Global STEMx Conference 2013 (Update: LIVE Today! See You On-line)

A message from Steve Hargadon to all members of Presenters - 2013 STEMx Conference on Global STEMx Education Conference!

Dear Presenters!

I'm almost done building all the session presentation rooms for the conference.  Within a few hours I will be sending you the special links that you will use to enter your individual session rooms with all privileges.

The public links to your rooms are almost all now listed in the scheduling calendar.  Those rooms will go live in about 30 minutes.  However, the links in the calendar are for the regular participants, so if you enter using a public link, you will not be able to upload slides or practice.  Be patient and you'll get the special links very soon.

We're so excited for the conference, and so glad you are presenting!

Best,

Steve

Steve Hargadon
Co-Chair

U.S. News STEM Solutions Conference 2013 (Dr. Barbara Bolin, Executive Director, Michigan STEM Partnership)

(Click-on Watch on Vimeo to Review Video)

VIDEO: Highlights From the U.S. News STEM Solutions Conference

Watch the video to catch up on highlights from the U.S. News STEM Solutions Conference.

By LYLAH ALPHONSE

August 5, 2013

More than 2,000 business, government, and education leaders gathered in Austin, Texas, to discuss the state of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education in the United States as part of theU.S. News STEM Solutions conference in June. We're pleased to be able to offer a few highlights (above)for those who weren't able to attend.

[READ: The Not-So-Simple Roadmap To Solving STEM Problems]

The theme for the conference was "Teach. Hire. Inspire." Speakers included neuroscientist (and actress)Mayim Bialik, science journalist and author David Ewing Duncan, National Geographic Society Explorer-in-Residence Sylvia Earle, and Surya Kant, president of the IT consulting firm Tata Consulting Services.

[READ: The State of STEM and Jobs]

"This is the absolutely perfect time to be talking about STEM education," explained Barbara Bolin, executive director of the Michigan STEM partnership. "Because STEM education is not simply an emphasis on science, technology, engineering and mathematics. STEM education is a new way of educating people."

Experts estimate that fewer than 40 percent of students who major in science, technology, engineering, or math actually graduate with a degree in those fields. Instead, they switch majors after a semester or two, with many of them later reporting feeling isolated, discouraged, or overwhelmed by the course requirements.

"I found out I wasn't as prepared as I should be," Mallory Hytes Hagan told a panel during the conference. "I hit that first chem lab and thought, 'Whoa. What's going on?'"

[READ: The Best High Schools for STEM]

Hagan spent a year at Auburn University as a biomedical science major, but transferred to the Fashion Institute of Technology to study cosmetics and fragrance marketing instead and went on to be crowned Miss America 2013. She's had a successful career, but still, she says, if she had been shown how science could apply to her everyday life, she might have remained a STEM major.

"If I'd have known I could have made my own lipstick instead of just wearing it I might have had a different path," she added.

Lylah M. Alphonse is the Managing Editor of Special Reports for U.S. News & World Report. You can follow her on Twitter or email her at LAlphonse@usnews.com.

Review Video: (Click-on blog-site link below)

STEMx Conference 2013 (Update: Presentations?)

2013 GLOBAL STEMx EDUCATION CONFERENCE
September 19 - 21, 2013

http://www.STEMxCon.com

We are getting an AMAZING set of presentation proposals for the world’s first massively open online conference for educators focusing on Science, Technology, Engineering, Math, and more. We've already started accepting presentations, which we're doing in the order they were submitted. Submit one! 

Proposals can made between now and September 1, 2013.

If your organization involved in STEMx endeavors, and encourage you to become a conference partner (it's free, and comes with some benefits!). We are also looking for global advisory board members who can help publicize the conference in their local areas. More information on the conference site.

