Teacher Training By Dr. Diana Wehrell-Grabowski

One of the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) investigations I often introduce during the STEM teacher training workshops I conduct nation and worldwide is the science of Parachutes.We begin the investigation by analyzing seeds and how they are dispersed. That may be followed up by designing and constructing a paper helicopter that floats through the air similar to how milkweed, pine cone, and dandelion seeds travel. We discuss how man borrowed the design of the modern-day parachute from nature as in the flight of dandelion seeds. Leonardo daVinci is said to have gotten his inspiration for his triangular-shaped parachute from observing and analyzing how seeds were dispersed. Additionally, we discuss STEM-related concepts relative to parachutes (air resistance, surface area, gravity, Newton’s Laws of Motion, kinetic and potential energy, and other concepts). We then move onto the engineering design process. Teachers observe and analyze a variety of pre-made parachutes. They then design, construct, and test their own parachutes, re-designing if necessary. I provide a wide-array of materials for teachers to build with. Low-cost and accessible being number one priority. Plastic trash bags, paper bags, tissue paper, string, washers, plastic figurines, tape, digital balances, and rulers are about all you need to design some pretty cool and functional parachutes.

No matter what hands-on-minds-on inquiry-based teacher training workshop I’m conducting. A fundamental component of the teacher training is introducing teachers to investigations that help the student develop observational skills, as well as developing critical thinking skills. Developing observational skills and critical thinking skills is essential in all science classes. I find that in my STEM teacher training workshops the need for heightened observational skills and critical thinking skills is crucial for the student to fully comprehend STEM education concepts. Recently, I conducted a 3-day STEM teacher training institute for an elementary school that is in its first year of becoming a STEM school. Throughout the 3 days teachers were actively engaged in exploring STEM concepts through hands-on-minds-on inquiry-based investigations. Many of the teachers shared with me that they had never looked at nature and the world the way they learned to during the training. As teachers we often get caught up in the daily rut of covering mass amounts of information within short periods of time that becomes disjointed with little meaning to the student. The first priority in any classroom is to teach observational skills and help the student develop critical thinking skills. But first, teachers may need to take the time to look closely at nature themselves. The following slideshare below is from a recent Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) teacher training workshop I conducted.