The Massachusetts PLTW Network is Growing!
|
|
BAKER-POLITO ADMINISTRATION AWARDS $1.7 MILLION TO HELP MORE STUDENTS STUDY STEM
BOSTON, MA
– The Baker-Polito Administration today announced $1.7 million in school grants to expand computer science, engineering, and biomedical science education for students at 73 schools across the Commonwealth in grades K-12.
Read the full press release
here
.
|
|
This month we had the great opportunity to see several PLTW teachers in action.
|
|
Students at Sky View MS in Mrs. Koch and Ms. Murphy's Medical Detectives course dive into the first day of their sheep brain dissection lab. Students explored and the outer structures of their dissected brain and then discussed their observations linking what they observed to what they previously learned about the structures and function of the brain.
|
|
Students in Ms. Marino's class at Woodland Elementary work on pair programming in a 3rd grade Launch lesson. Students took turns being the lead and checking their partners work allowing both students to meaningfully engage in the lesson.
|
|
|
|
Students in Mr. Smutok's Principles of Engineering Design course at Uxbridge HS work on their designs for their bridge trusses. Students were broken up into small groups to build and design their trusses and used their drawings to ensure that their prototypes were drawn to the correct specifications.
|
|
Teachers, are your students doing amazing things in the classroom? We'd love to hear about it! Share your students' discovery moments with us and maybe their work will be featured in our newsletter!
Email Faith
.
|
|
MA Mentor Teacher PD Opportunties
|
|
MA PLTW Mentor Teachers are organizing PD opportunities for PLTW teachers. These PD sessions are specific to PLTW programs and classes. Visit the links below to learn more and sign up!
|
|
In-Person Coaching Opportunity
|
|
Attention HS Engineering and Gateway Teachers:
|
March 26th-28th we will have 2 master teachers coming to deliver in-person coaching sessions to interested PLTW teachers. This is a unique opportunity to get real-time feedback on your PLTW course and meet with and ask questions of master teachers.
If you are interested in having our guest master teachers visit your classroom, please email Faith at [email protected] to sign up today!
|
|
Virtual Professional Learning Communities
|
|
Attention Automation and Robotics & Principles of Engineering Teachers:
|
Sign up for an opportunity to network with fellow AR and POE teachers in a virtual PLC led by PLTW Master Teachers. We piloted the virtual PLCs earlier this winter with a PLC for Design and Modeling and Introduction to Engineering Design. Teachers found it very helpful so we are expanding this opportunity for Massachusetts PLTW teachers who teach AR and POE!
The virtual PLCs will meet a total of 4 times over the course of 8 weeks. There is no travel involved to participate and participants will be able to learn from master teachers as well as share tips and tricks with other PLTW teachers in the state.
AR:
Wed, February 28
th
, 7-8 p.m.
Wed, March 14
th
, 7-8 p.m.
Wed, March 28
th
, 7-8 p.m.
Wed, April 11
h
, 7-8 p.m.
POE:
Tue, February 27
th
, 4-5 p.m.
Tue, March 13
th
, 4-5 p.m.
Tue, March 27
th
, 4-5 p.m.
Tue, April 10
th
, 4-5 p.m.
|
|
Burke Memorial Elementary PLTW Program Highlighted
|
PLTW Massachusetts Mentor Teacher Stephanie Cunningham demonstrated PLTW's Rosie's Runtime unplugged computer science activity at the winter session of the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents meeting and the Medway program was profiled in a local paper.
Read the article here.
|
|
Roster your PLTW students
|
|
Thank you to all the schools that have rostered. Over 66% of schools in the network are rostered and we are hoping to get to 100%. Rostering helps to inform our programming. If you haven’t already, please roster today!
When rostering, keep in mind:
- Launch and Gateway Teachers, you can roster your students yourself!
