Project Based Learning can help teachers extend the classroom beyond the school walls. Frequently, projects can be extended to engage the internal and external school community. These projects can help provide partnerships that allow students the opportunity to work pro-actively with community partners.
District Administration magazine has highlighted 100 products that enhance learning in districts nationwide in its annual awards program. Defined STEM has been recognized for making a positive difference in education by K12 leaders who named it to District Administration magazine’s “Readers’ Choice Top 100 Products for 2014.”
Watch the video below to see Jay McTighe discuss how assessment should be done throughout learning.
New ways of learning and evaluating, driven by the Defined STEM program, are taking place in all grades at Manson Northwest Webster.
“We’re full speed ahead in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) movement,” said elementary Principal Justin Daggett. “Each grade level is implementing Defined STEM performance tasks.”
“The focus is giving the kids an authentic role, and having an authentic audience they present to. Traditional practice is kids write a paper for the teacher and get a grade. With this, you’re still writing a paper, but you are now writing to a real audience about a real topic, and you’re going to get feedback from them.”
February 05, 2015 TCEA 2015 took place from February 2nd to the 6th in Austin, Texas. It was five days packed with educational sessions and an exhibit hall with 450 companies featuring the latest ed-tech products in a range of categories. Sessions covered topics like 1:1 implementation, BYOT, flipped classrooms,…
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EdTech Times spoke with Joel Jacobson, co-founder of Defined Learning – a startup that’s developing application, Defined STEM, enabling students to make connections between STEM classroom content and career pathways. The application is also useful for the teachers to discover and reuse resources to design performance tasks.
When you are a STEM coordinator of a diverse, rural district with limited funds and high hopes for a superior summer school program, you must get creative. As Kathryn Zanin, Altar Valley STEM Coordinator, knows it is a big responsibility to ensure that all students have access to STEM learning year-long…summer being no exception.
Instructional specialist Jason Braddock noticed that their current STEM solutions often they left out big pieces of the puzzle, such as literacy and social studies. “We really needed something that everybody could share across grade levels and subject areas,”
How can a school district that has tripled in size since 2000 effectively develop a “career and college ready” student who’s steeped in STEM learning?
“We knew STEM could be so much more, and we wanted our students to experience the integration and multi-layered problem-solving pieces of that.”
First grade teacher, Emily Morse, wanted to find new and creative ways to integrate STEM into various lessons for students to make it fun and engaging, and to instill an interest in science, but without making the lessons too advanced for the students.
An elementary school needed to ensure that its culture shift to STEM learning would be successfully integrated without diminishing its budget and by inspiring its teachers.
With online assessments around the corner, we look at the hardware and software that districts are using to teach to the new standards.
Ohio schools are teaching STEM across all subjects for a more holistic approach to STEM education.
Defined STEM is an excellent service that offers an enormous collection of pre-created problem and project-based learning resources for all core subjects in K-12. Each resource is built around a specific career to help increase relevancy, and comes with all the resources, standards, materials, and so on that you could possibly need. It’s a wonderful service, so let’s check them out!
A Science-focused district finds the right curriculum and assessments to prepare students for NGSS.
A weather unit was already part of my plans so I decided to use the Defined STEM Weather Reporter performance task. I integrated a few of my other weather projects, like launching a weather balloon, into the Defined STEM lesson.
At Phoenixville Area Middle School educators have introduced a new program, which they say is on the cutting edge of innovative learning.
A New Approach to STEM Education at a Rural Elementary School Revs up Learning with Hands-on Student Experiences
By offering engaging lessons and embracing a chaotic classroom, one teacher brings STEM into her English curriculum.
As one district proves, you don’t have to wait until high school to expose students to their futures
Nominations from top K12 leaders led to the selection of products that enhance learning across the country Northbrook, IL. – December 1, 2015 — Defined Learning’s service “Defined STEM” has been recognized for making a positive difference in education by K12 leaders who named it to District Administration magazine’s “Readers’…
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By Mathew Lynch – Education Week 4/6/2016 The STEM team at Huntingdon Area Middle School uses a rotational model to engage students in multifaceted, multimedia projects with real-world implications.
A STEM rotation model engages students in multifaceted projects with real-world implications
From the moment students walk through our doors to the time they walk across the stage to receive their high-school diplomas, it’s our job as educators to do everything we can to prepare them for life outside the classroom and for the jobs of the future.
As more and more subjects jump on the STEM train, what about social studies? Here, four teachers share their best practices for linking social studies and STEM.
It’s never too early to start thinking about college and careers. And that’s why kindergarteners at Kankakee School District in Illinois are already on the right path.
The familiar garbage in/garbage out axiom has long been a mantra of computer programmers, and nowhere is the cause-and-effect principle more apparent than when working with robots.
Whether you call it STEM, STEAM, or STREAM, cross-curricular, real-world education is helping students to make a difference in their communities now and preparing them for further education and careers. And creative collaboration is the key.
The monthly academic spotlight at Monday’s LeRoy School Board meeting focused on STEM education and a specific program used to augment classroom discussion.
