Children have a wonderful curiosity about nature and the environment, which, if encouraged through afterschool activities can have a profound impact on their health and well-being. Children also take readily to concepts of conservation which will make them excellent stewards of the future of our environment. This issue brief explores the relationship between children's health, academic enrichment and community awareness through developing a relationship with the wonders of their natural environment.
WaterBotics is the underwater robotics curriculum and program that is being disseminated to four regions through a National Science Foundation grant, in collaboration with national and state partners. Its goal is to provide hands-on experiences for middle and high school age youth to engineering design, information technology tools, and science concepts, and to increase awareness and interest in engineering and IT careers. The curriculum, which can be used either in traditional classroom settings or in after-school and summer-camp situations, is problem-based, requiring teams of students to work together to design, build, test, and redesign underwater robots, or “bots” made of LEGO® and other components. Students use the NXT and LEGO Mindstorms® software to program their robots to maneuver in the water, thereby gaining valuable experience with computer programming. Teams must complete a series of increasingly sophisticated challenges which culminates with a final challenge that integrates learning from the prior challenges.
DATE:
-
TEAM MEMBERS:
Stevens Institute of TechnologyMercedes McKayPatricia Holahan
resourceprojectProfessional Development, Conferences, and Networks
The Coalition for Science After School (CSAS) was established in 2004 in response to the growing need for more STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) learning opportunities in out-of-school time. CSAS sought to build this field by uniting STEM education goals with out-of-school time opportunities and a focus on youth development. Over a decade of work, CSAS Steering Committee members, staff and partners advocated for STEM in out-of-school-time settings, convened leaders, and created resources to support this work. CSAS leadership decided to conclude CSAS operations in 2014, as the STEM in out-of-school time movement had experienced tremendous growth of programming and attention to science-related out-of-school time opportunities on a national level. In its ten-year strategic plan, CSAS took as its vision the full integration of the STEM education and out-of-school time communities to ensure that quality out-of-school time STEM opportunities became prevalent and available to learners nationwide. Key CSAS activities included: (1) Setting and advancing a collective agenda by working with members to identify gaps in the field, organizing others to create solutions that meet the needs, identifying policy needs in the field and supporting advocates to advance them; (2) Developing and linking committed communities by providing opportunities for focused networking and learning through conferences, webinars, and other outreach activities; and (3) Identifying, collecting, capturing, and sharing information and available research and resources in the field. The leadership of the Coalition for Science After School is deeply grateful to the funders, partners, supporters, and constituents that worked together to advance STEM in out-of-school time during the last decade, and that make up today's rich and varied STEM in out-of-school time landscape. We have much to be proud of, but as a movement there is much more work to be done. As this work continues to expand and deepen, it is appropriate for the Coalition for Science After School to step down as the many other organizations that have emerged over the last decade take on leadership for the critical work that remains to be done. A timeline and summary of CSAS activities, products, and accomplishments is available for download on this page. All resources noted in the narrative are also available for download below.
Many teachers are unsure about how to best utilize museum educational resources. They do not think that approaches and strategies from informal learning environments apply to classroom settings (Melber & Cox-Peterson, 2005). Yet studies have shown that simple solutions such as exhibit orientation and conducting pre and post-visit activities to supplement a field trip can help students have a richer learning experience (Gilbert & Priest, 1997; Anderson & Lucas, 1997). The current study explores the affect of making relevant findings from informal learning research explicit to pre-service
Designed learning environments like museums have the potential to change the way that families think and talk about scientific topics together in everyday contexts like the home. The current study examines the affect of a visit to a museum exhibit highlighting the processes of manufacturing on the ability of parents and children to talk about how familiar objects are made. A model for family knowledge building is also presented as a means of assessing whether parents and children improved their understanding of manufacturing processes after their museum visit. A simulated home activity
This dissertation investigates how teaching in a hands-on science center contributes to re-shaping one’s teaching identity. Situated at the New York Hall of Science (NYHS) in Queens, New York, my research approach is to conduct a critical ethnography where the focus is on improving the teaching and learning of science for all involved. In particular, Explainers, floor staff at NYHS, who are studying to be science teachers, are invited to become co-researchers with me.
The purpose of this study is to explore children’s learning in Preschool Place at the New York Hall of Science. The research focuses on two exhibit modules—the Train Table and Ball Run—to examine their effective on fostering development of language, Social skills, and Psychomotor skills. In addition, we study explore these exhibits’ contribution to cognitive gains in science. The Hall will use findings to develop effective learning goals for specific exhibits and as a framework for creating new preschool exhibits and programs.
This white paper lays out an expanded vision for “public media 2.0” that places engaged publics at its core, showcasing innovative experiments from its “first two minutes,” and revealing related trends, stakeholders, and policies. Public media 2.0 may look and function differently, but it will share the same goals as the projects that preceded it: educating, informing, and mobilizing its users.
Interactive science centers are unique players in the science education community, but their positioning as both authorities on science and providers of "free choice" learning presents learning researchers with a problematic contradiction rooted in the complexities of trying to be both 'scientific' and 'education' organizations. Using insight from cultural historical activity and new institutionalism of organizations theories this study found that the activity of Exploratorium visitors recreated much of this "core" contradiction. Thirty-five families visiting the Exploratorium were invited to
This report focuses on the use of games as resources to support the educational aims, objectives, and planned outcomes of teachers who understand that games are an important medium in contemporary culture and young people's experiences. The report provides an assessment of game-based learning in UK schools. It is intended to test out the hype and enthusiasm for using games in education and to identify a sensible rationale and practical strategies for teachers to try out games in the classroom.
This report is intended to provide guidance for policy-makers on the use of digital technologies to support learning in families. It draws on a research project conducted by Futurelab and funded by Becta on 'Learning in families with digital technologies'. It identifies significant gaps, challenges and opportunities for policy developments to support and enhance the outcomes of learning in families
This policy recommendations report is intended to provide guidance for policy-makers on maximizing the beneficial impact of digital technologies on adult informal learning. It provides a concise summary of the main challenges facing policy-makers, shows where there may be gaps in current policy, and highlights areas of concern and need in relation to adult informal learning and technology.