Global STEMx Education Conference (Tonight's LIVE Offering: Student Entrepreneurship and the Real Flipped Classroom / 8:00PM EDT)

Interview Tonight - Student Entrepreneurship and the Real Flipped Classroom

Join me tonight, Tuesday, July 30th, for a live and interactiveFutureofEducation.com conversation with Doan Winkel and Michael Issa, co-organizers of a global student startup competition (USASBE Launch!) from the e United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship. We're going to talk about student initiative and entrepreneurship, and how they might help to redefine educational practice. Doan wrote a blog post last year that caught my eye, titled "Education – Listen Up!! You’re Using the Wrong Flip." As a self-professed drinker of the "flipped classroom juice," and a preacher of the benefits of this "revolutionary" method of teaching (his quotation marks), Doan came to find that flipping the classroom didn't produce the transformative learning he was looking for. He writes: Yes, [flipping the classroom is] innovative – “featuring new methods” – or at least it used to be. But it’s not an effective method of education if the goal is to produce engaged learners. Teachers struggle with how to deliver content. The flip was an innovative Band-Aid for the wrong problem. The problem with poor education experiences isn’t how to deliver content, but how to engage students in their own learning. He goes on to ask how we can "transform education and learning so students want to engage," and says that we need to flip the actual education experience: 1. Activate the education experience. Let students learn by doing, so they breathe life into their learning. They want it to be alive – let that happen! I spend time teaching my students how to learn first, and then hint at what to learn. They drive their own education from there. I allow them to apply the knowledge to real-world problems so it’s sticky. I develop semester-long projects because it requires sustained engagement and collaboration. My students enjoy their education because it is active. 2. Let students own their learning. Students are our customers. They have a vision for their education. Let them live it. They want to take responsibility for their own learning. Give up control of the content, put teasers in the students’ minds and they will run farther with it than you could ever go. My students enjoy their education because it is theirs, not mine. 3. Let students assess their learning process. This is the most difficult aspects of the flipped experience for most educators. Don’t assign grades. That’s right, NO GRADES!! They’re [bullsh*t] metrics. When students focus on grades (they will because they’re conditioned to by a broken education system) they lose interest in their learning, they forget what they learn post-assessment, and they look for rational (or lazy) shortcuts. Grades create feel-bad education. If that’s what you’re striving for, shame on you. If you’ve settled for that, shame on you. A single grade can’t possibly capture the entire educational experience of many months. Instead, implement an approach where students individually create a documented process. Number two above is a little bit of a dead giveaway--Doan teaches at the university level. I'm hoping those in the live audience tonight who teach in K-12 will give some feedback on how many of their students "have a vision for their education," and/or what responsibility we have to help those students develop such. And we'll ask Doan and Michael for their thoughts on this as well! See you online! Steve Steve Hargadon http://www.stevehargadon.com Date: Tuesday, July 30th, 2013 Time: 5pm Pacific / 8pm Eastern (international times here) Duration: 1 hour Location: In Blackboard Collaborate (formerly Elluminate). Log in at http://www.futureofed.info. The Blackboard Collaborate room will be open up to 30 minutes before the event if you want to come in early. To make sure that your computer is configured for Blackboard Collaborate, please visit the support and configuration page. Recording: A full Blackboard Collaborate recording and an audio mp3 recording will be available after the show athttp://www.stevehargadon.com and at http://www.futureofeducation.com. From Doan's Blog: "My name is Doan Winkel. "It’s a unique name (the first part anyway), which I think accurately represents the unique approach I take to entrepreneurship, education and life in general. "I am a husband and a father, an entrepreneur and an educator. "I practice being a husband and father in Normal, IL (ironic, I know!!) "I practice education by teaching entrepreneurship at Illinois State University. "I practice entrepreneurship through SproutEcon, LLC. "My goal is to leave a positive footprint in this world by being a force of productively disruptive change that motivates younger generations to tackle their dreams and turn their ideas into realities."Michael Issa is Co-founder and CEO of Quipu Applications, Inc., and is responsible for the overall strategy, operations, and financial management of the company. Previously, Mr. Issa served as Vice President of Product Management at Quipu, responsible for all aspects of research and design of Quipu’s flagship product, BusinessPlan. For the last fifteen years, Mr. Issa has held various positions in the data center and enterprise infrastructure industry for both software and hardware manufacturers. He holds an MS in Mathematics, Curriculum and BS in Finance and Marketing.