Elementary school students in Illinois whose teachers used a project-based-learning curriculum had stronger scores on a math test that measured problem solving than their peers from more-traditional science classes.
Just like in the real world, in my classroom students show what they’ve learned through project-based learning (PBL) and application using real-world examples. Is it working? Well, according to state science exams, my students consistently score higher than other science classes in my district.
In a recent study, students learning via project tested better and improved applied problem-solving skills
Two curriculum coordinators share successful PD to help educators shift to digital learning models
How can the consideration for an audience enhance performance-based learning?
Parties, shopping and vacation time can derail learning. Here are rock-solid solutions to keep students on task
Here are a few ideas and best practices from teachers and administrators across the nation that can help maintain that “first day of school” level of engagement all year long.
Kankakee School District Superintendent Genevra Walters spearheaded a shift to a focus on college and career prep starting in kindergarten for her Illinois students, and math scores have already jumped as a result.
4-H students are spending a lot of their time focused on areas like civics, sustainable living, technology, and leadership skills—and they’re doing it largely on their own.
As 2016 drew to a close, we asked educators in variety of positions to reflect on what they have learned this year. Here, a quartet of superintendents offer thoughts on leadership, PBL, and the challenges of turning around schools and districts.
The best educational leaders are lifelong learners. They are constantly expanding their knowledge, refining their skills, and looking for creative ways to help kids learn. As these four principals look back at 2016, they recall the most important ed tech lesson they learned this year—and look forward to inspiring their staff and students anew in 2017.
When you think of STEM, it’s likely you think of science, technology, engineering, and math, all rolled into one. At Kankakee Schools in Illinois, our STEM program aims to do a lot more than teach four topics: We want our students to apply what they learn in real-life settings.
Relating classroom lessons to real life helps students at any level connect with the content and interpret it in a way they are able to understand.
Working with a number of school systems around the country, I have witnessed a number of commonalities that have led to successful STEM learning experiences and initiatives.
We reviewed the major news stories on STEM education in 2016 and found ten that we think are exceptionally inspiring and educational. Topics range from research reports to feature stories about new STEM initiatives in schools.
As the CAO of an edtech company, I lead onsite professional development (PD) sessions for K-12 educators. I am often surprised when I begin a session and a majority of the participants do not know why they are there or the purpose of the session. I’ve found that the most productive and successful PD sessions often share common elements.
To truly become successful in an uncertain world, students need to be learning navigators. Through an authentic learning process students utilize soft skills, learn how to problem solve, use a variety of skills and content areas to discover new destinations and answer the challenges before them.
College and career readiness for students is a growing initiative across the United States. There are countless ways in which teachers can support this effort.Here are three practices that can move your students along the continuum of career readiness and success.
In their mission to prepare every student for college or a career, today’s K-12 schools have to support not just high achievers, but students with emotional disturbances, language issues and hearing challenges. Here are three educators whose creative solutions are making “readiness for all” a reality.
When students become part of their own learning they take pride in their education and become more engaged.
This week in S’Cool Tools, we again share the real experiences of three teachers using three different tools, written in their own words.
A new report from MIDA Learning Technologies studied project-based learning in second- and fifth-grade classrooms during the 2015-16 school year
How can teachers easily and effectively incorporate career experiences into their existing curriculum? Here’s a 2 step solution.
By Ken Wallace | March 2, 2017 Millennials today have too much student loan debt and are entering a workforce with not enough employment demand. Part of that stems from unrealistic expectations set by parents, colleges, and even K-12 institutions. Ten years ago, I think we thought our job was…
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BY ANTHONY JOHNSON | February 23rd, 2017 | eSchool News Just as few modern-day workers could function in their jobs without a cellphone, a laptop, or periodic trips to Google, I want my students to learn how to solve problems using devices that will likely be similar to ones they will…
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By Richard Cheng | THE Journal Great things can come from humble beginnings. Anthony Johnson, a former high school dropout, is a teacher of the year winner in his school district and the southwest region of North Carolina. He is also a finalist for state teacher of the year. At…
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By Maggie O’Brien We had such a great response to our post on the Top 10 STEM Education Articles of 2016 that we decided to share our favorite articles on STEM education every month. Hopefully this will help shine a spotlight on the exceptional work educators are doing to ensure their students are college…
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By Dr. David Reese | February 24, 2017 As a new teacher, I remember listening intently to my school leader share new initiatives we would be required to implement. As I feverishly took notes, two veteran teachers looked at me and told me to “not waste my time”. They went…
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By David Reese | March 8, 2017 I have the amazing opportunity to work with educators across the United States and around the world. One of my first conversations always revolves around what matters. Recently, I worked with educators from the Virginia Beach City Public Schools and they discussed…
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A Defined STEM Learning Experience From: Adrian Hammond Fifth-Grade Math, Science, and STEAM Teacher Boiling Springs Intermediate School (SC) Performance Task: School Lunch Operations: Healthy Ice Cream Here’s What We Did: Who doesn’t like ice cream? I used this challenge as a cumulative activity for my students as part of…
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By Barbara Dill-Varga | March 31st, 2017 For today’s students, STEM- or STEAM-related careers are the future. In Maine Township High School District 207, we take the acronym one step further and teach our students 21st-century skills based on STEAME, where the second “e” stands for entrepreneurship. To…
