by expectation' as you journey toward inquiry can be to focus your attention on individual teaching-learning engagements. Cliched as it sounds, taking one step at a time or changing just one thing makes a lot of sense.

So here are some of my favourite 'lesson hacks' for inquiry. I use the term 'lesson' very loosely. Not all learning engagements work this way. Throughout the week, kids and teachers are often in the flow of great, self-directed routines that need little change. The 'hacks' I am referring to here might come in handy when facilitating small or whole group workshop/clinic/introductory sessions.

Hack #1 Flip it

One of the most powerful lesson hacks I know is to subvert the standard sequence of 'I do it (modelling, explaining) 'we do it (practicing examples together) you do it (independent application). This reflects the important model ' gradual release of responsibility' model but it can mean that opportunities for learners to actually get on with it are limited. By the time we have explained and modelled, there may be much less time than desirable for the learner to figure things out for themselves. So try it in reverse: YOU do it, we do it...then, if necessary, I'll do it. This flipped lesson means we are releasing responsibility more quickly to students. This is usually in the form of a challenge or problem. Time is spent individually or in groups grappling with the problem before coming together (we do it) and sharing possible solutions and processes. As students are working with the challenge, teachers are listening, prompting, observing, nudging - stepping in where necessary. The direct, instructional work tends to happen towards the end of a session and is based on the teachers' analysis of what has and has not been uncovered by the learners. In this kind of lesson, the learner is doing the heavy lifting. There is a stronger focus on investigation and generation of questions. Some great examples of the flipped lesson can be found in the collection of '3 act Maths lessons' here: https://whenmathhappens.com/3-act-math/

Hack #2 Turn your intention into a question

I have written about this in more detail previously. We know that it is important for kids to understand the 'why' of a lesson and one way to do this is to share a learning intention with them. A simple hack to reflect a stronger inquiry stance is to turn that intention into a question. So instead of 'We will learn about the factors that influence people's opinions about places' we might pose the question "How do we form our opinions about places?" or 'Why do people feel the way they do about places?" As soon as we pose the intention as a question, we invite speculation, first ideas and prior knowledge. The question suggests that the lesson will be an act of investigation. Learning becomes an act of exploration rather than passive reception.

Hack #3 Split screen your intention

In addition to the question as an intention, we can add a vital layer to any lesson by raising the status of processes and dispositions alongside the 'content'. A PE lesson focussing on designing a sequence of movements for dance/gymnastics might highlight the use of creative thinking or turn taking when working in a team. Make this explicit and have the lesson be as much about inquiring into the HOW as the WHAT. Guy Claxton refers to this as the 'split screen' approach.

Hack #4 Co construct success criteria

Another common 'move' in a lesson plan is to tell students what we expect from them in the form of success criteria often prefaced by the phrase: "What I am looking for..." When a lesson has a stronger inquiry stance, criteria for 'success' is co-constructed. Rather than the teacher announcing criteria at the beginning of a lesson, students gradually figure out and help decide what might constitute evidence of understanding/mastery during the lesson and help build the criteria over time. This approach allows students far more agency and brings an inquiry stance to the process of determining evidence of success.

Hack #5 Ditch the intentions. (HERESY!!)

Another lesson hack that can yield a stronger inquiry stance is to leave out the 'learning intention' altogether. There are times when simply jumping IN to the experience is far more engaging and thought provoking than announcing the purpose in advance. When your classroom community has a strong, learning centred culture, your learners will trust that the experience is purposeful. Learning intentions -even as questions- can have the effect of unnecessarily narrowing the focus. As the experience unfolds, the learners themselves can contribute what THEY see is the learning intention behind it. You might find yourself pleasantly surprised.

Hack #6 Unplan

One of the real skills of using an inquiry based approach to teaching on a day to day basis is to develop the art of being more responsive. While thinking ahead and carefully designing experiences is a critical part of good teaching, there is also value in staying more open to possibility. When we resist the urge to plan a session in minute detail - we can be more responsive to what is happening (rather than what we want or assume to be happening). Leave some space. Unplan.

Hack #7 Provoke

Nothing breeds inquiry like mystery, uncertainty - even tension. Consider beginning a lesson with an unexpected move (related to the content of the lesson). One of my favourite provocations happened last year when a group of brave teachers at one of my partner schools in Melbourne deliberately provoked thinking by beginning their day eating junk food - telling the kids they had not had time for breakfast! The students were variously outraged, concerned, envious, puzzled, nonchalant - but in every case, the provocation stirred up amazing conversation, questions s and debate about nutrition and wellbeing. This got an inquiry journey off to a fabulous start. (The teachers, by the way, did 'fess up' to having staged their unusual breakfast choices!)

Hack #8 Hands down

This is hardly a new hack but such an important one to remind ourselves. Wherever possible, helo your kids learn how to have 'hands down' conversations. Instead of hands up - have them turn and talk to each other before (if necessary) inviting some to share with the group.

Hack #9 THEY choose

This is an easy hack to build into any lesson. Ask yourself where you could provide more choice in the learning experience. It may be choice about WHAT students will focus on, HOW they might share their thinking, WHERE they might choose to do their learning, WITH WHOM they will sit/work with or even WHEN across a learning engagement they might work on particular tasks. It might be a combination of all of these things. Choice is a powerful way to help build responsibility and ownership and encouraged the learner to inquire into their own learning needs.

Hack #10 Stand up. Move.

While not particular to inquiry, there is no doubt that being more physically active in a learning experience can bring heightened engagement and even offer the learner new perspectives. If you often end a lesson with a share time - try standing in circle to share. Conduct small group brainstorms on vertical surfaces rather than at tables. I LOVE the classrooms I work in that have whole walls covered in whiteboard paint. Get rid of some furniture so it is easy for your kids to MOVE around the room. Go outside.

Hack #11. Slow down

Perhaps one of the most challenging 'hacks' to pull off. Inquiry - true, deep, wide inquiry takes time. Learners need to wander and wonder. We need to be able to have conversations that go beyond the Ask-Answer-Move-On variety. Slowing down often needs to be a deliberate, intentional act. Intentionally give your kids more time to discuss something, more time to think, more time to decide where they might do their learning, more time to select resources. Classrooms are so often drenched in an atmosphere of business. Disrupt the rush. Slow down. Breathe.

Hack #12. Change your position

Over the years, I have become increasingly uncomfortable when seated on a chair, looking down at a group of students 'at my feet'. One simple hack that often immediately changes the atmosphere and quality of conversation is to seat yourself within a circle of learners.. You may all be on chairs, on the floor, on cushions but you are not physically 'above' the learners. When the classroom furniture is designed in a way that easily allows us to sit/stand WITH learners (around tables, in a small group 'nook', on bean bags , etc....) it makes for more flexible and responsive teaching. Try changing your position in the space - we all become creatures of habit and a disruption to where we usually sit/stand can bring a simple, refreshing change.

Inquiry classrooms (and inquiry teachers) are constructed day by day, session by session. Being conscious of the choreography of our teaching and the degree to which it amplifies or diminishes inquiry is a powerful way to build culture over time. These 'hacks' are simple but by making one change, we can gain insights to which we have been previously blind.

Have you recently to promote more inquiry? What did you notice?

Just wondering...

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Using a more inquiry based approach to teaching and learning can be an overwhelming challenge. There is a lot to it. For some of us, inquiry challenges our very identity as a teacher and throws into question our approaches to classroom design, planning, assessment, curriculum 'coverage' to name a few.

# data[].attributes.body
Tumble is all about the stories of science discovery — how science works, the bumps along the way to knowledge, and how we come to know what we know.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
A SCIENCE PODCAST FOR KIDS

Tumble is a science podcast for kids, to be enjoyed by the entire family. We tell stories about science discoveries, with the help of scientists! Join Lindsay and Marshall as they ask questions, uncover mysteries, and share what science is all about.

"Often compared to a kid-friendly Radiolab, this podcast not only addresses fascinating topics but also tries to foster a love of science itself by interviewing scientists about their process and discoveries. Even kids who think they don't like science may change their minds after listening to this podcast."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Podcast | Tumble Science Podcast for Kids | Austin

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Tumble is a science podcast for kids and grownups. We tell stories about science discoveries, with the help of scientists!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Wonder of Science was created to support the next generation of science teachers. All of the resources are licensed under Creative Commons licensing.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Project-based learning that changes lives! | Dr. John Spencer

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Helping K-12 teachers unleash the power of creativity through project-based learning & design thinking. Download your free PBL blueprint today!

# data[].attributes.body
Get to know the CCC. CCC is for the students to help them make sense of science.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Teaching to the Crosscutting Concepts of the Next Generation Standards. By getting students to understand Science concepts and systems rather than teaching to a discipline, they gain a deeper understanding they can apply in the future.

