When planning and teaching, I try to keep the space exploration lens in mind. Sometimes it becomes more STEM-based and other times, space exploration is front and center. The NASA Endeavor STEM Teaching Certificate program and attending SEEC for the past 3 years has really helped me build a collection of resources. Great conferences are rejuvenating and allow your mind to see new possibilities. I think the most difficult part is heading back to reality and trying to fit these amazing experiences into your classroom. I understand that it is not always an easy feat. Here are ways that I've been able to make space exploration and STEM education fit.
Genius Hour
This year Genius Hour looked different than in years past. With a schedule change and reflection on student learning, the curriculum was revamped. I had students for one quarter. The focus was on the 4C's - creativity, communication, critical thinking and collaboration - skills crucial to 21st century students. Each week was similar in that students gained background knowledge from exploring a variety of online resources - video clips, articles, etc. I shared these resources with them using Wakelet. (More on that later). Students documented their findings and answered questions in a logbook. Activities related to that week's focus were completed. Finally, students reflected on their experience and tried to get one step closer to answering our essential question, How can I positively influence the world?
We started with Creativity. Using the idea of the Multiple Intelligences survey and information from What's Your Creative Approach (Ch. 2 -The LAUNCH Cycle Book), students answered questions to determine what type(s) of creative they were. Then, students created an emoji and created a slide with three potential jobs that they would be interested in based on what they learned about themselves as a creative.
Next up was communication. Students once again reflected on themselves and the different types of communication that they use on a daily basis. We discussed the importance of clear and precise communication. To test this, students were put into teams of two -four. Each team split up into two groups. One group was the Mission Controllers and the other group was the astronauts. Mission Control had to give directions to the astronauts and the astronauts had to follow them. Since there is a slight communication delay and Mission Controllers are sitting at desk in Houston while astronauts are onboard station, the groups were split up. Both groups could not talk face to face and had to communicate through recorded messages. I am excited to be presenting this activity at SEEC this year!
A focus on critical thinking followed. This activity, like so many others, also required good communication. Students explored online reviews and had to determine what makes a helpful review versus a useless review. Then, they chose a topic and created their own helpful review.
Last, but not least was collaboration. Collaboration involved students working in teams to construct a model of the International Space Station. What's a better example of collaboration than 15 countries, 5 space agencies and countless astronauts creating a floating laboratory that has been operational for over 20 years! I based this on Brian Ewenson's session from 2 years ago! It was easy to facilitate, but as you can probably imagine construction was anything but. Unlike the actual ISS construction, students had the benefit of being in a 1G environment. Teams were randomly chosen and students had to determine roles of each team member.
Tech TOol Spotlight : Wakelet
Wakelet is a curation or collection tool that is free and easy to use. Think of it like a hyperdoc 2.0. You can add things directly from your Drive (Google or Microsoft). You can add website links and pdf files. You can record a Flipgrid video directly in Wakelet. It even allows you to embed YouTube videos for students to watch right there without going doing the rabbit hole and worrying about ads or inappropriate content. I really like the ability to customize your Wakelet by rearranging and adding text to explain each resource or give directions. Text that you add will even be read aloud to students!! You can add collaborators, so your whole teaching team can put together useful links for a unit instead of countless e-mails. It's a really great organization tool.
If you're interested in learning more about Wakelet; how to create it, the features, etc, click on the video below. I created this video of my screen using Loom, another great tech tool.
I hope you've been able to learn something that you can incorporate into your classroom. Feel free to reach out with questions or comments :) I'm looking forward to seeing many of you at SEEC.
Peace, love and space exploration, CAPCOM Conrad
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AuthorApollo 13 fan. Educator. Lifelong Learner. Third generation Boilermaker. Space Exploration Enthusiast. Collaborator. Click Subscribe to stay updated!Archives
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