| Please enjoy this week's STEM Ed update. |
| Coalition Update: |
Coalition Gives Third Congressional Briefing on Informal STEM Education 101
The STEM Education Coalition Policy Forum joined the National Science Teachers Association, Afterschool Alliance, American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Battelle, Education Development Center, the Society of Women Engineers, and the Association for Computing Machinery to host the another round of the Policy Forum's continued education briefing series on informal education. Focused on the state of educational research about the effectiveness of informal STEM education programs and outcomes, the panelists reviewed recent findings and future challenges in improving the effectiveness of student experiences in informal settings.
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Tim Cook, Mark Zuckerberg and Others Urge Congress to Fund K-12 Computer Science Education
Tech Crunch
Some of the biggest names in tech and corporate America, including Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Apple CEO Tim Cook, Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg and Walmart CEO Doug McMillon, have teamed up with governors and educators to ask Congress to provide $250 million in federal funding to school districts in order to give every single K-12 student in the nation an opportunity to learn how to code. On the legislative side, these tech CEOs are joined by governors from both sides, including California Gov. Jerry Brown (D) and Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson (R).
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Stay in the Know:
Latest STEM Education Policy News Across the U.S.
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A Stanford Professor Says Counting on Your Fingers is "Critical" to Understanding Math
Quartz
Using your fingers to count has long been the scourge of math teachers. But a new research paper published online by Stanford University's mathematics education
 research initiative, youcubed, dispels the notion that finger-counting isn't for smart kids.
In the paper, professor of mathematics education Jo Boaler cites studies from a branch of neuroscience that focuses on the part of the brain dedicated to the perception and representation of fingers (known as the somatosensory finger area). She argues that visual cues and pathways in the brain are key to the teaching and understanding of math.
Read more here.
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What is a Teacher in the 21st Century and What Does a 21st Century Teacher Need to Know?
EduResearch Matters
There is now almost universal recognition around the world that 'teaching matters' and that the quality of teaching is crucial in social and economic development. This is shown by the wide influence of international rankings and reports such as the
OECD PISA and
TALIS reports that compare the performance of school students, and the
Mckinsey Reports that compare the economic performance of nations. Policy makers all over the world quote these reports.
This trend to focus on teaching can also be seen in any general election in 'advanced' nations. It appears Australia is headed in this direction for the looming federal election.
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Celebrating the Environment, Afterschool Style
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Around the Community
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STEM Magazine: April Issue
Check out this month's issue of STEM magazine and read about a variety of topics including articles about basketball, drones, and colleges.
Iowa State University Conducts Research on STEM Education Software
A group of students from Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa are working on a research project for a university program called CyBIZ Lab regarding STEM education software in schools K-12 around the United States. Their survey link is below and holds 5 quick questions which should take no longer than 5 minutes to answer. Their goal is to gauge an understanding of satisfaction levels regarding software offerings and utilization. Help them out by following the link below to take their survey!
Carnegie Museums Announces the Public Launch of SPARK! A Campaign for Carnegie Science Center
Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh has announced the public launch of SPARK! A Campaign for Carnegie Science Center, which has already raised 77 percent of its $34.5 million goal. To date, the campaign has raised $26.5 million to expand the Science Center's acclaimed science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) programming and build a three-story Science Pavilion that will house a suite of STEM Learning Labs and a Special Exhibitions Gallery for large-scale changing exhibitions. Already the region's most visited museum with more than 500,000 annual visitors, the Science Center is also re-energizing current exhibits and creating new visitor experiences as part of the SPARK! Campaign.
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| Join the Coalition! We at the STEM Education Coalition hope you have enjoyed this week's edition of the STEM Ed Newsletter. Any organization may join the Coalition, and there is no cost to become an Affiliate Member. Affiliate members are listed on our website, receive periodic communications on policy matters, and will be signed up for the weekly newsletter. Your organization can also apply to join the Coalition's Policy Council, where they play an active role in setting the public policy agenda for the Coalition and are invited to participate in frequent interactions with policymakers. If you would like to join the Coalition at any level, please read our message to prospective members or email us at [email protected].
We appreciate your continued support and involvement.
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| Our Coalition's Co-Chairs -------------------------------------------------------------
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May 9, 2016
STEM Education and Future Generations of American Inventors, Technologists, and Explorers
Register
May 14, 2016
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For afterschool programs from the rocky coast of Maine to the bayous of Louisiana and the sunny beaches of Hawaii, this Earth Day is teachable moment. It's a chance to expose children to the wonders of nature, engage their creativity and brainpower in finding ways to overcome environmental challenges, and in a variety of ways make sure the nation's next generation embraces the task of stewardship of our environment.