# data[].attributes.body
Keep up with what is happening in science news

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
This story is part of Planet or Plastic?-our multiyear effort to raise awareness about the global plastic waste crisis. Learn what you can do toreduce your own single-use plastics, andtake your pledge.

A little piece of plastic is all it takes to destroy an animal's life.

Last Friday, a dead harp seal pup was found on the island of Skye and brought to the Scottish Marine Animal Stranding Scheme, a government-funded organization that investigates mortality in marine mammals. There, veterinary pathologist Andrew Brownlow necropsied the corpse and pulled a small, crucially placed square of plastic out of its stomach. He posted about the case on the SMASS Facebook page on Wednesday.

The animal was likely eight months to a year old. Brownlow says it's unusual to find plastic debris inside a seal stomach-seals more often become entangled by fishing nets, lines, and lures and die that way, rather than being killed by small floating plastic debris.

"Plastic ingestion in cetaceans and seals is really rare," says Brownlow, who also heads SMASS. "They're intelligent animals that seem to be able to distinguish between plastic and prey."

The incident highlights just how pervasive plastic pollution is-even the smartest marine animals are falling prey to the deadly epidemic.

Normally, SMASS gets reports of stranded gray seals and harbor seals, which are common in Scotland. But finding a harp seal, which generally live in the Arctic, was unusual.

"This did not look like a gray seal," Brownlow says. "[With a necropsy,] we don't just tell how an animal died but we also try and understand how it lived."

Harp seals are not endangered. They spend most of their time swimming the icy waters of the North Atlantic and Arctic oceans, feeding on fish and crustaceans, and they migrate to their breeding grounds in Newfoundland, the Greenland Sea, and the White Sea each year. (Related: " How a Wayward Antarctic Seal Ended Up on a Brazilian Beach ")

Finding a harp seal as far south as Scotland is rare, Brownlow says, but not impossible. He suspects the pup could have been born in northern Norway and, for some unknown reason, headed south. The animal could have been following prey or other seals, or it could have been lost, he says. In the Facebook post, Brownlow wrote that climate change may have also played a role in the animal's displacement. (Related: " Baby Harp Seals Being Drowned, Crushed Amid Melting Ice ")

During the necropsy, Brownlow and his team of scientists found a flimsy 2-inch square of plastic crumpled up in the harp seals' stomach. Mild ulcerations indicated that the plastic had been stuck there for some time. The debris could have blocked the pyloric sphincter, the part of the stomach that empties into the intestines, and prevented the animal's stomach from emptying. The intestine was also inflamed.

Brownlow is quick to add that the plastic did not directly kill this seal. The animal was autolyzed, dehydrated, and emaciated, showing it had already been sick and hadn't eaten recently before its death. The corpse had evidence of sepsis and some parasites, but no trauma.

Brownlow says it's likely that the plastic piece damaged the tissue of the stomach and allowed bacteria from the gut to flow into the bloodstream. The pup would have died early anyway, but the plastic piece could have sped up the process.

Plastic can't be broken down in the stomach, but if the animal had been healthy, it might still be alive. The animal probably would have been discomforted, but the film most likely would not have killed it.

"This isn't a problem from a conservation point of view, [but] it is pretty much a tragedy from an individual point of view," Brownlow says. "[Plastic pollution] is the last straw that breaks the animal's back."

Harp seals aren't the only species plagued by plastic. Curious sea lions and other seal species often become entangled in ocean debris like fishing equipment, as well as plastic bags and packing bands.

About 700 species eat plastic, often thinking it's food. But instead of providing nourishment, the debris can puncture the lining of the stomach, leading to starvation and death. Endangered sea turtles and seabirds ingest the waste, and fish, whales, and other gilled marine animals are increasingly at risk of consuming microscopic plastic debris. (Related: " Plastic Bag Found at the Bottom of World's Deepest Ocean Trench ")

Some plastic pollution is visible, but more than 90 percent of all plastic litter is less than half an inch long. At this size, the pieces might not be detectable to the public eye, but they can still mean a death sentence for unknowing animals.

"This is why these tiny little [plastic] pieces are as significant as the floating islands of this stuff," Brownlow says. "Even little bits of plastic are the problem."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How a Seal Pup Died With a Plastic Wrapper in Its Stomach

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This story is part of Planet or Plastic?-our multiyear effort to raise awareness about the global plastic waste crisis. Learn what you can do toreduce your own single-use plastics, andtake your pledge. A little piece of plastic is all it takes to destroy an animal's life.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
NGSS - Next Generation Science Standards

Next Generation Science Standards Introduction

Scientific & Engineering Practices

Asking Questions & Defining Problems
Developing & Using Models
Planning & Carrying Out Investigations
Analyzing & Interpreting Data

Mathematics & Computational Thinking
Construct Explanations & Design Solutions
Engaging in Argument from Evidence
Obtain, Evaluate, Communicate Information

Crosscutting Concepts

Patterns
Cause & Effect: Mechanism & Explanation
Scale, Proportion, & Quantity
Systems & System Models

Energy & Matter: Flow, Cycle, Conservation
Structure & Function
Stability & Change

Physical Science Disciplinary Core Ideas

PS1A - Structure & Properties of Matter
PS1B - Chemical Reactions
PS1C - Nuclear Processes
PS2A - Forces & Motion
PS2B - Types of Interactions
PS2C - Stability & Instability
PS3A - Definitions of Energy

PS3B - Energy: Conservation & Transfer
PS3C - Energy & Forces
PS3D - Energy in Chemical Processes & Life
PS4A - Wave Properties
PS4B - Electromagnetic Radiation
PS4C - Information Technologies

Life Science Disciplinary Core Ideas

LS1A - Structure & Function
LS1B - Growth & Development
LS1C - Organization in Organisms
LS1D - Information Processing
LS2A - Relationships in Ecosystems
LS2B - Cycles in Ecosystems
LS2C - Ecosystem Dynamics

LS2D - Social Interactions & Behavior
LS3A - Inheritance of Traits
LS3B - Variation of Traits
LS4A - Evidence of Common Ancestry
LS4B - Natural Selection
LS4C - Adaptation
LS4D - Biodiversity & Humans

Earth & Space Science Disciplinary Core Ideas

ESS1A - The Universe & Its Stars
ESS1B - Earth & the Solar System
ESS1C - History of the Planet Earth
ESS2A - Earth Materials & Systems
ESS2B - Plate Tectonics/Large Scale Systems
ESS2C - Role of Water on Earth

ESS2D - Weather & Climate
ESS2E - Biogeology
ESS3A - Natural Resources
ESS3B - Natural Hazards
ESS3C - Human Impacts on Earth Systems
ESS3D - Global Climate Change

Engineering, Technology & Applications of Science
Disciplinary Core Ideas

ETS1A - Defining & Delimiting an Engineering Problem
ETS1B - Developing Possible Solutions
ETS1C - Optimizing the Design Solution
ETS2A - Interdependence of Science, Engineering & Technology
ETS2B - Influence of Science, Engineering & Technology on Society & the Natural World

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
NGSS - Next Generation Science Standards - bozemanscience

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Anatomy and Physiology AP Biology AP Chemistry AP Environmental Science AP Physics Biology Chemistry Earth Science Educational NGSS - Next Generation Science Standards Physics Statistics & Graphing

# data[].attributes.body
Design For Change, a global movement driven by children who believe that “every child can.”

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Anthony Johnson is a fifth-grade science and social studies teacher at Isenberg Elementary School in Salisbury, North Carolina. He is also an Apple Distinguished Educator and TED-Ed Innovative Educator. Charity Ramsey is a fifth-grade 5th science and English teacher at Isenberg Elementary School. She is a graduate of Livingstone College and has been teaching for seven years with experience in 1st, 2nd, and 5th grade. Below, they describe their joint classroom project: STEM EMPATHY.

It all began when we signed up our fifth-grade students for Design For Change, a global movement driven by children who believe that "every child can." The program takes students through four steps - feel, imagine, do and share - to help students design a project to create change. After combining classrooms for this project, our 50 students brainstormed many ideas for projects to create change. These project ideas ranged from helping the homeless to tutoring STEM in pediatric hospitals to restoring historic homes. After careful consideration, the students unanimously agreed that delivering STEM education to their peers in hospitals would have the most impact and bring the most meaning and purpose in each of their lives. Thus, STEM EMPATHY was born.

The mission of STEM EMPATHY is to encourage and tutor children in pediatric hospitals, and to give our students the opportunity to learn and grow through a service learning project that integrates science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). In essence, we want to function as a visiting STEM classroom at the local Children's Hospital.

This service learning project will give our students the opportunity to tutor and build relationships with children in pediatric hospitals, while learning from one another, with one another. Children are capable of comprehending complex issues and empathizing with children their age. When asked why they chose this project idea, one student responded, "Children who are not able to come to the classroom still need education. You don't know what they want to be if they get past their illness."