Visit Global STEMx Education Conference at: http://stemxcon.com/?xg_source=msg_mes_network

BEST STEM SCHOOLS FOCUS on PROJECT-BASED STUDENT LEARNING ENGAGEMENT (Go Figure!)

STEM High Schools Built on More Than Science and Math

By KELSEY SHEEHY

June 19, 2013 RSS Feed Print

STEM schools rely heavily on project-based learning and challenging lessons to drive student engagement.

Take a peek at the foundation of a specializedSTEM high school and you might be surprised by what you find.

The schools are not built on science, technology, engineering and math courses, said Aimee Kennedy, chief academic officer of Metro Early College High School in Ohio.

"If that's all it took to be considered a STEM school, any school in the country could do it," Kennedy said Wednesday during a panel discussion at the 2013 U.S. News STEM Solutions conference in Austin.

[See the best STEM high schools in pictures.]

Instead, these niche schools are built on project-based learning, critical thinking and collaboration – a model that can be replicated at schools across the country, according to STEM school leaders.

"Too often we focus on what we teach," said Steven Zipkes, founding principal of Manor New Technology High School in Texas. "In reality, it's not what we teach, it's how we teach."

Most teachers rely on lectures as their primary teaching method, he said. The result is students are "bored out of their minds."

Bored students are not engaged students, he said, so at Manor New Tech, teachers don't lecture. They don't use textbooks or offer Advanced Placement courses, either.

Instead, students complete 65 projects over the course of the school year. After each project, they give a public presentation. The school partners with business leaders to develop the projects using real-world problems, then builds in state standards, Zipkes said.

[Don't fall for these STEM education myths.]

The approach earned praise from President Barack Obama, who paid Manor New Tech a visit last month.

"The folks around here are doing something right and I think the rest of the country could learn from what you're doing," the president said during his visit. "Every day this school is proving that every child has the potential to learn the real-world skills they need to succeed in college and beyond."

Mimicking the success of schools such as Manor New Tech and Metro Early College – which boast high attendance, graduation and college acceptance rates – requires giving teachers the autonomy to collaborate and create challenging lessons that integrate STEM at every level, the panelists said.

"It is easily replicable, but you have to have that mindset that it's not the same old, same old," Zipkes said.

Both schools look for teachers that buy into that philosophy and are willing to learn and develop alongside their students.

These teachers also subscribe to the belief that all students are capable of learning, said panelist Lizzette Gonzalez Reynolds, chief deputy commissioner of the Texas Education Agency.

[Learn how high schools are fostering innovation.]

"They're not sitting around whining … saying 'Look what they sent me. How am I going to teach this kid,'" she said.

The agency oversees the Lone Star State's T-STEM initiative, which includes nearly 80 STEM academies serving more than 41,000 students across the state, many of whom are low-income and minority students.

These academies all follow a blueprint that includes personalized learning, counseling, professional development for students and teachers and advisory boards that bring together parents, teachers and business leaders.

"This isn't about creating a bunch of engineers," Reynolds said. "This is about maintaining rigor."

Global STEMx Education Conference *Call for Presenters! (MOOC: September 19-21, 2013)

Global Online STEMx Ed Con: Call for Presenters!
by Jim Vanides

ShareThis

Imagine this: The world’s first massively open online conference for STEMx educators. If you are an innovative teacher, this is a great opportunity to share your favorite technologies & pedagogies with teachers from around the world!

The Global STEMx Education Conference will be held online, around the clock, over the course of three days,September 19 - 21, 2013, and will be free to attend! HP is serving as the founding sponsor. Core conference support also comes from our partner, the International Society for Technology in Education® (ISTE), and the organizers of the Global Education Conference.

