Teacher Training By Dr. Diana Wehrell-Grabowski

For the past three years the majority of my teacher training consulting contracts have been STEM based. Consistently I have found that teachers question whether they have the time to implement STEM philosophy, practices, and content. The reality is STEM practices and content is naturally aligned with Common Core  principles. STEM practices and content allows students to be creative, develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills, these skills are the foundation of the Common Core. Project and problem-based learning experiences allow students to engage in interdisciplinary thinking, and make real-world connections.

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.

Twenty-five primary teachers spent two days actively engaged in exploring science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) concepts via conducting hands-on-minds-on STEM investigations. During the two-day STEM teacher training session conducted by Dr. Diana Wehrell-Grabowski, teachers were immersed in exploring STEM practices and content. Concepts covered during the training included:

• 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.