STEM EMPATHY is a now a nonprofit, student-led initiative. Learn more about it here: www.stemempathy.org!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Anthony Johnson is a fifth-grade science and social studies teacher at Isenberg Elementary School in Salisbury, North Carolina. He is also an Apple Distinguished Educator and TED-Ed Innovative Educator. Charity Ramsey is a fifth-grade 5th science and English teacher at Isenberg Elementary School.

# data[].attributes.body
Link to Jamie's Padlet

# data[].attributes.body
Children do not learn the meaning of

a word through memorization; teacher

intervention is key. The activities in this

issue of Science and Children provide

a variety of teaching strategies to help

students make sense of science terms.

# data[].attributes.body
In these interviews, authors share insights about their work. Whether or not you’ve read the highlighted books, we think you’ll find these podcasts interesting, thought-provoking, and helpful.

# data[].attributes.headline
READ: What is phenomenon based teaching? 

# data[].attributes.subject
READ: What is phenomenon based teaching? 

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
November 2017: Science 2.0: Using 3-D Printers to Teach Design Thinking

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Discover the benefits of using the Science & Engineering practices of the Next Generation Science Standards. These practices engage students in a way that makes them think deeply.

# data[].attributes.headline
Why ES teachers need to teach engineering

# data[].attributes.subject
Why ES teachers need to teach engineering

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Why Engineering for Children? | Engineering is Elementary

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
If you've ever watched children at play, you know they're fascinated with building things-and with taking things apart to see how they work. In other words, children are natural-born engineers. When children engineer in a school setting, research suggests several positive results:

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Aug 22, 2017

Failed to save article

Please try again

(Russ Gossett for MindShift)

Many elementary school teachers love to teach reading and writing, but are less comfortable with science and math. It’s not a hard and fast truth, of course, but learning to read is a big focus of the early school years, so it makes sense that teachers who gravitate toward elementary school like teaching literacy. But it’s also important to expose kids to science early and get them excited about the practices that define scientific inquiry. And literature may be the perfect starting point. Stories are full of tension, conflict and dilemmas that make wonderful departure points for engineering projects that weave subjects together.

Researchers at Tufts Center for Engineering Education and Outreach partnered with teachers to design a program they call Novel Engineering, which plays on the literary strengths of elementary school teachers to help them explore hands-on science-oriented activities in their classrooms. Teachers pick a book with tension in it to read, but stop halfway to ask students to generate a list of problems the character is facing. Then students split off into pairs to design, prototype, test and iterate on solutions to their chosen problem.

Martin Daignault’s fourth-grade class at Winthrop School in Massachusetts tried Novel Engineering in one of the first weeks of class with Kate DiCamillo’s book, The Tiger Rising. The story revolves around a boy who finds a caged tiger in the woods near his house. When the class stopped to identify problems, one boy noted that he wanted to give the tiger more freedom, but he also realized that if the tiger were free it would not only endanger the community, but that very freedom would also put the tiger at risk. During the design and engineering time, he built a leash system for the tiger.

Students test mouth parts they designed for creatures adapted to the salt marsh wetland near their town. The activity was based on the book "What If You Had Animal Teeth?" (Courtesy Martin Daignault)

Later, when the class finished the story, it turned out this student had correctly predicted what would happen to the tiger a hundred pages before it did. “I think he felt tremendous pride,” Daignault said of the student, who happened to have difficulty reading. All Daignault knew about the student at this point in the year was that he had an Individual Education Program (IEP) and struggled with reading, but after this activity he saw what a deep thinker the kid was, too. That helped set them on a positive course for the rest of the year.

Brainstorming a list of problems in the book helped all students to read the text more deeply and got them excited to try to solve the issues they generated themselves. “Every person in the room had different takes on the big important parts of a story,” Daignault said, and the activity set a tone of exploration, deep reading and hands-on play for the rest of the year.

“We all agreed it was time well spent,” Daignault said of the team of fourth-grade teachers who have been working together to use Novel Engineering to deepen and extend their experience with practices in the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). There’s no extra time in the school year, so the week that Alicia Thomas, Gretchen Marinopoulos, Katie Norris, Robbyn Wile and Daignault spent with their classes reading, discussing, brainstorming, designing, problem-solving, testing and designing again was precious.

Designing a program that wouldn’t be an add-on to what teachers are already doing, but that would offer opportunities for them to experiment with interdisciplinary learning, was a goal for the Tufts staff designing Novel Engineering. Originally intended for third through fifth grade, staff now work with K-8 teachers and don’t see why it can’t work with high school as well.

“We really wanted to make sure it was flexible and it was based on books teachers were already using in the classroom,” said Elissa Milto, the program manager and a former classroom teacher. She understands teachers aren’t looking for a whole new curriculum, but that they do appreciate ideas that can be flexibly used within their existing standards.

Students in Daignault's class designed multiple versions of their adapted mouths before testing them out in the wild. (Courtesy Martin Daignault)

“It’s really focused on the students’ ideas rather than the teacher coming up with the problem they’re going to solve,” Milto said. This part is crucial because it not only requires students to read and understand the book deeply, but it builds their interest and motivation for the project. Teachers also encourage students to look to the text to guide their design choices so that they make something the specific characters would use.

In Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, for example, Peter’s younger brother, Fudge, is always annoying him. At one point the 3-year-old messes with Peter’s turtle, but their Mom says Peter can’t lock the door to his room. Students might see keeping the turtle safe from Fudge as the problem, but they have to develop a system to do so without keeping the little boy out. In one class Milto observed, the students designed a pulley system that could raise and lower the turtle out of Fudge’s reach.

Novel Engineering is meant to be accessible to any classroom, regardless of materials, so often students are only building prototypes of their solutions, not life-size pulleys. However, Milto stresses that the solutions should be functional, not representational, and there should be a way to test if the prototype works. So, for example, does the cardboard and rope contraption hold the weight of a turtle?

“We don’t want it to be a craft project,” Milto said. The goal is to use literature as a way for teachers and students to get their feet wet with engineering cycles and concepts, as well as to offer authentic entry points to discussions of required science content. In one classroom Milto worked in, a group of students realized packing foam floated. That led to a whole class discussion of buoyancy and things that float or sink.

“The open-endedness is more scary to teachers than the engineering part,” Milto said.

She has observed that when teachers are less comfortable with a subject, they naturally tend to try to control the activities around it more. So when students pick the problem they work on and the materials they use -- and not every student is working on the same problem or using the same materials -- it can be a little scary at first.

“They really have to let themselves be open to their kids and the kids' ideas,” she said. “They don’t need to be responsible for everything.” Her team tries to help ease teachers into that mindset by having them do their own design challenge in professional development. When they experience the process they are often more open to leading it themselves.

PITFALLS TO WATCH OUT FOR

1. Kids are used to looking for a right answer

While kids often love the freedom of Novel Engineering when they get the hang of it, there’s also a learning curve. Milto recommends that teachers start with a picture book so that they can go through the process quickly once as a group. Often student designs aren’t very functional at first, so picking one problem to work on as a group gives the opportunity to model critiquing a first iteration, problem-solving through any issues, and easing students into an activity that may feel strange to them at first. It also gives teachers a chance to practice facilitation before setting students loose on their own projects.

2. A mid-design share out is very important

While it’s easy to focus on the final presentation, incorporating a chance for students to get feedback from peers on their designs is often the most important part of the experience. Sometimes kids commit to an idea early and have a hard time changing direction without a moment to hear and reflect on feedback. And often it’s this mid-design check-in that spurs the most authentic and creative problem-solving.

3. Choose the right book

Since the goal of the project is to integrate literary and scientific thinking, the books that work best have concrete problems. Science fiction or fantasy doesn’t work well because the solutions shouldn’t involve magic.

Daignault’s team used the Novel Engineering approach with an I Survived book on extreme weather to introduce the topic. One group was trying to find a solution for an uncle in the story who was caught in the storm, cut off from help. The group decided to design a bunker that could be quickly assembled when a storm came on quickly. They decided a tarp rolled over a ditch would do the trick. But when they tested how it would hold up in a tornado by blowing a fan over the top, the students realized the tarp wouldn’t hold its position. That’ when they designed stakes to secure it.

“They went through three or four different designs to find something that worked well,” Daignault said. Along the way they took notes on what worked, what needed changing and how they planned to redesign the bunker. They also drew diagrams that they used to guide their work. Daignault was impressed with how students stuck with the project even when they hit difficulties, and while the learning about weather didn’t go very deep in this project, it gave students prior knowledge for later learning.

“It really was better than something we might have come up with that would have been more contrived,” Daignault said. He’s already scheming up ways he might use the practice to integrate social studies, but also recognizes that it’s a first step for his team as they try to develop their science teaching.

