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10 Publications in 2021 Focus on Innovations in STEM Teaching and Learning

We published nine articles in researcher and teacher practitioner journals and one book chapter in 2021 that showcase innovations in STEM teaching and learning through technology. Learn how to design curricular materials that leverage digital tools for system modeling (#2), how to ensure powerful data learning experiences for all learners (#6), how to operationalize and […]

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Oregon teachers test local streams. There are lots more to test!

Woman demonstrating water test by the river

Over 100,00 miles of rivers and streams crisscross the state of Oregon, and it boasts more federally designated Wild and Scenic segments of river than anywhere else in the country. Water practically outlines the state with the Pacific Ocean on the west, the Columbia River defining much of the northern boundary with Washington, and the […]

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New Project Designed to Boost STEM Data Science Teaching and Learning

CODAP

With data all around us — from personal data about our sleep patterns, playlists, and purchases to scientific data about climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic — teachers and their students need to be able to navigate numbers and become fluent with data. Data fluency includes understanding the sources of data, structuring data for analysis, […]

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CODAP videos help teachers and students with NGSS practice of Analyzing and Interpreting Data

Screenshot of Messy Data video

The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) describe eight science and engineering practices with the goal of having students engage in authentic science practices. Although many teachers are committed to three-dimensional NGSS teaching, doing so remotely during a pandemic was challenging, especially with 20, 30, or more students on Zoom, and without access to labs. At […]

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New project explores COVID-inspired data science education through epidemiology

Close up of Case of COVID Crisis book cover

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is providing an unprecedented amount of health and social science data, and serves as a compelling starting point to engage in data science activities. A new project funded by the Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST) program at the National Science Foundation is designed to empower young people to […]

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12 Publications in 2020 Inform the Field

Physics co-teachers at whiteboard

This year we published a dozen articles in researcher and teacher practitioner journals that showcase the state of the field in STEM educational technology in 2020. Learn what students with low and high spatial skills notice in computer visualizations of plate tectonics (#2), how students can experience authentic messy data exploration of meaningful questions (#10), […]

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Explore NOAA weather data in CODAP

Screenshot of CODAP comparing Boston, MA, and Concord, MA, weather data

We experience weather every day. And it’s often the easiest icebreaker to start a conversation—“What’s the weather like in your neck of the woods?”—since weather is, well, everywhere! We know a lot about weather, too, thanks to datasets collected by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The NOAA database includes data from thousands of […]

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Incorporating writing, data, and social justice in middle school classrooms

Three blocks with backgrounds of swirled colors representing flexible language use, expansive science repertoires, and contextual understanding of data

Twenty-five middle school teachers from Berkeley, Oakland, and the surrounding areas of northern California recently met online as part of a virtual professional learning workshop called “Telling Data Stories: Scientific Data, Student Experience, and Authorship for Social Justice in Middle School Classrooms.” The workshop was offered by the Writing Data Stories project, a collaboration of […]

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Infusing genetics with data science and three-dimensional teaching

Fast Plants seedlings

Let’s face it, three-dimensional teaching takes work. There are disciplinary core ideas (DCI), science and engineering practices (SEP), and crosscutting concepts (CCC) to pack in. A simple new tool may help biology classes reap the benefits of Next Generation Science Standards instruction with big payoffs. The 3D Teacher Moves Table, developed for a groundbreaking webinar […]

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