STEM(+) through a Global Lens: Fostering international collaboration, perspectives, & peer-to-peer learning
Your Name and Title: Jim Vanides, Global Education Program Manager
School, Library, or Organization Name: HP Sustainability & Social Innovation
Co-Presenter Name(s):
Tonia Lovejoy, Reach the World (USA)
Lauren Silver, Computer History Museum (Silicon Valley, USA)
Adriana Holguín, Prepa UDEM Academia de Informática (Mexico)
Lee Ann Heller and Elizabeth Fridinger, Stamford Public Schools (USA)
Country from Which You Will Present: USA/Mexico
Language in Which You Will Present: English
Target Audience (such as primary school teachers, high school administrators, students, etc.): Secondary teachers (middle school through high school)
Short Session Description (one line):
Panelists from three HP Catalyst projects show how science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM+) for secondary education students is enriched by making the experience global.
Full Session Description (one paragraph minimum):
School systems around the world are emphasizing the importance of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM+) education for all students. But are we doing all that needs to be done to make STEM(+) learning relevant, inspiring, and fun? Join this one hour panel discussion to hear how three project teams are making STEM(+) learning global. Through this session you will be introduced to innovative ways to engage your students experiences that expand their international perspective on STEM(+) topics. The 60 minute panel is designed to give you will have ample time to interact with the panelists. Jim Vanides, Global Education Program Manager for the HP Catalyst Initiative, will facilitate a panel discussion and audience Q&A with the panelists:
Tonia Lovejoy, Reach the World (USA) – RTW introduces students to global mentors who are studying in the STEM disciplines and reporting on their experiences from locations around the Earth in a series of articles structured around the essential question, “How does where we live, affect how we live?” Over a period of twelve weeks, students videoconference with their global mentor and engage in meaningful conversations about the very real global issues reported on by their traveler. In this way, Reach the World works to help students not only be able to read science content, but also be able to think critically about what they have read, engage in dialogue with their peers about what they've read (observed, thought), identify questions they now have as a result of those conversations, take a position on an issue, and defend that position in authentic way.
Lauren Silver, Computer History Museum (Silicon Valley, USA) and Adriana Holguín, Prepa UDEM Academia de Informática (Mexico) have been collaborating on a project called “Get Invested”, part of a strategic and intentional effort on the part of the Computer History Museum to address inadequate exposure to STEM learning. Get Invested teaches students about the concepts, challenges, opportunities, and processes involved in innovation; incorporating historical inquiry, object-based learning, and entrepreneurial thinking with 21st century skills and STEM knowledge and concepts. In the first year, the Museum partnered with schools in San Jose, California and Monterrey, Mexico. For six months, student teams worked to develop proposals for innovative technology-based solutions to compelling social challenges. They participated in a variety of activities which made use of resources from the Museum's vast archives, interactions with professional mentors, and peer-to-peer collaborations within their schools and across global lines. The program culminated in a formal "pitch" to Silicon Valley venture capitalists who offered real-world feedback about the students' ideas.
Lee Ann Heller and Elizabeth Fridinger, Stamford Public Schools (USA) are teachers at Scofield Magnet Middle School, where students get hands on experience with science and math while connecting to the world beyond the classroom. Through their water quality unit of study called “Sisters Schools Seeking Solutions Together: Students Analyzing Water Quality Across the Globe”, Scofield has found a way to collaborate to address a global problem. As students learn about water quality in their own community, they are uniquely equipped to share their knowledge and teach students in other countries about the importance of water quality in their local communities.
Websites / URLs Associated with Your Session:
HP Catalyst Initiative
Reach the World
Computer History Museum
Stamford Public Schools
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