Ultimately he’d like science to be all about kids thinking for themselves, making sense of topics, and he doesn’t think Novel Engineering goes deep enough. But, he said many people on his team weren’t comfortable with design principles or science concepts before starting the project, and afterward they are more prepared to dig deeper. He thinks a workshop model like the one his school uses for reading and writing might work. It’s something he and his team are exploring now.

One of the hardest parts for students is often working together. But helping them find ways to be collaborative, to compromise on ideas, and to learn from one another is also a valuable skill set and one that Daignault recognizes. But he and his colleagues are having a harder time documenting what progress looks like on those “process skills.” Milto suggested that one way to emphasize these skills is through reflection at the end. Students could write about the experience of working in a group, what was hard, what worked and what they might do differently next time.

One group of fourth-grade girls she worked with spent so much time planning their design that when they went to build it they didn’t have much time or many materials to use. She came back the following year and that same group of girls were able to have a clear conversation about where their process went wrong before. On their second try they set strict time limits on each stage of the project so they’d keep moving along.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
A Literacy-Based Strategy to Help Teachers Integrate Science Skills | KQED

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Teachers using Novel Engineering find that students read more deeply and incorporate engineering concepts more easily when they identify problems in the stories they’re reading.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Living in the 21st Century where many students have access to 1:1 devices at school and even more devices at home, Digital Citizenship is a highly important topic our students need to understand.

Curriculum's world wide mandate the need to teach students about Digital Citizenship, yet many teachers find it quite daunting to teach their students these vital skills to ensure their safety in online spaces.

Students need to be aware of the risks and dangers that exist online from an early age. My love for teaching through picture story books has allowed me to find a range of very supportive books to help teachers teach students about the key concepts of Digital Citizenship. Here is a list of some of my favourites;

Popcorn is an extremely positive and friendly chicken. She interacts beautifully with her real life friends, but is then engrossed in a digital device she finds, continually replying to messages while not knowing who they are from. Popcorn invites these unknown characters to her house as she thinks they are being her friend. She quickly realises that when they turn up, they are wolves that want to eat her. Popcorn is very lucky her real friends come to save her from the wolves.

A range of short stories that incorporate Augmented Reality, via the Zapper app, to engage students. Each story has reflection questions to ensure students understand each stories concept. The characters explore the concepts of uploading video and images to social media, cyberbullying, strangers online, and screen time. The end of the book provides teachers and students with scenarios and quizzes to test their knowledge and create discussions around digital citizenship.

The Internet is Like a Puddle compares the wonderfulness of the internet with playing in a puddle as a child. Both can be extremely fun, but we really don't know what is happening behind our phone, tablet, or screen, like we don't know how deep a puddle is until we jump in. By spending too much time on the internet you can get into tricky unsafe situations, when you need to tell an adult if you are unsure to ensure your safety.

Charlie loves playing computer games. But, when his house loses power, he is unable to play his game and is terribly upset. It takes Charlie a long time to find something to do that he enjoys that doesn't require power. He eventually plays hide and seek with his sister and finds that he really enjoys it. When the power comes back on, Charlie is extremely excited to play his computer game once again, but he is also excited to limit his play so he can continue to play unplugged games.

The fairytales we all love are altered when Jack finds a laptop and connects to the internet. Cinderella immediately does a lot of online shopping to get ready for the ball, the Big Bad Wolf begins gaming, while the Three Little Pigs purchase materials for their house. This is all great until Cinderella receives the bill, and the Three Little Pigs become bored as the Big Bad Wolf is too busy gaming to blow their house down. Rapunzel and Little Red Riding Hood appear and altogether each fairytale character realise that if they check with the Fairy Godmother before they use the computer everything will be just fine.

The little chick easily purchases gifts online for all her animal friends. This is all great until dad receives the bill to pay for these purchases. Without permission the little chick starts talking to and sending photos of herself to strangers. When she has the chance to meet this stranger she realises that she has actually been talking to a fox that wants to eat her.

Jasper spends hours playing video games trying to get to the next level before his friends. This in turn affects his relationship with his mum and sister, his grades at school, his soccer, and his sleep. All Jasper can think about is playing his game. When Jasper finally listens to his mother and limits his computer game play to one hour a day, he sees his grades improve, his soccer improve, his relationship with his sister improve, and still he is able to enjoy his one hour of computer game play a day.

The Technology Tail uses the analogy of a tail as a digital footprint. For each positive online interaction your tail grows stronger, but for every negative interaction, your tail receives a tear, scratch, or bruise. It reinforces the fact that everything you post on the internet is always going to be there, which means future employees will be able to view your online interactions and potentially decide to give you a job or not based on your tail.

What are your favourite picture story books to teach your students about Digital Citizenship?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Teaching Digital Citizenship with Picture Story Books

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This post was first published on Matt Miller's Ditch That Textbook blog. Living in the 21st Century where many students have access to 1:1 devices at school and even more devices at home, Digital Citizenship is a highly important topic our students need to understand.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The are many different devices being implemented into classrooms all around the world. With schools using PC's, Laptops, Macbooks, iPads, Chromebooks, and Netbooks to move further towards 21st Century Contemporary Learning environments I am often asked the question "What devices should my school purchase?" I immediately stop the conversation before any further discussion and ask the question, "What is the purpose of the device?"

Schools need to invest time in developing a vision on "the purpose" of any new device and what it is they would like their students to create and achieve that this new technology will enable. Dialogue needs to be centred around the school's vision and pedagogy focused on the learner.

Once a clear vision and purpose is established schools can move forward and explore what different devices can achieve and weigh up the pro's and con's of each for their school environment. What best suits one school may not necessarily be the best for the school down the road so it is critically important that each school has their own clear vision.

Things to consider when choosing a device:

School Vision

Current tools and programs used by teachers and students

Knowledge and understanding on 21st Century teaching pedagogies

School Infrastructure

Management of devices

Teacher Professional Learning

Each learner needs to have access to a device, that connects each them with their teacher and other learners, experts, with real-world contexts for learning, multimedia resources, software for learning and online tools and applications.

Taking new devices out of boxes and configuring them to your school infrastructure is like Christmas Day. Students will be excited and intrigued to dive straight in and explore the possibilities of any new device. Some staff will be just as excited as the students though there will be many who will see these new devices and be hesitant to employ them in their classrooms.

Staff need to be supported with structured Professional Learning to ensure any new device is used transformatively in their classroom. It is very easy for teachers that are not supported to feel unconfident with a new device and simply use it as a tool to perform old tasks the way they have always done.

The SAMR model, developed by Dr. Ruben Puentedura, is designed to help teachers enhance their lessons through the integration of technology by focusing on designing lessons that are transformative. Teachers need to reflect on their lesson design and structure to ensure they that are using devices in ways that previously would not be possible.

Breakdown of the SAMR model:

Substitution -

Teachers use a device to simply replicate what they are already doing or have always done.

Students use an app to play a maths game that does not allow for teacher feedback or assessment.

Students use Office 365 or Google Docs to complete a piece of writing, but do not share or collaborate.

Augmentation -

Teachers explore 21st Century tools to support their learning and explain their understanding but have no real input from others.

Students create a document in Google Drive or Office 365 and share their work for only their teacher to view.

Students create a tutorial using Explain Everything uploading it to Google Drive or Office 365 for the teacher to view.

Modification -

Teachers redesign their lessons to allow for student collaboration

Students use the comment feature in Google Drive or Office 365 to provide instant feedback for both their teacher and other students.

Students use Google MyMaps to collaborate as a class on one world map making connections to world locations.

Redefinition -

Teachers use technology to enhance lessons, connecting students with other schools, teachers and experts to transform thinking and understanding.

There are many lesson ideas that can be implemented that demonstrate transformative use of devices. It is all about teacher imagination and creativity of how any tool can be used to achieve this.

Examples of technology enhanced transformative lessons;

Lesson Idea 1 - Developing student personal inquiry questions

Students develop their understanding of a question asked by the teacher or developed from student wonderings through the use of VersoApp. Verso App allows students to create a discussion with other students, sharing their opinions and expressing their ideas, all anonymously.

Once students have developed their understanding, they can use Google Drive or Office 365 to collaboratively generate an inquiry investigation.

Students can share their findings and investigations on their Blog or Digital Portfolio. The teacher can post the link on the class Twitter account to invite experts, the school community and other classes around the world to leave feedback.

Lesson Idea 2: - Exploring and creating discussions related to the Class Novel.

Many novels can be linked to different locations around the world. When a chapter or portion of the book is completed, students can work collaboratively using Google MyMaps to plot the journey/locations of the story. Students can add details and descriptions on each location from information discovered in the book.