There is a growing demand for improving STEMx learning around the world, requiring new ways of thinking about STEMx education. The STEMxCon will be a highly inclusive and engaging event that will encourage primary, secondary, and tertiary (K-16) students and educators around the world to share and learn about innovative approaches to STEMx learning and teaching. The call for presenters is now open, covering the following strands/topics:

• Science Education Re-Imagined
• IT Education Re-Imagined
• Engineering Education Re-Imagined
• Math Education Re-Imagined
• Adding the “x” in STEMx Education
• Technology Tools for STEMx
• Online Learning for STEMx
• Informal & Nonformal STEMx Learning
• Expanding Global Competency for STEMx Students
• STEMx Professional Learning for Teachers
• Innovations in Assessment
• Research on STEMx Teaching and Learning
• Leadership, Policy and Partnerships
• Opportunity, Equity, and Diversity

To submit a proposal or simply stay informed, sign up today at www.catalyst-academy.org. 

STEMED Global Webinar (LIVE Now!)

Join us for today's edGlobal webinar!

This is the second in a series of edGlobal webinars focusing on STEMed innovation and communication. The series is co-hosted by edWeb.net, The Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA), and STEMconnector.  The program directors are George DeBakey, president of DeBakey International, and Anders Hedberg, the president of Hedberg Consulting.

International Models for Inquiry-Based Science Education in Elementary Schools
Wednesday, June 19, 2013 - 10AM Eastern Time

In This Session

La main à la pâte was founded by Dr. Georges Charpak, physicist and Nobel Prize Laureate in Physics (1992), to bring inquiry-based teaching and learning of science to elementary schools in France. Through exceptional leadership by the French Academy of Science and strategic recruitment of staff with strong content knowledge and experience from elementary education, today, it is estimated that 50% of primary school teachers throughout France teach science through minds-on, hands-on exploratory pedagogy.

The La main à la pâte Foundation has disseminated its program concept to more than fifty other countries on four continents (Europe, Asia, Latin America and Africa), and invites international leaders to an annual La main à la pate Symposium in Paris to learn from each other and share experiences. Specific emphasis is placed on the development of effective classroom practices in economically challenged regions where education resources are scarce.

Leaders of the organization will provide an overview of its goals and guiding principles and discuss the specific challenges and opportunities they see for science educators in France and other countries at a time when science education is more important than ever in the preparation of tomorrow’s global citizens for life in an increasingly technology-dominated world.

To Participate in the Live Session
- Login at www.instantpresenter.com/edweb22 at the scheduled time.
- There is no pre-registration for this event.
- This webinar will be recorded and archived in this community for viewing at anytime.

Here are some helpful tips for the best webinar experience
- Being hardwired is best, not wireless
- Test your system for best quality: www.instantpresenter.com/systemtest
- Close Skype and any other applications that use internet bandwidth
- Close any unnecessary applications

Co-hosted by George DeBakey, President of DeBakey International, is the host and organizer of the edWeb Global community; and Anders Hedberg, President of Hedberg Consulting, is working to connect leaders in STEM education all around the world.

Presented by David Jasmin, Ph. D., Executive Director and Xavier Person, Coordinator, International Relations, La main à la pâte Foundation, Paris, France.

This program is co-hosted by edWeb.net, the Education Division of the Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA), and STEMconnector.org.

Visit our Google calendar to view all webinars this month.

Follow us on Twitter @edWebnet to learn about upcoming webinars and special events!

STEMx (Update)

STEMxTM Network of State STEM Organizations Grows to 19

Submitted by Tommy Cornelis on June 18, 2013

AUSTIN, TX | One year ago, STEM education leaders from 13 different states formed a new partnership where they could share innovations and coordinate sustained action across the country. Today, Georgia and Indiana became the fifth and sixth states to join the STEMx™ network in the past year. This announcement caps a year of development and growth for the network, which now includes more than a third of the nation’s states.

