Silver  has several other technological-based inventions including: Drawdio, Singing Fingers, Twinkle, and Glow Doodle. The type of thinking Silver conveys in the TEDx video below is how we should be teaching all children from the youngest to tertiary level. As Silver says “the world is your construction kit.” He is all about encouraging individuals to design, build, and experiment. This is the foundation of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) practices. However, so much of what I see happening in STEM classrooms and curriculum still tends to be the cookbook approach, and the extensive use of kits with specific directions, and accompanying consumables. This leaves little room for creativity.

Jay Silver is a member of the Lifelong Kindergarten Group at MIT. The philosophy of the Lifelong Kindergarten Group at MIT is to foster creative adults through a “kindergarten style of learning” that emphasizes designing, experimenting, and exploring. The Lifelong Kindergarten group at MIT has the right idea. It’s imperative to never lose that childlike wonder that we all came into the world having, and that diminishes as we go through adulthood. If your school or district is looking for a STEM facilitator who conveys the message that Jay Silver does, please check out the STEM and other science teacher training workshops I offer nation and worldwide. If we want to provide all children with a quality education, we have to start with the educators. I plan to introduce teachers to the  Makey Makey, Drawdio, and other joylabz tech gadgets during my 2013-2014 STEM teacher training workshops.

Check out Jay Silver in this enlightening, and transforming TEDx video.

In simple terms STEM relates to the Common Core Principles by its design:

• Reading, writing, and vocabulary are at the forefront (reflective journaling, science notebooks, etc.)
• Cross-curricular lesson content
• Complex texts and tasks
• Literacy connections
• Communication and collaboration
• Problem-based learning, and
• Inquiry-based learning.

For more information on the K-12 STEM teacher training workshops I offer nation and worldwide check out my STEM Teacher Training Brochure here.

• Inquiry-based science practices
• Critical thinking and problem-solving skills
• Reflective journaling in the STEM classroom
• Engineering Design Process (designed structures and animal habitats)
• Exploring structure and function in nature and man-made objects
• Engineering principles (teachers implemented the engineering design process during each of the investigations)
• Architectural design (analyzed real-world structures)
• Buoyancy (designed, built and tested a variety of boats)
• Reverse Engineering (using toys)
• Force, motion, and energy concepts (ramp science and more)

The teachers left the training with a new perspective on conducting hands-on-minds-on STEM investigations in their classrooms, that make clear connections to the Common Core, and the Next Generation Science Standards. I truly believe that these teachers were enlightened as well as transformed.

The photos below are from the two-day STEM teacher training conducted by Dr. Diana Wehrell-Grabowski.

• Stem philosophy and practices;
• Critical thinking in the STEM classroom;
• Designing and implementing student driven vs. teacher driven STEM investigations;
• Reflective journaling in the STEM classroom;
• Identifying patterns and shapes in nature and man-made structures;
• Building 2 and 3-D structures with simple materials;
• Floating and sinking;
• Boat building and testing;
• Architectural engineering concepts;
• Blocks in the STEM classroom;
• Designing and building self-sustaining ecosystems to house backyard invertebrates;
• Reverse engineering;
• and Ramp science.

The photos below will give you a bird’s eye-view of how engaged teachers were during the two-day STEM teacher training session. Once again, it was a great group of teachers who left motivated and ready to implement STEM investigations within their own classrooms.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgTUmcDgwmA

• Journaling in the early childhood classroom;
• Exploring shapes and patterns in nature and man-made structures;
• Building 2 and 3-D shapes with simple and re-usable materials;
• Exploring STEM concept with blocks;
• Toy engineers ;
• Ramp Science and,
• Using early childhood literature to introduce and reinforce STEM concepts.

Teachers were also introduced to the practice of “peer-review” of journals and structures. They enjoyed walking around the room, observing and commenting on what their peers had written in their journals, as well as commenting on the structures they had built. Once again, it was a great group of teachers who I believe will head back to their classroom confident and ready to implement STEM practices within their own classrooms. Check out the photos from the hands-on- STEM teacher training designed for Head Start early childhood educators below.