They could then make connections and research places or events. Students can also use Google Maps, Google Views, or Google Art Project to further explore the world around them related to the book.

Classes are able to connect with authors via Twitter and conduct a Skype or a Google Hangout to develop questions and deepen their understandings on the text they are reading. Students can create a blog post of a book review, map, or interview with the author and share their findings with the world.

Lesson Idea 3: - Developing Mathematics Concepts related to Data.

Students can develop a survey using Google Forms as a group or class. The teacher can share the form via social media (Twitter, Google+ or Blog) so that the students receive real authentic responses. Students then analyse the data via Google Sheets and create a presentation collaboratively using Google Slide, PowerPoint Online, or Book Creator on what they have discovered from the collected data.

Students could use the app Explain Everything to create mini tutorials on ways to sort and analyse data sets and make informed judgements.

Books can be published to the iBooks store and presentations can be shared on their Blog so others can view their work.

Lesson Idea 4: - Linking students learning with other classes

Many schools around Australia and the world have similar topics/concepts that need to be developed over the course of the year. A great way for students to connect is by linking with classes from other schools. This can be developed by organising a Mystery Hangout or Mystery Skype.
This allows students to develop and ask questions to find the location of the other class and where they are in the world. Once this has been developed students can be encouraged to build upon the friendship via class blogs and commenting and viewing other students work. Teachers can work to connect topics through inquiry, language or mathematics units. Students can work on projects collaboratively via cloud based programs such as Google Drive or Office 365. As well as sharing their discoveries and learning journey together by publishing books, Google Sites, Videos, tutorials or a sequence of lessons.

Student Choice

The best ways to create a transformative classroom is by giving students choice. Students should not be told what tool to use to complete a task. They should be able to adapt their thinking and understanding of a learning outcome and be able choose the tool or mixture of tools they believe will allow them to create and produce work that shows their understanding of the outcome that they take pride in. This does not even have to include using the devices they have access too. The option needs to be the students so they can take ownership of their own learning.
Digital apps and tools continue to develop and enhance teaching and learning. Here are some of my favourite apps and tools that I use within my classroom.

Brainstorming:

Finding information:

Organising Information:

Presenting information:

Seeking Feedback:

Reflecting:

*This app/tool has age restrictions.

We know that students starting school today will graduate and go into jobs that are not yet created. As educators we need to prepare our students for this. Our role is not to provide the facts and answers but to allow our students to develop the skills to solve problems they are faced with and find answers to their own questions and wonderings.

Ultimately, the device a school decides to purchase will not automatically enhance teaching and learning. The key to the successful implementation of any device is a teacher that transformatively integrates technology to support students in developing the skills they need for their future.

Further Resources:
Ruben R. Puentedura's Weblog
Ditch the TextBook - Matt Miller

Learn like a Pirate - Paul Solarz

SAMR in 120 Seconds - https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=82&v=us0w823KY0g

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Does the Device Matter? The are many different devices being implemented into classrooms all around the world. With schools using PC's, Laptops, Macbooks, iPads, Chromebooks, and Netbooks to move further towards 21st Century Contemporary Learning environments I am often asked the question "What devices should my school purchase?"

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Every day, we're amazed and delighted by the incredible diversity of games, stories, and animations that children create and share with Scratch. This August, we'll be launching a new generation of Scratch, called Scratch 3.0, that aims to expand how kids can create and share, and how educators can support student learning with Scratch. This new version will include new images, new support materials, and new programming capabilities - and it runs on a wider variety of devices (including tablets).

As we prepare for the launch of Scratch 3.0, we want to help you prepare too. So we put together a quick overview of three things to know about Scratch 3.0.

1. Scratch 3.0 will have more ways to create and share

Create, share, and remix projects on tablets (in addition to laptops and desktops, of course)

Choose from dozens of new characters, backdrops, and sounds

New paint and sound editors make it easier to remix and manipulate characters, music, and sounds

With the new extension system, children can program physical devices (like micro:bit) and web services (like Google Translate)

New in-editor experience for first-time users

New bite-sized how-to videos

Updated Scratch Activity Cards and Educator Guides

Updated Creative Computing Curriculum from our friends at Harvard ScratchEd

Updated tutorials from our friends at Code Club and CS First

All existing projects and accounts will continue to work in Scratch 3.0

All existing programming blocks will still be there (and we're adding some new ones!)

Scratch 3.0 will be translated and available in many different languages

The offline versions of Scratch 1.4 and Scratch 2.0 will still be available

Scratch will continue to be free for all!

2. Scratch 3.0 will have new support for getting started

3. Scratch 3.0 is still the Scratch you know and love

For more details on what's coming in Scratch 3.0, check out our
Scratch 3.0 FAQ.

Follow us on Twitter and Facebook for updates, upcoming webinars, and news about Scratch.

Scratch (3.0) on!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Every day, we're amazed and delighted by the incredible diversity of games, stories, and animations that children create and share with Scratch. This August, we'll be launching a new generation of Scratch, called Scratch 3.0, that aims to expand how kids can create and share, and how educators can support student learning with Scratch.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Inspiring the next generation of female engineers | Debbie Sterling | TEDxPSU

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Within STEM, adults and children are often confused about the differences between science and engineering, especially with regard to how the two connect in elementary school. Both subjects require students to manipulate and test materials, engage in arguments based on evidence and work in teams, but there are crucial differences between the two fields. Before, during and after children engage in an engineering design challenge, it's important to help them understand what makes each field distinct. These four questions can help you frame your explanation of the differences between engineering and science.

What's the simple definition?

Science is the body of knowledge that explores the physical and natural world. Engineering is the application of knowledge in order to design, build and maintain a product or a process that solves a problem and fulfills a need (i.e. a technology).

What's the procedure?

Scientists use the scientific method. Engineers use the engineering design process. The scientist starts with asking a question. Then they do background research, formulate a hypothesis, test that hypothesis by conducting an experiment, analyze the data and communicate their results. Engineers start by defining the problem, then they identify the criteria and constraints, brainstorm ideas, plan, create a technology and improve upon their design.

What's the goal?

Scientists and engineers have different goals. Scientists seek to describe and understand the natural world. Engineers consider various criteria and constraints in order to design solutions to problems, needs and wants that better the lives of humans, animals and/or the environment.

What's the result and impact?

Scientists use their varied approaches-controlled experiments or longitudinal observational studies-to generate knowledge. The final result might be a research paper or a book, and the knowledge therein can be used to help us understand and make predictions about the natural world. Engineers use scientific knowledge to create a technology. What does this mean in a real-world context? Use this example: a virologist is a scientist who researches how viruses are spread and how they affect the human body. A biomedical engineer can use the virologist's research to create an anti-viral drug that blocks a certain virus from spreading to new cells in the body.

In this way, both engineers and scientists are extremely important, and both fields benefit from the ingenuity and hard work of its counterpart. In some cases, scientists rely on the innovations that engineers design to further their research (e.g. microscopes or monitors), for example. To help students envision the wide range of STEM careers and opportunities available to them, it's important to reinforce distinctions between the fields and deepen their understanding and appreciation.The four aforementioned questions can help as you address the E in STEM. We've also created a video to share with students to support their learning. Check it out below.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
4 Simple Ways to Explain the Difference Between Science and Engineering

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Within STEM, adults and children are often confused about the differences between science and engineering, especially with regard to how the two connect in elementary school. Both subjects require students to manipulate and test materials, engage in arguments based on evidence and work in teams, but there are crucial differences between the two fields.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
As a curriculum writer for Engineering is Elementary, I'm always thinking about developing activities that promote engineering habits of mind. Many habits of mind; like "collaboration," "communication," and "creativity"; naturally integrate with the type of hands-on engineering activities that we develop, and are often used to describe the work of engineers. Other habits, like the call for " ethical considerations," require deliberate reflection to fully integrate into the K-8 classroom. The idea of ethics in engineering may seem like a daunting topic to navigate with students, but the power of critical thinking and the opportunity for students to consider the impact of their decisions has never been more important.

A Conversation Worth Having

Ethical implications in engineering, as defined by Engineering in K-12 Education, refers to the "impacts of engineering on people and the environment; ethical considerations include possible unintended consequences of a technology, the potential disproportionate advantages or disadvantages of a technology for certain groups or individuals, and other issues" related to social justice. In other words, ethics is a component of engineering that requires students to reflect upon the complicated nature of their design decisions and the effect of their technology on the wider world. Conversations about tradeoffs in engineering, including impacts on society and the environment, can push kids' thinking in all sorts of remarkable interdisciplinary directions, and are certainly worth having with your kids.