“Every day, leaders in business, education and government are searching for ways to bring more great STEM teaching into their communities,” said Margaret Ashida, Director of STEMx. “The STEMx network empowers them with the creativity, knowledge and experience of their colleagues across the country.”

The STEMx network offers a new kind of STEM partnership - by the states, for the states. The advocates and leaders in the STEMx network share and spread proven, local solutions to help solve national challenges. They work together on issues like STEM education policy, teaching practice, innovation in the classroom and after-school, communications and advocacy. The network is operated by BattelleEd, a venture of Battelle.

“The growth of STEM teaching and learning offers America a competitive advantage in the global economy and the vibrant STEMx network will play an essential role in fostering and spreading educational innovation,” said Eric Fingerhut, Vice President of Education and STEM Learning at Battelle.

TAG Education Collaborative (TAG-Ed), the charitable organization established by the Technology Association of Georgia (TAG), is dedicated to preparing the next-generation workforce by uniting TAG resources with leading STEM education initiatives. For the past 11 years, TAG-Ed has offered a variety of hands-on technology programs to engage students in STEM learning in order to provide a glimpse into the exciting opportunities technology careers provide.

“We are excited to join STEMx to learn how other states are addressing the shortfall of qualified technology workers,” said Michael Robertson, executive director of TAG-Ed. “There are over 4000 unfilled jobs in Georgia’s technology sector, and this number will only grow unless we can foster student interest in STEM to increase our tech ready workforce. By joining STEMx, we hope to strengthen our efforts as well as contribute to the network’s thought leadership.”

Started in 2006 as a collaboration among 18 institutions of higher education in 10 regions throughout Indiana, the I-STEM Resource Network is a partnership of public and private higher education institutions, K-12 schools, businesses, and government. I-STEM works to support K–12 teachers and leaders working to implement high academic standards towards STEM literacy for all students.

“Indiana is pleased to be able to join STEMx to share best practices with other STEMx members” said Paul Ainslie, Managing Director of the I-STEM Resource Network. “I-STEM, The Indiana Department of Education, the Governor’s Office, and Purdue University look forward to working with STEMx as we focus on improving the career and college readiness of Indiana’s graduates.”

STEMx Network Collaborators

Arizona- Science Foundation Arizona, Arizona STEM Network

California- California STEM Learning Network

Colorado- Colorado Experiential STEM Learning Network

District of Columbia- Office of the State Superintendent of Education

Georgia- TAG Education Collaborative

Idaho- iSTEM Education

Indiana- I-STEM Resource Network – Purdue University

Kentucky- Kentucky STEMx

Michigan- Michigan STEM Partnership

New Mexico- New Mexico STEM Network

New York- SUNY, Empire State STEM Learning Network

North Carolina- NC STEM Learning Network

Ohio- Ohio STEM Learning Network

Oklahoma- Oklahoma State University

Oregon- Oregon STEM Education Partnership

Pennsylvania- 

Tennessee- Tennessee STEM Innovation Network

Texas- Educate Texas

Washington- Washington STEM

  

The STEMx network is also publicly releasing a suite of tools to advance STEM education through a workshop series at this year’s U.S. News STEM Solutions Summit called The STEMxTM Difference: Local Innovation. State Leadership. National Impact. The STEMx tools will include resources from member states that can be adapted to any state or region to best serve the local needs. The network is also partnering with member organization Washington STEM and Social27 to develop a virtual extension of its conference track, including a “simulcast” on July 11 at 1 PM ET / 10 AM PT which will feature video highlights of each session, associated resources and online engagement with STEMx leaders from across the country.

About STEMx and BattelleEd

Launched at the 2012 U.S. News STEM Solutions Summit, STEMx is a nationwide coalition of state STEM networks that provides a platform to share and spread practices to:

• Increase student achievement in STEM by amplifying and scaling high-quality, rigorous and inspiring STEM experiences;
• >Expand the capacity, number and diversity of high-quality STEM educators; and 
• Mobilize states and communities to advocate for STEM. 

