STEM EDUCATION WORKS BLOG

We're your partner in STEM



March 22, 2023

How Can AI Help Teachers? – An Interview with ChatGPT

It seems like everyone is talking about ChatGPT, the open-source artificial intelligence (AI) platform that is taking the world by storm. If you haven’t had a […]
March 8, 2023

Promoting Equity in STEM Education

STEM is one prominent area in education where there is a significant equity gap among students. This occurs because many students, particularly those from low-income families,  […]
February 22, 2023

National Engineers Week and Industry 4.0

National Engineers Week Pull out your graph paper and put on your hard hats, folks; it’s National Engineers Week! National Engineers Week is observed by more […]
February 7, 2023

Free CAD Software for 3D Printing

Selecting the best software for your 3D printer can feel like an overwhelming task, especially if you are operating on a limited budget. In this week’s […]
January 25, 2023

The Broad Field of Engineering — Interview w/ Jesse Burton

The “E” in STEM, “Engineering”, is a lot more diverse than it’s perceived to be. This week I was able to have a conversation with Jesse […]
January 11, 2023

A Big Breakthrough in Nuclear Fusion!

 (Image source: BBC) Just last month, on December 5, 2022, scientists at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory fired up a series of 192 ultraviolet lasers pointed at […]
December 21, 2022

Expeditions in Education: Dacia and Steve Jones

Image courtesy of Expeditions in Education   We are so excited to introduce you to Expeditions in Education, an organization that focuses on STEM education through […]
December 7, 2022

YouTube as a Resource for STEM Learning

To most of us, YouTube is simply a source of entertainment. Believe it or not, it’s an excellent resource for teaching STEM subjects, too! In today’s […]
November 23, 2022

How 3D Printing & GPS Are Improving the 2022 World Cup

STEM isn’t just for the classroom. It’s all around us, and it’s important to make those connections for our students. This week we’re going to take […]
November 9, 2022

How to Pick the Right 3D Printer for Your Classroom or Library

In September’s blog, I shared with you reasons why 3D printing should be a part of your library programming. If you haven’t checked it out, here’s […]
October 26, 2022

Choosing STEM Professional Development Training

Professional development (PD) plays an important role in staying up-to-date on the best practices in STEM education. However, it can be difficult to decide how to […]
October 12, 2022

A Byte of Computer Science: Interview with Geoffrey Lentner

Hello everyone,   Today we have a very special guest for this week’s blog! Geoffrey Lentner is a longtime friend of mine and fellow Purdue University […]
September 28, 2022

Why You Should Bring 3D Printing to Your Library

What if all it took to gain access to 3D printing technology was your library card? Libraries have long been an equalizer in providing equitable access […]
September 14, 2022

Making Your Classroom a Collaborative Space

Collaboration is a skill that today’s students will need for the rest of their lives. It is essential not only in the classroom but also in […]
August 24, 2022

Supporting Teachers When They Need It Most

Hello, everyone! With school starting back up, it’s time for students and teachers alike to return to the classroom. As most of you already know, the […]
August 10, 2022

Blog about Blogs! Best Back to School Blog Posts

August. It’s probably one of the toughest months of the year for teachers. Some teachers are setting up for the new school year. Others are attending […]
July 27, 2022

3D Printing 101

3D printing is a lot like skydiving; everyone wants to do it, but it’s a little nerve-wracking and there are a lot of unknowns. As a […]
July 13, 2022

STEM as the Foundation of Construction: Interview with Daphene Koch

Hello everyone, With the summer months upon us, you’ve probably noticed a lot of construction going on in your own city or nearby highway. I know […]
June 29, 2022

Bridging the Gap Between Block Coding and Text-Based Coding with micro:bit

Hello, everyone! Most of you are likely familiar with the world of computer programming – at least to some degree. You’ve probably heard of text-based programming […]
June 15, 2022

Putting the T in STEM: Interview with Naomi Meredith

For this month’s blog, we are excited to introduce Naomi Meredith. Naomi just finished her 10th year as an elementary teacher and is a STEM superstar! […]
June 1, 2022

Summer Sphero Care

Your room is packed up for the summer. The posters are down from the walls for that district-wide painting project. You are just about ready to […]
May 18, 2022

In the Trenches: Looking Back at 2021/2022

To close out my blog posts for the school year, I interviewed eight public school teachers and librarians. They asked to remain anonymous, but here is […]
May 4, 2022

5 Fun Science Facts about Star Wars

“May the Force be with you,” is a phrase that undoubtedly brings up memories of Star Wars (even if you aren’t a fan). With that being […]
April 20, 2022

Astronomy Tips for Star Gazers

Back when I was in graduate school, between researching the theoretical interior of neutron stars and teaching undergraduate physics classes and labs, by far my favorite […]
April 6, 2022

National Robotics Week

It’s National Robotics Week, an annual celebration to “inspire students of all ages to pursue careers in robotics and other Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) […]
March 23, 2022

Choosing STEM Education

Why STEM Education? Why STEM?  Isn’t it just another fad? Why should I have to teach it? These are questions I heard often as a teacher. […]
March 9, 2022

The Crossroads Between Art and STEM: Interview with Brian Roark

Hello everyone,   When it comes to the STEM subjects, we often think of a scientist in a lab following rigid procedures or an engineer relying […]
February 23, 2022

NASA Takes CTE Out of this World

Step into Eric Tanger’s classroom, and you’ll see no desks or chairs. In one corner of the room, a student uses computer-aided design (CAD) and a […]
February 9, 2022

3 Student Engagement Strategies for Your Classroom

Student engagement has been a topic of discussion for decades. As a former teacher, I hate to admit that even when I was in school I […]
January 26, 2022

The Beginnings of the James Webb Space Telescope

Anytime you’ve seen pictures of outer space – whether it be a stunning image of a spiral galaxy or a sprawling, majestic nebula – you probably […]