Making Tough Choices

For example, in the unit A Stick in the Mud: Evaluating a Landscape, the engineering design challenge-siting a TarPul, a type of bridge that uses cables to pull passengers across its span (shown at right)-is presented in a context where many points of view come together around the Karnali River in Nepal. Students are asked to choose the best site for the TarPul based on their combined understanding of the region's geology, river curvature and flooding, TarPul construction, and the cultural knowledge of village elders. This situation presents a very real-world problem for engineers working in and outside of the classroom. They often must find a compromise between where the villagers (the client) want the bridge to be and the most practical design as dictated by the geology. In this design challenge, the villagers may be less likely to use the TarPul if it is not in the desired location, but students must also take the villagers' safety and the structural integrity of the TarPul into consideration. In order to make the best recommendations to the village elders, students must utilize all of the information they gleaned from their experiences throughout this unit. They must think about their engineering work alongside the specific needs and values of the people their technology is intended to serve. As we designed it, there is no one optimal solution; each proposed location has strengths and weaknesses that must be weighed (the video below shows kids exploring their choices together). Of course in real life, the stakes for vulnerable communities are often much higher. This challenge offers students a brief glimpse into the complicated tradeoffs that real engineers must consider when thinking about the impacts of their designs.

People-First Technology

While students grapple with the fact that there is often no perfect solution to a problem and engineers have to find ways to optimize the factors at hand, the "ethical considerations" habit of mind serves as a reminder, an appeal, to design people-first technology. Ursula Franklin; a research physicist, educator, and writer on the political and social effects of technology; writes, "Like democracy, technology is a multifaceted entity. It includes activities as well as a body of knowledge, structures as well as the act of structuring . . . How does one talk about something that is both fish and water, means as well as end?" It's true that the ethical implications of engineering and technology reveal themselves in the engineering design process, as well as the product. The spirit in which engineering happens, the habits of mind students use to approach it, and the conscience of those who design in this world, all contribute to the great responsibility of choosing what's right, even if it is sometimes viewed as less practical.

For more on this topic, visit Engineering, Social Justice, and Peace or check out Engineering and Social Justice by Donna Riley.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Assessing the Implications of Solutions is an Engineering Habit of Mind

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
As a curriculum writer for Engineering is Elementary, I'm always thinking about developing activities that promote engineering habits of mind. Many habits of mind; like "collaboration," "communication," and "creativity"; naturally integrate with the type of hands-on engineering activities that we develop, and are often used to describe the work of engineers.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
STEAM has since gained momentum across the globe-including on Capitol Hill-and is now widely adopted by institutions, corporations and leaders. Even the Sesame Workshop updated its longstanding STEM curriculum to STEAM as a means of reinforcing the ongoing value of the arts and humanities.

Today STEAM can be seen in practice across RISD's curriculum from, for example, the Brown|RISD Dual Degree program to research and experimentation in the Co-Works Research Lab and the Nature Lab to graduate degree programs such as Digital + Media and a partnership with Marine Affairs at the University of Rhode Island to the Computation, Technology and Culture concentration and in studios across disciplines, including a longstanding NASA studio in Industrial Design.

For more information, contact Jaime Marland, senior director of Public Relations.​

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
In 2010, RISD began to champion the addition of art and design to STEM education and research, toward creating STEAM, an educational model that inspires creative innovation.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Cultivating Creators through Coding and STEAM

How can we teach essential STEM skills while sparking the curiosity of tomorrow's creators? Coding inspires critical thinking, engages students' problem solving skills, and promotes creativity and schools are beginning to embrace this discipline as an essential element of their STEM programs. The best news is that coding and technology can be used as platforms for storytelling and student creation, turning STEM into STEAM!

Learn how teachers are using coding and technology to introduce opportunities for creative expression across the curriculum and support learning outcomes. (Recorded on April 16, 2015)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Cultivating Creators through Coding and STEAM

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
How can we teach essential STEM skills while sparking the curiosity of tomorrow's creators? Coding inspires critical thinking, engages students' problem solving skills, and promotes creativity and schools are beginning to embrace this discipline as an essential element of their STEM programs. The best news is that coding and technology can be used as platforms for storytelling and student creation, turning STEM into STEAM!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The ISTE Student Standards guide educators toward student-driven learning practices that prepare students to thrive in an evolving technological landscape.

# data[].attributes.body
Kids need to learn the skills of searching. A great way to scaffold this is to preselect the sites they will be using so their "search" is only using sites that you are sure contain the information you want, at the reading level you want.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Create a search engine - Custom Search Help

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
To create a new Custom Search Engine, all you have to do are choose which sites to search and give your search engine a name.

# data[].attributes.body
Take a trip...from your couch this summer.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Virtual Field Trips and General VR Content Apps

- The first and broadest content provider of 360 pictures for VR field trips and career shadowing experiences. Sign up for the Google Expeditions Team to come to your school and bring a VR field trip with them.

HiverLab - An interactive 360 video company that has a promising 360 video annotation platform called Storyhive. Could be a Google Expeditions competitor.

Embodied Learning - Embodied patient experience labs (U.S.)

E-learning Studios - offers VR and AR learning technology design and development services (U.K.)

VR equipment or Google Expedition Kits sellers

(Disclaimer: this is just a list we compiled and we are not responsible for any transactions you have with these sites)

- A U.K.-based VR hire and event-planning company with the major headsets, PCs, and more for rent.

Amazon.com - Of course, you can pretty much buy everything from here. It probably won't be the cheapest option though.

Dynamic Innovative Data solutions - An Indianapolis, IN, USA-based company providing less expensive classroom VR kits.

- A VR technology and kit provider based in Bahrain, serving the Middle East and Subcontinent region

- A 360 video authoring and publishing platform focused on creating educational experiences.

Web-based VR Creation Tools - Visit this link for reviews of some of the tools below.

Academic Institutions & Labs specializing in VR

General Links to Education-related Virtual Reality Resources

Google Daydream VR - Google's next offering of a VR headset. Requires Daydream-compatible phones (usually $600-800). The wand/remote that comes with it is the biggest difference between it and the old Samsung gear. Now Samsung Gear VR version 2 also has a similar product.

Virtual Reality News sites

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
VR Resources - Virtual Reality for Education

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Virtual Field Trips and General VR Content Apps - The first and broadest content provider of 360 pictures for VR field trips and career shadowing experiences. Sign up for the Google Expeditions Team to come to your school and bring a VR field trip with them.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
John Spencer

Posted on February 21, 2015

My wife and I give each other one night a week to pursue our own interest. It's sort of like having a date night alone. Odd, I know, but something that allows both of us to pursue our own interests no matter how crazy life gets. I used to feel guilty leaving my kids for one night but now I realize that this time

Each Thursday night, I go somewhere to do creative work. Sometimes it's Starbucks (I know, I know, it's a chain place) and sometimes it's a microbrew and sometimes it's a local Mexican food joint. But wherever it is, I sit down alone and pursue my own creative work. This is my Genius Hour. This is my Twenty Percent time. I have a few rules for myself:

1. I can't work on anything related to school. I can't grade papers. I can't plan lessons. But I also can't work on a presentation for a keynote or write a blog post or write an article. This time can't be connected to teaching.

2. There are no deadlines. So, while I love to write fiction, this is bonus time that isn't part of a scheduled writing process.

3. I have to be learning something new. A few years ago, this was coding and programming. Last year, this has included story craft (where I have studied up on what makes a story) as I write a novel. Lately, it has been illustrating and animation. So, while I might be working within my strengths, I am also pushing myself to try something new.

4. The audience is optional. I may someday create a short animated film for students. I will most likely partner with my wife again and publish another novel (my last one was Wendell the World's Worst Wizard.) However, the goal in my own Genius Hour is to work without worrying about audience.

The end result is that I teach differently because of this personal Genius Hour time. I am more likely to think about inquiry, choice and creativity in my lessons because I know the value of this in my own life. I am more patient when students get scared of failure. I see what happens when I make mistakes. I understand the frustration.

I realize that teachers are busy. I know that some people don't have the luxury of being married to someone else who thinks personal Genius Hour is a great idea. But if it's possible, I've found that all the benefits of Genius Hour for students are true of this time for teachers as well.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
John Spencer Posted on February 21, 2015 My wife and I give each other one night a week to pursue our own interest. It's sort of like having a date night alone. Odd, I know, but something that allows both of us to pursue our own interests no matter how crazy life gets.

# data[].attributes.body
Understand scientific modeling

# data[].attributes.body
“Structured talk for how and why reasoning”- a teaching practice developed by ELL and science teachers, researchers and coaches- goes beyond asking students to “turn-and-talk” in several ways. First, it includes roles for students to take on in conversation that are intentionally scaffolded to promote active listening and other kinds of talk

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
"Structured talk for how and why reasoning"- a teaching practice developed by ELL and science teachers, researchers and coaches- goes beyond asking students to "turn-and-talk" in several ways. First, it includes roles for students to take on in conversation that are intentionally scaffolded to promote active listening and other kinds of talk (such as considering areas of agreement or disagreement, or asking for evidence). Second, structured talk protects equal time for talking to ensure that all students have a chance to air their ideas and hear varied ideas from each other.

