School libraries are no longer simply a holding area for books; they now serve as a learning hub for schools. More often than not, the time it takes to teach curriculum in the classroom leaves little extra time for teachers to plan lessons that fuse their students’ creativity and Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM). In many of Haywood County …
More state investment needed to meet demand for engineers (Seattle Times)
THE Seattle Times’ report on the University of Washington’s engineering program highlighted the problem of too many highly qualified students competing for too few slots. The UW and the state of Washington have been working together for several years to solve this challenge and our progress has been good. But we need to do better. Nationally, Washington state is in an …
Educators Shape Minecraft’s Growing Presence in the Classroom (EdTech Magazine)
Imagine learning about ancient Egypt and then being able to construct your own pyramid that is accurately scaled. Or, imagine reading Charlotte’s Web and recreating the barnyard to explore on your own. This is the reality for the 75,000 educators and students around the world who are using Minecraft: Education Edition in their classrooms. These educators aren’t just playing around …
General Motors grant to support STEM outreach, inclusion, diversity (Upper Michigan’s Source)
Michigan Tech received grant money from one of the largest companies in the world. General Motors gave $110,000 to provide continued support of student activities. Michigan Tech and General Motors have shared a partnership since 1940. The money will go toward pre-college STEM outreach, automotive and funding for Michigan Tech’s Center for Diversity and Inclusion. General Motors said that diversity …
How the tech industry uses H-1B visas and what could change under President Trump (GeekWire)
One of Donald Trump’s first priorities in office has been to restrict the entry of foreigners into the U.S. But while he’s so far focused on refugees and individuals from majority-Muslim countries, the tech industry is girding itself for changes that will take direct aim at how they do business. In a draft executive order obtained by Bloomberg News, Trump …
Public university lays off 79 IT workers after they train outsourced replacements (ars technica)
At the University of California’s San Francisco campus, 79 IT employees lost their jobs this week, some of them after explaining to their replacements at Indian outsourcing firm HCL how to do their jobs. The union representing the employees, University Professional and Technical Employees CWA Local 9119, says it’s the first time a public university has offshored American IT jobs. In …
US immigration asked a Nigerian software engineer test questions even Quartz’s engineers couldn’t solve (Quartz)
A first-time trip to the United States usually lives long in the visitor’s memory. That will certainly be true for Celestine Omin, but for all the wrong reasons. On Feb. 26, after landing in New York’s JFK airport after a long flight from Nigeria (via Qatar), Omin, a 28-year old software engineer, prepared for what he thought was going to …
2017 New York Toy Fair: Bridging Programming with Physical Products (MAKE)
This year’s Toy Fair in New York featured several products I thought of as “programming plus” — toys that were screen-based but tied to components in the physical world. There’s not as much building involved in the new Mover Kit from Technology Will Save Us as in some of their other kits — the electronic boards just snap together, no …
Why Retailers Are Betting On STEM Toys For Your Little Mad Scientist (Fast Company)
From code-teaching caterpillars to colorful chemistry kits, manufacturers and retailers alike are eager to cash in on a growing toy sector, known by the buzzworthy term STEM, that promises to deliver on science, technology, engineering, and math education. Retailers are taking different approaches: Target, Best Buy, and Walmart are amping up their store aisles, while Toys “R” Us and National …
Astronaut Helps Launch Science and Math Education Competition for Teachers (Space.com)
Former NASA astronaut Leland Melvin — a veteran of two space shuttle missions to build the International Space Station — will judge a new online fundraising competition to support science education beyond the classroom. Melvin will co-judge the Science Everywhere Innovation Challenge, a competition that calls on teachers to submit ideas for projects that can inspire students to learn about …
Donald Trump signs bills aimed at recruiting women in STEM careers (Chicago Tribune)
President Donald Trump has signed a pair of bills into law aimed at recruiting more women for the fields of science, technology, engineering and math. Trump said at an Oval Office ceremony that it’s unfair that only 1 in 4 women with a degree in one of these areas works in the field. One measure authorizes the NASA administrator to …
Baylor, Hess Toy Truck partner on new free STEM initiative (Baylor College of Medicine)
Baylor College of Medicine and Hess Corporation are partnering to offer a free STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) education curriculum for schools nationwide. Hess and Baylor are making 500 Hess Toy Truck STEM kits available for free. Each kit includes a teacher’s manual with student activity sheets and 10 2016 Hess Toy Truck and Dragsters. The new curriculum uses the …
Microsoft: Role models key to solving girls in STEM crisis (Computer Business Review)
A Microsoft study into STEM has revealed that businesses and schools only have a small 5-year window in which to foster a love for Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths. Not only is that small window a huge challenge, but those ideally placed to foster that passion in STEM – role models – are lacking in numbers. The Microsoft study, which …
Lockheed, Brigham Young University Partner to Apply Gaming Tech in Digital Engineering (ExecutiveBiz)
Brigham Young University and Lockheed Martin will collaborate on the application of gaming technology to help users interact with, record and share engineering designs in virtual reality environments. Lockheed said Tuesday the project is part of a research grant awarded to BYU’s mechanicalv engineering department for the development of a VR training and design review system that will support the company’s digital engineering efforts. The partnership will …
Cornell receives $200K to assist local manufacturers (Ithaca Journal)
Cornell University will receive grants totaling $209,000 to provide research assistance to small- and medium-sized New York manufacturers with innovative projects that will eventually create job opportunities. The awards were announced on Wednesday as part of a $469,000 package of grants given by state’s Manufacturing Innovation Fund to seven different projects across the state. Cornell’s Nanoscale & Science facility has partnered with Xallent …
After-school Programs Foster STEM Skills (U.S. News & World Report)
While many classrooms and internship programs are actively trying to incorporate science, technology, engineering and math — also known as STEM — education into the lives of children and young adults, after-school programs that focus on STEM let children explore new ideas without worrying about keeping their grades up. A new study by the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation and STEM …
Coding bootcamps commit to transparency in reporting around job placement (TechCrunch)
A group of coding boot camps and white-collar training programs from around the country are banding together to create a single standard for reporting graduation and job placement data. The move comes as these “accelerated learning programs” across the country push for greater validation among educational institutions — and a share of the massive state and federal dollars that come …
The winners of architecture’s prestigious Pritzker Prize prove that genius isn’t always solitary (Quartz)
The era of the lone starchitect is ending. The Pritzker Architecture Prize announced today (March 1) that it’s awarding the coveted career-making honor to Rafael Aranda, Carme Pigem and Ramón Vilalta, three Catalan architects who ardently champion the idea of “shared creativity.” This is a departure for the Pritzker, often referred to architecture’s Nobel prize, who has previously lionized solo …
One week left to nominate for the STEM Innovation Awards (Utah STEM Action Center)
Created by the STEM Action Center, the Utah STEM Innovation Awards (STEMi Awards) are designed to recognize and reward individuals who excel in and contribute to STEM learning and achievement. Principals, teachers, parents, students, school counselors, and mentors or members of the general public may nominate someone from the community for a STEMi. Submissions are due March 8, 2017. A …
Students’ worry: education technology might predict failure before they have a chance to succeed (Hechinger Report)
A high-tech program designed to predict which students are at risk of failure might sound like a way to extend a helping hand. Some students don’t see it that way. They worry that the data will be used to label them before they have a chance to make their own impression on a teacher. That it will relegate them to …