STEMx is managed by BattelleEd, a venture of Battelle (www.battelle.org) which builds and manages STEM innovations and networks. 


About Battelle 

As the world’s largest independent research and development organization, Battelle provides innovative solutions to the world’s most pressing needs through its four global businesses: Laboratory Management; National Security; Health and Life Sciences; and Energy, Environment and Material Sciences. It advances scientific discovery and application by conducting $6.5 billion in global R&D annually through contract research, laboratory management and technology commercialization. Headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, Battelle oversees 22,000 employees in more than 130 locations worldwide, including seven national laboratories, which Battelle manages or co- manages for the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and a nuclear energy lab in the United Kingdom. 
Battelle also is one of the nation’s leading charitable trusts focusing on societal and economic impact and actively supporting and promoting science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education. 

- See more at: http://blog.stemconnector.org/stemxtm-network-state-stem-organizations-grows-19#sthash.HglUooLf.dpuf

EDTech Revolution in Education: The State of Digital and Distance Learning (@STEMconnector June 18th, 2013)

ASTRA and STEMconnector Release EdTech: Revolution in Education

Submitted by Tommy Cornelis on June 13, 2013

AUSTIN, Texas, June 13, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- EdTech: Revolution in Education is the latest, largest and most comprehensive report on EdTech, to be released June 18, 2013, in hard copy and PDF form, from ASTRA and STEMconnector®. Call it the "Ed Tech Connector." In addition to the book's release, an interactive e-book will be available for download. EdTech: Revolution in Education tracks how technology is disrupting, revolutionizing, and innovating education. As John Chambers, CEO of Cisco, said, "I believe the Internet and education are the two greatest equalizers in life." This report is a snapshot of these two equalizers in action. The report will chronicle how "In today's workforce, access to and utilization of technology is fundamental to preparing students for their careers - particularly those in STEM fields," declares Dr. Tim Welsh, Senior Vice President at the University of Phoenix, a sponsor of the report.

EdTech: Revolution in Education contains extensive and exclusive content, including:

• 80 Contributions from leaders in EdTech
• 150+ full-color graphs and charts that illustrate the EdTech revolution
• 500+ profiled organizations, people, and products in the field
• 15 Chapters that cover everything EdTech, including primary, secondary and higher education, social media, game-based learning, MOOCs, innovation and more
• 100+ terms in the all new EdTech Glossary

Covered in the report is a wealth of knowledge, including the following fascinating facts:

• More than $3 Trillion has been spent on EdTech-related Information Technology expenditures worldwide.
• $4.4 Trillion will approximately be spent on Information Technology this year, globally.
• 83% of U.S. CEOs and small business owners believe an online degree is credible.
• There have been over 1,200 U.S. social network patent applications published and patents issued per year since 2003.
• The average entertainment software industry employee has a salary of $90,000.
• 7 computer and/or video games were sold, on average, every second of every day of 2010.

A press conference will be held in the Exhibit Hall of the US News STEM Solutions Conference on June 18, 2013, at 3:15 PM CST to release the report. Participating in the press conference will be Sajan Pillai, CEO of UST Global; Harbrinder Kang, Senior Director, Corporate Affairs at Cisco Systems; Dr. Tim Welsh, Senior Vice President, Industry Strategy Group, of the University of Phoenix; and Justina Nixon-Saintil, Director of Education Initiatives for the Verizon Foundation. All of their respective organizations are sponsors of the report. ASTRA and STEMconnector® will also thank the many contributors and editorial team, including Dr. Ronnie Lowenstein, ASTRA's Senior Advisor and Futurist.