The change package provides an overview of the practice and how it supports student reasoning, tools teachers have used, and practical measures teacher have collected to deepen and localize the practice.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Structured Talk for How and Why Reasoning Change Package

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
"Structured talk for how and why reasoning"- a teaching practice developed by ELL and science teachers, researchers and coaches- goes beyond asking students to "turn-and-talk" in several ways. First, it includes roles for students to take on in conversation that are intentionally scaffolded to promote active listening and other kinds of talk (such as considering areas of agreement or disagreement, or asking for evidence).

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
At youcubed, we inspire, educate and empower teachers of mathematics, transforming the latest research on mathematics learning into accessible and practical forms.

# data[].attributes.headline
Article: Turning Teaching Mathematics Upside Down!

# data[].attributes.subject
Article: Turning Teaching Mathematics Upside Down!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
October 2017 | Volume 75 | Number 2
Unleashing Problem Solvers Pages 32-36

Cathy L. Seeley

Back in the 20th century, I was taught how to teach mathematics pretty much the same way I had learned it. My fellow preservice teachers and I were told to prepare our lessons thoroughly, present the intended concept or procedure clearly (and with enthusiasm!), and guide students as they worked through some examples. Eventually, we would assign homework, including a few word problems in which students would apply the procedure they had just learned. We hoped students would ask questions if they didn't understand.

The way I learned to teach mathematics was not that different from the way teachers learned to teach other subjects. But in the years since then, we've begun to realize that this one-way delivery of information may set students up for frustration and failure, especially when they're faced with challenging problems they haven't been taught how to solve. If we teach students solely by providing them with specific procedures to solve predictable problems, how will they learn to deal with problems that don't look like those at the end of the chapter?

An alternative model that I call upside-down teaching can better prepare students to be strong, flexible problem solvers. In this model (see fig. 1), teachers don't wait to assign a problem until they've taught students how to solve it. Instead, upside-down teaching starts with a problem or task that students may not already know how to solve (Seeley, 2014; 2016).

Figure 1. Traditional Teaching vs. Upside-Down Teaching

1. I explain the procedure or concept.

2. We work examples together.

3. You apply what you just learned to solve a word problem.

1. You tackle a problem you may not know how to solve yet.

2. We talk together about your thinking and your work.

3. I help connect the class discussion to the goal of the lesson.

Struggling on Purpose

In the past, many of us tried to protect our students from failure, especially in math class. As a result, generations of students have learned to give up whenever a problem gets hard. But it turns out that constructively struggling with mathematical ideas can engage students' thinking and help them learn to persevere in problem solving (National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, 2014). Emerging from the growth mindset research of Carol Dweck (2007), we now know that an individual's brain grows when he or she struggles in a productive way with something difficult-like a challenging math problem (Boaler, 2015).

More and more teachers are confirming that students can benefit from wrestling with problems they haven't specifically been taught how to solve. In the process, students learn about the power of effort and persistence, become more confident problem solvers, and even grow their intelligence.

Upside-Down Teaching in Action

Unlike the traditional teacher-centered classroom based on lecture, an upside-down classroom is teacher-structured, but centered on students' thinking. The goal of the lesson isn't simply for students to get the answer to a problem, but rather for students to learn the intended mathematics of the lesson using the problem as the basis for thinking and discussion. After selecting a problem to start the lesson, the teacher's job becomes orchestrating the discourse of the classroom-how students will share their thinking in ways that lead to the mathematical outcome of the lesson-and helping students connect the discussion to the mathematical goal. As the teacher circulates through the classroom, she generally asks questions to help students clarify their thinking or take it to the next level. While doing so, the teacher is also making decisions in the moment about which students will share their work with the whole class and in what order they will be called on.

Sometimes students' discussion will lead directly to the mathematical connection the teacher wants to make-as in a 2nd grade lesson involving subtraction that I'll describe further along in this article. Other times, the teacher may need to guide the conversation more directly toward the math outcome. In either case, students will have been engaged in thinking about the problem and, consequently, they're much more likely to learn the mathematics than if they were simply told what to do.

Let's consider four classroom examples that illustrate the upside-down concept and demonstrate the variety of tasks teachers might select to start an upside-down lesson.

Starting with an Engaging Photo or Video: How Many Cookies?

In a 2nd grade classroom, students watch a video of a furry hand reaching up behind a kitchen counter and taking away an unopened package of cookies. After some noisy chewing and rattling, the hand puts the package back on the counter with some cookies gone. The teacher then asks, "What did you notice in that video? What did you wonder?" The students talk about their observations and the teacher helps them focus on the question they finally agree to tackle: How many cookies did the cookie monster eat?

Students then work in pairs to solve the problem. As the teacher circulates among the pairs, she notices that students have approached the problem in different ways. One of the teacher's key roles in this kind of teaching is deciding who she will call on during the whole-class discussion and in what sequence students should present their work in order to highlight the different approaches. By the lesson's end, the teacher can write on the board a clear mathematical summary of students' work, helping students see that a subtraction equation might result from either a take-away situation or a difference situation and helping them notice that the two resulting equations are related.

This lesson setup is based on the Three-Act Lesson model created by Dan Meyer (2011). View an edited video of this lesson at Teaching Channel.

Starting with Real-Life Examples: What Happens with Bigger Tires?

Some problems might present everyday applications that are likely to engage students' interest. For example, in the excerpt of a 12th grade quantitative reasoning lesson shown in this video clip The teacher brings in a tire (the spare from her car). She sets it on the floor and asks students to take note of the numbers on the tire and discuss what those numbers represent in terms of the tire's measurements. She then asks her students to consider what would happen if someone were to replace their vehicle's tires with bigger tires.

The class offers ideas, speculating that the tire size would affect how fast they could drive, their gas mileage, the accuracy of the odometer, whether the vehicle would take up more space on the road or in a parking spot, and so on. Eventually the teacher narrows down the discussion for students and the class decides to investigate of the effect on gas mileage if the tire size changes. She chooses this question so that students will be able to deepen their understanding of proportionality as they learn to use mathematical modeling in ill-defined problems. She then moves among the groups as they work on the problem in much the same fashion as the 2nd grade teacher in the "How Many Cookies" example, and the class culminates with students presenting their findings to the whole group.

Starting with a Basic Word Problem: How to Make Perfect Purple Paint?

A 6th grade teacher introduces the concept of ratios by presenting a fairly straightforward word problem. She shows students that she can achieve the perfect shade of purple paint by mixing 2 cups of blue paint with 3 cups of red paint. She then asks students to figure out, and to model with colored cubes and drawings, how many cups of red paint and blue paint would be needed to make 20 cups of perfect purple paint.

As students work in small groups to come up with pictures and models, the teacher moves through the classroom, seeing how they are progressing and asking questions to push their thinking. When a group comes up with three different solutions, the teacher reminds them that they will need to reach a group consensus. Instead of guiding students to the correct answer, she tells them she will return in a few minutes to see what they've agreed on. In this way, students gain experience in explaining their own ideas and listening to others' ideas. You can see an edited video of part of this lesson (from Illustrative Mathematics, the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium and Teaching Channel).

Starting with a Mistake: Are the Coordinates Correct?

A pre-calculus teacher puts a graph on the board with some coordinates labeled in two different colors. The teacher tells students there might be an error in the coordinates shown in red. Students work in pairs to discuss the posted work, considering whether there is a mistake and determining how they will make their case to the rest of the class. The teacher then convenes the class for a large-group discussion in which the students present their thinking to their peers, eventually coming to agreement about the correct solution. (You can see an edited video of this lesson from PBS Learning Media.)

What We Can Learn from These Upside-Down Classrooms

Short edited video excerpts of classrooms like these may not show all the elements of an upside-down lesson. In some of the full lessons for which excerpts are shown in the video clips above, for example, we can assume that the teacher helped students crystallize the mathematical conclusion at the end of the lesson (off screen). What we can notice across these examples, however, are the types of tasks the teachers have chosen and the ways the teachers orchestrate the classroom discourse.

In each of these classrooms, the teacher sets the stage with the whole group, elaborating the task or facilitating students in formulating the question they will try to answer. All four types of tasks used in these examples can readily be adapted to any grade level, and there are likely other types of problems or tasks that would also work well for upside-down lessons. In choosing tasks for such lessons, teachers look for "low-floor high-ceiling" tasks. This means looking for tasks with multiple entry points-so that essentially all students can access the task at some level-but that also allow for considerable depth or extension (Smith & Stein, 2011).