- Beginning and end dates are important to help us plan events and simplify survey administration
- Accuracy matters—students must be rostered for correct courses and matched to the correct teacher
- Roster all your students
To roster students, log into your mypltw.org account and click on "My Sites" to find detailed instructions.
|
|
Participate in the Project Lead The Way Survey
|
As part of our statewide PLTW initiative, we are conducting student and teacher surveys.
The student and teacher surveys will increase our understanding about how PLTW creates engaging learning experiences that help students develop the skills required for success in college and careers. Further, the study will help Mass STEM Hub support PLTW teachers and students across the state by tailoring the opportunities to their needs.
To participate in this exciting project, click
HERE
.
|
|
Follow Mass STEM Hub on Twitter!
|
Thank you to those of you who have started following us on Twitter!! Here are some exciting things going on in Massachusetts PLTW Schools as shared on Twitter:
Share what's going on by tagging
@Mass_STEMHub
!
Use
#pltwma
to stay connected with all the latest PLTW news in Massachusetts.
|
|
Mass STEM Hub is seeking photos of exemplar PLTW student work to showcase on our website. The Student Work Gallery will be a place where we can showcase student work from PLTW classes for other educators, as well as industry professionals.
If you have photos or videos of student work that you would like to share, please email them to [email protected] with a brief description of what the photo shows. Please include: PLTW Course, Unit, Lesson, and Grade.
We look forward to seeing the wonderful work your students are doing every day!
|
|
Verizon Innovative Learning Labs
|
|
PLTW and Verizon are offering free interactive labs that will expose students to new skills such as coding, virtual reality, robotics and 3D printing.The labs will be offered one Saturday a month at the
Boston Verizon Destination Store
(
745 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02116
).
Below is a list of upcoming dates and topics:
2018 Labs:
February 24 – Music Mixing
March 24 – Coding
April 21 – Internet of Things
May 19 – 3D Printing
June 16 – Augmented Reality
|
|
Mass STEM Hub Collaborative Teaching Prize
|
|
The first Mass STEM Hub Teacher Prize is for interdisciplinary student projects based on PLTW coursework. We invite educators to develop or submit an existing lesson plan that connects a PLTW lesson to other disciplines (e.g., math, ELA, history). Lessons should reflect PLTW’s hands-on, rigorous approach.
Winning submissions will receive a prize of $500.
Submissions are due April, 25th 2018. To learn more,
click here
.
|
|
Student Scholarship Opportunities
|
|
As high school students begin to apply to college, we have complied a list of scholarships available for students looking to pursue degrees in STEM. To learn more about these scholarship opportunities,
click here
.
|
|
Mass STEM Hub Virtual Design Challenge
|
|
Teachers, are you looking for additional opportunities for students to develop their skills as future STEM leaders? Then connect students to the Mass STEM Hub Virtual Design Challenge! Students can submit their solutions to the design challenge and their designs will be judged by industry professionals.
|
|
Additional Funding Opportunities
|
|
American Honda Foundation
|
The American Honda Foundation awards educational grants to schools with a specific focus on STEM programming. Applications for new organizations are due
February
1st.
Award amounts vary.
To learn more about this opportunity and apply,
click here.
|
|
GE Additive Education Program
|
Applications for the GE Additive Education Program which awards 3-D printers to schools will go live at the end of January.
Sign up here
to receive information as soon as the application becomes available.
|
|
Alternative Fuel Foundation
|
The Alternative Fuel Foundation offers grants for schools ranging from $50 to $500. Schools may apply once a year and funding can be used to help fund science equipment such as 3-D printers. Applications are reviewed on a 60 day cycle. Click
here
to learn more about this opportunity.
|
|
The Hearst Foundations has funding for educational programs. Schools may apply once a year for funding and applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. If you are looking for additional funding for your PLTW program, learn more about the Hearst Foundation's grant process by clicking
here
.
|
|
Do you have an idea for a student or teacher event? Are you an industry professional looking to get involved? Do you have a question about PLTW implementation? Are exciting things happening in your classrooms that should be shared in our newsletter?
|
|
Have a question for Mass STEM Hub?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