"EdTech:  Revolution in Education is a first-of-its kind effort to map the EdTech space and create an inventory of EdTech resources that can be linked to our economy and society at large," declares Executive Editor Robert S. Boege, who also serves as Executive Director of ASTRA. Boege is joined by STEMconnector® CEO Edie Fraser, who states "this important source book confirms the explosive nature of the ongoing EdTech revolution — it captures so many aspects of how technology is driving digital and distance learning across the globe." Fraser concludes, "Learning itself has changed. Kids are online all the time or glued to one or more devices. We have no idea how this is changing the economy and society at-large and this is the first source book to start documenting these fascinating developments." Sajan Pillai, CEO of UST Global, couldn't agree more with Fraser regarding the importance of advances in this field. He affirms that the "Advent of distance learning technologies, combined with social, mobile, local, and cloud based advances in IT have fundamentally changed how we engage, educate and entertain students and practices." EdTech: Revolution in Education confirms that EdTech is advancing and changing, and validates the assertion that the field will never be the same.

Book chapters include: EdTech in K-12 Education, Higher Education, Career Education, Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), Innovation, Big Data, Social Media, Devices, the Maker Movement, Game-Based Learning, Lifelong Learning, the Economic Impact of EdTech, EdTech Equity & Diversity, EdTech Policy, and EdTech & Our Global Future.

EdTech Weekly™ is a weekly newsletter, released every Monday, which focuses on trends in policy, technology development and media in the EdTech realm. STEMconnector® launched EdTech Weekly™ in October of 2012. EdTech: Revolution in Education grew out of this weekly publication as a way to further chronicle developments in EdTech. You can sign up to receive the EdTech Weekly™ by going towww.STEMconnector.org/EdTech.

The report: EdTech: Revolution in Education 2013 is a "must" use resource. For more information, please visit www.stemconnector.org on June 18^th for the "One Stop" resource and "click in" as you learn more about the game-changing event known simply as the EdTech Revolution.

SOURCE STEMconnector

RELATED LINKS
http://www.stemconnector.org

U. S. News STEM Solutions Conference Trailers (June 17-19- 2013 Dr. Barbara Bolin, Executive Director, Michigan STEM Partnership)

Hello Everyone:

I think you all know that MI is part of the STEMx Network of 19 states. At next week’s US News STEM Solutions conference in Austin, TX, STEMx will be featuring a series of 4 sessions that will take participants through the initial planning stages of setting up a statewide STEM partnership through to getting complete community involvement (3 sessions) and one on changing state policy for better STEM education. I have just received the video promos (above) for the first three sessions. 

You will note that videos of the sessions will be available online JULY 11. http://www.usnewsstemsolutions.com

Just as an FYI, I have represented the Partnership as part of the planning team for the 3^rd session, and I think it will be of particular interest to us in MI because this is where we are in our STEM initiative.

Please pass this information on to anyone who is interested in STEM education, and remind them of the online opportunity in July. I will post these promos on our web site.

Thanks and have a great weekend,

Barbara

Barbara Bolin, Ph.D.

Executive Director

Michigan STEM Partnership

517-899-4233

www.mistempartnership.com

STEMx Suite of Tools Release (Austin Texas, June 17-19, 2013)

STEMx™ Network to Release Tools to Advance STEM Education at U.S. News STEM Solutions Conference in Austin, TX 


The STEMx™ network announced today that it will introduce a suite of tools to advance STEM education in a series of workshops at the U.S. News STEM Solutions Conference June 17-19, 2013 in Austin, TX. Video highlights and resources from the sessions will also be presented in an online broadcast on July 11. The STEMx™ tools will include resources from member states that can be adapted to any state or region to best serve the local STEM needs in that area. 

The suite of tools will include blueprints, rubrics and guides for STEM school/district design from Arizona, North Carolina, and Texas; STEM AdvoKits for communications and advocacy from California, Ohio and Tennessee; and frameworks for inspiring student engagement in STEM from California and Colorado. “These solutions address the national imperative to increase student achievement and expand teacher capacity in STEM,” said Margaret Ashida, Director of the STEMx Network. “They are based on innovation enabled by collaboration among business, education and community.” The tools will be highlighted in the STEMx workshops on topics ranging from student engagement to STEM school district design to community partnership development to policy advocacy.