Worcester, MA
October 22, 2014
Conference Website
The Massachusetts STEM Summit looks ahead to the next decade, in which a thriving STEM education and workforce continuum will continue to help drive economic opportunity and prosperity. Throughout the day, panel presentations, plenary speakers and exhibitors will showcase STEM initiatives, share innovative thinking, and highlight the goals, plans and progress of STEM policies and programs throughout Massachusetts. Sessions will cover a broad range of topics, including state policy; early childhood, K-12, and higher education; out-of-school time programs; digital education; research and practice; innovation and entrepreneurship; workforce development and career awareness; skilled educators; and more.
Wednesday, October 22
Fostering Student Motivation and Achievement – Research to Practice and Lessons Learned from the ITEST Program
Sarita Pillai, Director, STEM Learning & Research Center, EDC, Inc., will facilitate.
Carolyn Staudt will serve on the panel
9:45–11:00 AM
The STEM Learning and Research (STELAR) Center at EDC, Inc., supports the work of the National Science Foundation’s Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST) program. Since 2003, the ITEST program through research and model-building activities, has sought to build understandings of best practice factors, contexts, and processes contributing to K-12 students’ motivation and participation in STEM, including information and communications technology (ICT), computing, computer sciences, data analytics, among others that inform education programs and workforce domains. The session will share research to practice strategies and lessons learned from the STELAR center, ITEST project staff, evaluators, and teacher and student participants, related to what is needed to interest, engage and motivate students to pursue STEM education and career pathways.
Digital Resources for STEM – What They Look Like in the Classroom
Kim Spangenberg, Manager of STEM, The Virtual High School, will facilitate.
Chad Dorsey will serve on the panel
2:30–3:45 PM
The Concord Consortium, PBS/NOVA, MIT and Mass Audubon will present the latest digital resources to engage students in science, engineering, and math. Join us for a panel presentation where content developers, teachers, and students share the benefits of incorporating these open-source digital resources into the classroom. Engage in discussion about how to integrate these resources into curricula to provide vibrant, meaningful activities that support key content and skills, and hear directly from teachers and students who have used these resources.