Lynchburg area colleges provide local teachers with STEM resources (click for original image source)
We are very excited about preparing local students for careers focused on STEM (science, technology, engineering and math). Our Future Focus Foundation exists to inspire students but to also help create a culture shift in the region towards a greater emphasis on STEM education throughout the community. That is why we are excited to see some of our local colleges stepping out and equipping local school teachers to focus on STEM content in the classroom. Take a look at these recent news stories:
Randolph College Institute Helps Plug Science, Math Learning Gap
“Friday’s physics lesson culminated Randolph’s weeklong teaching institute for elementary and middle school educators. Science and Math Links: Research-Based Teaching Institute debuted in 2010 and experienced a spike in demand this year.
Public and private school teachers from across the region gave up a week of summer vacation to hone their lesson-plans for next fall. The institute reached its capacity of 60 teachers this June and logged a waitlist of 40 more.
Randolph College developed the program, in part, to respond to the country’s projected shortage of trained scientists. Between elementary school and college, countless students lose interest in science and math, a phenomenon Sheldon calls the “leaky pipeline.”
Randolph College decided to address this problem by emphasizing the importance of using hands-on activities, especially with younger students…” (Read the Full Article at the News & Advance)
Lynchburg College and Sweet Briar College Host STEM Workshop
“LC [hosted] a two-day workshop June 14-15 for about 100 area fourth- and fifth-grade teachers and administrators thanks to a Virginia Department of Education Math/Science Partnership Grant.
LC’s Graduate Studies and Donovan Media Development Center have teamed up with Sweet Briar College for the collaborative grade school curriculum development project.
Sweet Briar received a Mathematics and Science Partnership Grant from the Virginia Department of Education for $199,502. Other partners in the project are public schools in Lynchburg and Amherst, Appomattox, Bedford and Campbell counties, and Holy Cross and James River Day private schools.
During the two-day workshop, educators will focus on such questions as:
- How do I teach the new VA Science Standards of Learning in a fun, active way
- How can I integrate all components of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) into a two-day lesson?
- What is an inquiry-based lesson? What is a problem-based lesson?
- How do I encourage my students to use higher-order thinking skills?
- How do I know my students have achieved the learning goals I set for them?
Lessons are based on friction, induction, habitats, properties of matter, tsunamis, and dance patterns.
From August 2011 to June 2012 teachers have developed integrated STEM lessons – science, technology, engineering and mathematics. These will result in a set of instructional videos to be disseminated and incorporated into the curriculum by the participating school systems in the next academic year…” (Read the Full Article at Lynchburg.edu)
Also check out Lynchburg College’s STEM and sustainability education partnership with Lynchburg City Schools and Hunton-Randolph Community Center: LC Receives STEM Grant.
