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Hi everyone!

My name is Melissa and I'm a senior at Dominican University, we have been doing many presentations on different types of science projects that can engage student learning. Our next project is to create a STEM lesson and the one I have created is making foil boats and having the students compete to make the best one that can hold the most coins. Most STEM projects I have seen online require hands-on learning, but what are some ways to create these lessons for distanced learning and still have them be effective? Is there any way to have the students just as engaged as if they were in a real classroom?

Hi Melissa,

Teachers across the country found themselves thrust into that virtual situation rather suddenly when the pandemic made it necessary to keep children home.   The technology of the day was indespensible to provide teachers with a range of online tools to help keep students actively engaged whether at home or in a classroom.  One of the things some school districts did was to create 'science kits' that were sent to homes so that students could complete investigations along side their peers while in Zoom-type classrooms.  Other teachers found activities that used commonly found items in most student homes.  Placing students together in breakout rooms allowed for small group work to take place.  It sounds like your STEM activity could be one of those activities that students would be able to engage in at home. Whether online or in person, teaching and learning has it challenges.  Hybrid, Flipped, and totally online classes have been around for a while now, and there are some tried and true dos and don'ts to creating highly engaging learning experiences. Embrace those pedagogically sound practices that you are learning about in your education courses.  By using teleconferencing software, teachers and students are brought together in their virtual classrooms. Best wishes to you for a highly effective teaching career!

Sincerely,

Carolyn Mohr