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"There's not one way to do science. Each of us have our own strength, our own approaches. We could get to the same answer, or we could actually come up with different answers, and maybe that's what's exciting. ... Museums need to be that place where society can come together and create things together."

Dr. Carol Tang, executive director of the Children's Creativity Museum of San Francisco, joined KnowAtom CEO Francis Vigeant via webinar to talk about her own journey from exploring museums as a child to directing one; the overlap between classroom and museum education; and the advantages and challenges of doing "stealth education." What follows is a transcript of their conversation on Jan. 29, 2016.

In this interview, you'll read about:

• Her childhood in Buffalo and how visits to museums shaped her love of science and her eventual career path
• The idea of co-creating content in classrooms and museums versus delivering it 
• Higher order thinking
• How the museum environment is uniquely suited for explorative thinking and play
• How the Next Generation Science Standards complement museum education
• Additional resources for teachers seeking to recreate museum activities in their classrooms

"The best thing that educators could do to make students interested in STEM is show that the STEM areas involve creativity. They allow the student to explore. They’re not these static areas ... There’s room for students to make their own contributions."

Before Joshua Lederman was a freshman at Cornell University in the College of Engineering, planning to major in Applied Engineering Physics, he benefited from the KnowAtom science curriculum while in elementary school. His experience in the STEM disciplines gives him a unique perspective on the impact of a good STEM education.

Now, at Cornell, he is a member of CUAUV, a Cornell project team which designs and builds an autonomous underwater vehicle to compete in the International RoboSub Competition. The following is a transcript of a conversation between Josh and KnowAtom CEO Francis Vigeant.

In this Paths to Innovation conversation, Francis and Josh discuss:

• The different roles on the CUAUV team and Josh's work with the team
• How higher-order thinking translates to college
• The traditional and next generation model from a student's perspective

"Mrs. Condry understood something about how my mind process works. What happened was that she realized I liked to make connections. ... That's what I got from Mrs. Condry. It was really pretty neat. She gave me permission to use my brain and think." -Lewis Athanas

Audio technology innovator Lewis Athanas spoke at the STEM² Summit about his adventures and misadventures throughout his education and how they eventually guided him to pursue a career in audio and noise-cancelling technology.

In this transcript of his talk at the Summit, you'll read about:

• His precocious early beginnings in elementary school
• How a few good teachers shaped his passions into his vocation
• How he almost set his dorm on fire by keeping a scientific experiment under his bed

"I said: Let's do projects. Time is short! They all stopped and they're looking at me like, 'what?' when I say, 'let's do stuff.' It's universal. Kids everywhere like the hands-on stuff. I'm sorry. It's a lot more fun for them than just reading a book. I want them to read books, but you need some incentive to read a book." -Mark Gelfand

Mark Gelfand, a STEM-minded financial systems pioneer, spoke at the STEM² Summit on advancing hands-on STEM initiatives internationally in Ethiopia, Israel and other countries.

In this transcript of his talk from the summit, you'll learn:

• What's so exciting about the STEM world
• How, in the words of Gelfand's son, "inside every child, there is a scientist"
• Secret airlifting, Ethiopian immigrants, and math class

"I think kids younger and younger can interface with these tools of 3D printing and scanning and whatnot and be able to manifest some ideas. ... Whatever it is they happen to be into, find a way to have them pursue it and pursue it in an open-ended way — to think about it experimentally." -Sean O'Reilly

3D printing innovator Sean O'Reilly weighs in at the STEM² Summit on the rise of this new industry and how it factors into STEM education.

In his lecture, transcribed below, you'll hear about:

• A breakdown of what 3D printing is and how it works
• O'Reilly's own background in STEM learning as a child
• How 3D printing could be used in the classroom

"We're in a 21st-century innovation economy. Ideas rule the day. We need to really think about our schools in a way that help students just change the world. Actually help them to change the world, not just simply be prepared to live in it." -Scott Morrison

In this transcript from a live interview with KnowAtom CEO Francis Vigeant, Scott Morrison, Director of Curriculum & Instructional Technology in the Marchester-Essex school district in talks about:

• "Building back” all the way from kindergarten to prepare kids for STEM careers
• The difference between knowing and engaging in STEM practices
• Similarities between the order of the process of writing and the order to science ed practices
• Focusing on the “why” of education
• The biggest challenges in making the switch to the Next Generation Science Standards

"When you put the questions to the kids, A) They become more active participants, versus just passively trying to absorb the information. B) is, if you don't know the answer, it's actually cool. You can put the burden on them to ask the questions, then say, "Hey, you know what? I don't really know." Or, "Let's see." You don't even have to say that you don't know. It's like, “Let's see. Let's try it out; let's test it. We can find it out through this experiment.” -Vicky Wu-Davis

Meet Vicky Wu-Davis, videogame designer and entrepreneur. In this transcript of a live webinar chat with KnowAtom CEO Francis Vigeant, you'll hear about:

• The connection between critical thinking skills, entrepreneurship and STEM
• How Vicky's degree in accounting turned into a software company in 2000 that provides technology for social games and virtual worlds
• How these skills and experiences fueled her passion to co-found International Orphans Foundation and Youth CITIES

Prepping for a top-notch STEM lesson means having content mastery and cart mastery... shopping cart, that is! Stocking up on science supplies during your regular grocery run is the new norm for dedicated teachers who will do whatever it takes to bring exciting, hands-on lessons to their students. So how do you spot STEM teachers by their shopping carts?

We all know it's important to incorporate technology into the 21st century classroom, and this Tech for Teachers series gives you tips on some of the most exciting, easy-to-use technology tools available so you can focus on what matters. Today we'll look at Code.org, an initiative designed to support STEM teachers by offering tutorials and programs to teach computer coding in the classroom.

The news around America's place in the global classroom can feel daunting. Each year's data suggests that American students are sliding behind their global peers, especially in math and science, which puts our country in a precarious position as we face a future with increased demand for big thinkers in the STEM fields. So what can teachers in this country learn from classrooms overseas? What is so different about those countries with, as writer and educator Amanda Ripley puts it, the "smartest kids in the world"?

Preparing for a classroom observation, whether it’s your very first or your fiftieth, can be a nerve-wracking experience—but it doesn’t have to be. Use our tips below and make your first classroom observation a success!

We all know that it's important to incorporate technology into the 21st century classroom, and this series gives you tips on some of the most exciting, easy-to-use technology tools available so you can focus on what matters. Today we'll look at Prezi, an intuitive presentation software that teachers can use to liven up their presentations and push students to the next level. Step aside, PowerPoints and flip charts: there's a new tool in town.

Updated on October 26th, 2023

Working in the lab can be a great way for students to gain in-depth knowledge of science topics and apply concepts while working cooperatively. Staying safe in the lab means knowing what dangers your students may encounter, as well as how to avoid them!