In terms of orchestrating discourse, the teachers in these classrooms move among students as they work, asking questions or offering comments like, "I notice that in your group you have three different models. I'll be back in a few minutes to see if you have agreed on which model you want to present to the class," or "Can you draw on your paper a picture of what you just said?" or "How did you decide to divide by 7?" When the teacher brings students together after their group work, students present their findings and solutions to the whole class, with the teacher asking clarifying questions, facilitating further discussion, and, finally, making explicit the mathematical connection between students' work and the mathematical goal of the lesson.

We also notice that sometimes students in these classrooms share answers or approaches that are incorrect. Teachers have learned that valuable classroom discussions can arise from wrong answers. Jo Boaler (2015) suggests that we actually learn more from making a mistake than from getting a right answer. Upside-down teaching helps both students and teachers understand that mistakes will happen, and that when they do, the class will use the opportunity to dig into the thinking that led to the mistake, leading to deeper understanding of the mathematics and increasing the likelihood that students will be able to use what they've learned to solve other problems in the future.

Teachers today have access to a growing body of publicly available classroom videos showing this kind of mathematics teaching, whether labeled upside-down, problem-centered, student-focused, or just math class. Videos such as those described here provide a great opportunity for individual reflection or professional discussion among colleagues. In looking at classrooms in real time or analyzing online videos, educators can ask questions like,

▪ What kind of problem or task does the teacher use to start the lesson?

▪ How does the teacher encourage students' thinking and stimulate student discourse?

▪ What kinds of questions does the teacher ask?

▪ What do you notice about the roles of the teacher and student?

▪ How does the teacher sequence students' presentation of their work?

▪ How does the teacher connect the class discussion to the mathematical outcome of the lesson?

▪ How is this classroom similar to or different from your classroom or the other classrooms you see?

Not all upside-down classrooms will complete a lesson in one class period or follow the same format. Effective upside-down classrooms differ noticeably in terms of how they're organized and how they flow. What they have in common is the focus on students engaging in thinking about a problem they haven't already been taught how to solve. The teacher sets the stage with the whole class, sometimes (but not always) facilitating discussion among students as they narrow down what they will explore in the lesson. Students then work on the task, individually or in groups, followed a whole-group discussion.

As we analyze such classrooms, we notice that they are heavily teacher-structured, but not teacher-centered. The focus is on students coming up with ideas, solutions, approaches, and models, even as the teacher facilitates the discussion and makes explicit the mathematical concepts revealed by students' work.

Making the Classroom a Safe Place to Share

When we look into classrooms that use an upside-down approach to problem solving, it becomes obvious that the students seem quite willing to share their thoughts and ideas. Regardless of their grade level, they don't seem to be anxious about the possibility of making a mistake or having an incorrect idea. They've come to expect that open discussion is what happens in math class.

This willingness to risk sharing their ideas doesn't come easily to students, and it doesn't happen overnight, especially for older students who over the years may have developed a reluctance to speak up in math class. The teachers in these examples have spent deliberate time making their classrooms conducive to respectful, open conversation. They have worked with students to create positive class norms that encourage every student to participate-norms based on respect and recognition of the value of everyone's ideas (Boaler, 2015; Chapin, O'Connor, & Anderson, 2013; Kazemi & Hintz, 2014). A culture in which all students appreciate the contributions of every other student not only promotes problem solving, but also makes a strong statement that equity is valued in our classrooms.

Upside-Down Teaching Every Day?

It may or may not make sense to use this kind of upside-down, problem-centered, student-focused approach every day. The main idea is to prioritize student thinking, reasoning, and problem solving every day and to structure classrooms where those outcomes are consistently valued. Some teachers will use an upside-down approach every day. Others may choose to include an occasional teacher-led lecture or presentation of an interesting mathematical idea or observation. Whatever way a teacher structures lessons, students should come to expect that when they walk in the door to math class, they're going to have lots of opportunities to talk about their thinking and share their reasoning as they take on challenging, interesting problems.

References

Boaler, J. (2015). Mathematical mindsets: Unleashing students' potential through creative math, inspiring messages and innovative teaching. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Chapin, S. H., O'Connor, C., & Anderson, N. C. (2013). Talk moves: A teacher's guide for using classroom discussions in math (3rd ed.). Sausalito, CA: Math Solutions.

Dweck, C. (2007). Mindset: The new psychology of success. New York: Ballantine Books.

Kazemi, E., & Hintz, A. (2014). Intentional talk: How to structure and lead productive mathematical discussions. Portland, ME: Stenhouse Publishers.

Meyer, D. (2011). The three acts of a mathematical story. Retrieved April 27, 2017, from http://blog.mrmeyer.com/2011/the-three-acts-of-a-mathematical-story/

National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. (2014). Principles to actions: Ensuring mathematical success for all. Reston, VA: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.

Seeley, C. L. (2014). "Upside-Down Teaching" in Smarter than we think: More messages about math, teaching, and learning in the 21st century. Sausalito, CA: Math Solutions.

Seeley, C. L. (2016). Making sense of math: How to help every student become a mathematical thinker and problem solver. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Smith, M. S., & Stein, M. K. (2011). 5 practices for orchestrating mathematics discussions. Reston, VA: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.

Endnote

This lesson and video comes from Advanced Quantitative Reasoning, a course developed by the Texas Association of Supervisors of Mathematics working with the Charles A. Dana Center at the University of Texas, Austin.

Cathy L. Seeley ( www.cathyseeley.com) is a mathematics educator, speaker, and writer in Austin, Texas, and former president of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. She is the author of Making Sense of Math: How to Help Every Student Become a Mathematical Thinker and Problem Solver (ASCD, 2016) and Smarter Than We Think: More Messages about Math, Teaching, and Learning in the 21st Century (Math Solutions, 2014). Follow her on Twitter.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
October 2017 | Volume 75 | Number 2 Unleashing Problem Solvers Pages 32-36 Cathy L. Seeley Back in the 20th century, I was taught how to teach mathematics pretty much the same way I had learned it.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Math teachers of older students sometimes struggle to get students to explain their thinking with evidence. It's hard to get kids in the habit of talking about how they are thinking about a problem when they've had many years of instruction that focused on getting the "right answer." That's why educators are now trying to get students in the habit of explaining their thinking at a young age. The Teaching Channel captured kindergarten and first grade teachers pushing students to give evidence for their answers in situations where there are several ways to think about a problem.

Pattern recognition is a fundamental part of mathematics and kindergarteners are not too young to notice, compare and describe simple patterns. In this video, kindergarten teacher Donella Oleston describes how she had to back up and explain to these young learners what it means to "explain your thinking," because at first students would only answer, "My brain told me so." With practice, she says students have gotten to deeper levels of noticing, moving past the obvious and picking out more abstract similarities and differences between two pattern sets.

How Kids Benefit From Learning To Explain Their Math Thinking

Author

Katrina Schwartz

Katrina Schwartz is a journalist based in San Francisco. She's worked at KPCC public radio in LA and has reported on air and online for KQED since 2010. She's a staff writer for KQED's education blog MindShift.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How Kids Benefit From Learning To Explain Their Math Thinking

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Math teachers of older students sometimes struggle to get students to explain their thinking with evidence. It's hard to get kids in the habit of talking about how they are thinking about a problem when they've had many years of instruction that focused on getting the "right answer."

# data[].attributes.headline
Ted Talk: How you can be good at Math and other surprising facts - By Jo Boaler

# data[].attributes.subject
Ted Talk: How you can be good at Math and other surprising facts - By Jo Boaler

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How you can be good at math, and other surprising facts about learning | Jo Boaler | TEDxStanford

# data[].attributes.body
For teachers

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Hopes, Fears, and Challenges of Making Common Core Math Real for Everyone

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This fast-paced, example-laden presentation summarizes why and how the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics is a once-in-a-lifetime game changer. But the ambitious shifts the Common Core requires raise important issues that need to be discussed. This presentation was given by Steve Leinwand as the opening keynote at the ICTM Annual Conference in Peoria, IL on Oct, 18, 2013.

# data[].attributes.headline
Ted Talk: Believe in your Maths potential! By Jo Boaler

# data[].attributes.subject
Ted Talk: Believe in your Maths potential! By Jo Boaler

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Believe in Your Maths Potential – Set Yourself Free | Jo Boaler | TEDxOxford

# data[].attributes.headline
Video: Modeling Algebraic Thinking CCSS from Grade 2- IM3 at SAS

# data[].attributes.subject
Video: Modeling Algebraic Thinking CCSS from Grade 2- IM3 at SAS

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Modeling in mathematics CCSS algebraic progression

# data[].attributes.headline
Introduction to Three Dimensional Learning

# data[].attributes.subject
Introduction to Three Dimensional Learning

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Next Generation Science Standards: Introduction to Three Dimensional Learning