STEM
We’ve been hosting SummerSTEM teachers for 5 years now and it just keeps getting better and better. This year, our focus was on data, which is central to SAS’s mission and also an important component of project-based learning (PBL). If you’re not familiar, the SummerSTEM program is led by Wake
(Editor's note: Megan Bobroske is a second grade teacher at Denver's Bradley International School) Coding was a brand new experience for my second graders. Prior to using CodeSnaps, a free coding app from SAS, a few of them had participated in an after-school coding club, and another handful had done
APPLICATION DEADLINE: April 7, 2019, at 11:59 pm EST. We at Curriculum Pathways are excited to announce the fourth Teacher Institute (June 19-August 9)! The application is open and ready for your submission. The deadline for applications is April 7, 2019, at 11:59 pm EST. We always say "in-service teachers are our number-one source for
“In the coming years, we should build on that progress…offering every student the hands-on computer science and math classes that make them job-ready on day one.” —President Barack Obama, State of the Union Address, January 2016 Due in large part to Code.org’s advocacy campaign and their remarkable Hour of Code
A fantastic free app from SAS, CodeSnaps, can engage an entire classroom with just one iPad and one robot. Using printed coding blocks, students create programs that, when scanned by the CodeSnaps app, can be executed on a robotic ball. While CodeSnaps is an excellent resource for introducing students to coding, it
As an intern for Curriculum Pathways this last summer, I have spent my days learning about the resources from the inside out. As I settled in, I became familiar with the nuts and bolts of the Curriculum Pathways process: who makes the resources, how we code our lessons, and what
What are the United Nations' 17 Sustainable Development Goals? How can GatherIQ help teachers and students address these goals? Before students are able to directly tackle the challenges outlined in the 17 Global Goals, they need to build content and skill-related knowledge. Whether you are working to create a global
Spring brings warmer weather, blooming flowers, and new resources from Curriculum Pathways! Don't miss these exciting lessons and updates. Writing Reviser Our April release features dramatic new enhancements to Writing Reviser. To improve the sentence economy section, Writing Reviser now highlights expletives—words or phrases (e.g., "There are...") that often gum
Tap into student interest in athletic competitions with these sports themed lessons. Creating and Annotating Maps Our Interactive Atlas (also available in Spanish) is a great tool for project-based learning. Using our map and annotation tools, students demonstrate mastery of content while engaging their research and writing skills. Consider the following sports related activities:
When you hear the word science, what image comes to mind? Perhaps you picture a laboratory stocked with bubbling concoctions in beakers, a person in a white coat carefully (or maybe furiously) mixing solutions. If you imagine a scene like this, then the prospect of conducting science experiments at home
A new Star Wars movie debuts in just a few weeks! Star Wars: The Last Jedi will be the next chapter in the saga we’ve all come to love. The first film, Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, debuted in 1977. So, math teachers, how old were you when that
Are you ready to code in your ELA, math, science, and social studies classes? We now have lessons to support coding across the curriculum. Our new Show with Code series challenges students to demonstrate mastery of certain concepts through CodeSnaps coding activities. The initial lessons in the series include these titles and disciplines: Show with
What a powerful question! And it's one commonly posed to math teachers all over the world. Need help with an answer? Here are a few to consider. Suppose you're asked the question about a piecewise function. Let's start with the standard definition: "a combination of two or more functions, each represented
The buzz about "maker" spaces has reached epidemic proportions. Schools everywhere are repurposing extra classrooms, renovating computer labs, retooling media centers, and rehabbing teacher lounges to accommodate creative workstations, materials, and tools. That’s fantastic. But what if the school doesn’t have an extra room? Or has an anemic budget? What
In June I had the opportunity to attend EdCamp Code at the Friday Institute in Wake County. As the magnet coordinator for a gifted and talented magnet elementary school, I am constantly trying to find new ways to help teachers update our elective offerings. We have offered computer coding and robotics
Every day in my class, students have about 10 minutes of story time. What grade level do I teach? At the mention of story time, many of you may picture a classroom full of individual carpet spaces with twenty small chairs and desks and even smaller students. But I'm not an elementary school teacher;
For the third year in a row, we are happy to serve as a host site for Wake Ed Partnership's SummerSTEM program. We think we've planned the best year yet (although, we had a lot of fun hosting SummerSTEM 2015 and 2016--check out WNCN's story). As in years past, this summer
It is no secret there is a growing gap between the number of STEM jobs available and the number of workers qualified to fill them. Of even greater concern is the disproportional diversity of individuals in STEM careers compared to the general population. Organizations like Change the Equation and the Department of
Winter is over, and it’s time to soak in the sunshine vitamin. Many activities usually done in the classroom can be modified and conducted outdoors. The benefits of outdoor learning are well documented. Research shows exposure to the natural world is important to children’s social, psychological, intellectual, and physical health. Equally
We recently had the pleasure of conducting a workshop at the North Carolina Reading Association Conference in Raleigh, NC. Following the release of our latest app, CodeSnaps, we demonstrated how to incorporate coding and robotics into K-5 ELA instruction. Reading teachers from across North Carolina attended the workshop and brought
Students must learn to read, evaluate, discuss, and write about real-world science issues. Some educators feel that practice is the best way to become a proficient reader, thinker, and communicator. While building knowledge from textbooks is important, teachers today are less likely to use class time in this manner. Instead,
Project-based learning (PBL) has received a lot of attention recently. It replaces traditional lectures with student-driven collaboration to solve a real-world problem and share that solution with an audience. Motivated to defend their own views, students draw on lessons from several disciplines. Many times, students surprise teachers with research materials
Data--that small four-letter word packs a mighty punch! Data is everywhere. Stores use it to determine how to advertise products, politicians use it to support their campaigns, and Google uses it to improve the search engine that may have brought you to this blog! Data is displayed in newspapers, brochures, billboards, as
Virtual labs (VLabs) are interactive simulations in which students develop an understanding of scientific processes through experimentation. Students make predictions, follow multi-step procedures, build rich vocabularies, convey data visually, and draw conclusions. VLabs are available in four major branches of science: chemistry, earth and space, biology, and physics. Find out
As an AP physics teacher, I know physics is a difficult course for many students because it challenges the way they view the world. Teachers inevitably have to battle with students’ misconceptions, which can be rooted in something as simple as the difference between how we define a word in physics and how we
Last year, we talked about the importance of Statistical Analysis and Data Mining in light of the ever increasing amounts of data available throughout the world. Back then, these were the hottest skills; and this year--according to LinkedIn--they can still get you hired. And this Money article agrees, SAS skills not only can get
Growing up, my parents were obdurately hands-off when it came to influencing my and my siblings’ career interests. This may explain why, at age 6, my sister announced she would be pursuing full-time work as a butterfly. (To her credit, she currently manages a garden shop, which for a
It's no secret: there is a growing gap between the number of STEM jobs available and the number of workers qualified to fill them. Of even greater concern is the under-representation of women and minorities in STEM careers compared to the general population. Organizations like Change the Equation and the Department
Are you teaching a lesson on parallel lines? What about a lesson on the interior and exterior angles of polygons? If so, our Geometry lessons are the perfect resources for you! We released our first one, Parallel Lines and Angles, this past fall. Since then, we've released four more. The lessons
While students who just took the SAT wait a few excruciating months for their scores, let’s take a moment to reflect on some of the College Board’s 2016 SAT changes. We believe some key logistical and pedagogical elements of the redesign are good for both students and teachers. Here’s why. First, let's