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By Maggie O’Brien | March 31st, 2017 Below is a list of noteworthy articles on STEM education that we came across this month. These articles support our mission of assisting students in developing the 21st century skills they need to succeed in college, career, and life. Engineering Making…
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Editor’s note: This post is a follow-up from the previous article “Five Domains of a Future Ready Learner”. By David Reese | April 4th, 2017 My second trip to Istanbul to teach was during the beginning of the crisis in Syria. Thousands upon thousands of refugees were making…
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By Brandon Wilson | April 7th, 2017 I have been teaching 7th-grade science for the past five years. Four years ago, I joined the staff at the Winkler Middle School in Concord, North Carolina. North Carolina is a state where the number of STEM jobs is growing, so it…
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By: Dr. Ruben Alejandro, Lydia Withrow, and Vicky Gorman | The Learning Counsel With report after report touting the American economy’s need for STEM workers, school districts across the country have rushed to roll out STEM and STEAM initiatives. As is often the case in education these days, though, specific…
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By Nate Hassman I’ve got a pretty tough job, because sometimes chemistry is a hard sell. Some students love it and embrace the periodic table and Newton’s laws of motion, but as research shows —a majority simply don’t see how it connects to their lives. It’s my role as the…
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By Dr. Genevra Walters | Getting Smart Are we really doing all we can in our current educational system to prepare today’s students for the careers of tomorrow? Think of your current job. Are you tasked with memorizing facts, filling out worksheets and taking formal exams? Probably not. In…
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By Dr. Genevra Walters Are we really doing all we can in our current educational system to prepare today’s students for the careers of tomorrow? Since I started in education, I’ve used the motto, “The transition to adulthood starts in preschool.” Today, the phrase is the mantra pushing my…
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By Jay McTighe A performance task is any learning activity or assessment that asks students to perform to demonstrate their knowledge, understanding and proficiency. Performance tasks yield a tangible product and/or performance that serve as evidence of learning. Unlike a selected-response item (e.g., multiple-choice or matching) that asks students to…
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By Yvette Ramirez According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 4.5 million public school students (9.3 percent) were English language learners (ELLs) in the 2013-2014 school year. This means that almost 1 in 10 students have the difficult challenge of learning the English language at the same time he…
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By Maggie O’Brien | May 1st, 2017 Below is a list of noteworthy articles on STEM education from the past month. These articles support Defined STEM’s mission of assisting students in developing the critical 21st century skills they need to succeed in college, career, and life. Be The…
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By Meghan Raftery Just because the “s” in STEM does not stand for “social studies” does not mean that social studies does not have a place. Economic, geographic, and civic knowledge are crucial components to good citizenship and deserve an equal place in terms of emphasis in curriculum, as…
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By Kelsey Bednar Crosscutting concepts are one of the three dimensions of science teaching and learning that are included in the performance expectations of the Next Generation Science Standards. In this post, I will explain crosscutting concepts and share ideas of how teachers can help their students engage with them….
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By Shannon Turner As a language arts and STEM research teacher, I use project-based learning (PBL) to bring relevance to my lessons so students can learn to apply their knowledge in real-world settings. One way I connect the classroom to the outside world is by making them think they…
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By Jamie Kumiega The project-based learning (PBL) trend is sweeping schools across the nation, and my special ed (SPED) classroom is no exception. Students in my classroom have a variety of disabilities, which make specialized instruction in content areas necessary. In class, we focus on functional life skills that…
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Educators share their strategies for teaching academically challenging (and fun) lessons that support native and non-native English speakers. By Karyn Lewis and Yvette Ramirez | The Edvocate Transitions can be challenging for any student, whether that is moving from elementary to middle school, or moving to an entirely…
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By Meghan Raftery At the beginning of the school year, our school district announced a new strategic plan that called for deeper and expanded partnerships within our community. Our goal, at the District’s Office of Community Engagement, was to communicate something different to our schools and community about the power of…
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By David Reese, Ed. D. Working with schools around the country, educators frequently refer to PBL in their discussions. When I ask whether they are referring to Project-Based Learning or Problem-Based Learning, some are definitive in their answer and others ask “what’s the difference”? Often people believe they are…
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Editor’s note: This is part one of a two-part blog series on differentiation. By Kelsey Bednar Differentiation is an instructional strategy used at all levels of K-12 education to meet the needs of students with diverse abilities. Though widely used, questions still exist for teachers about how they…
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By Jessie Smith In addition to core classes, students at Memorial Middle School participate in a research course where they engage in cross-curricular project-based lessons that build 21st century skills. We focus on creating a student-centered classroom in which the teacher plays the role of a facilitator as opposed…
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By Anthony Johnson On the first day of school, I issue my students a PASSPORT (which stands for Preparing All Students for Success by Participating in an Ongoing Real-world simulation using Technology) and explain that their yearlong adventure to “Johnsonville” starts today. The school year is a simulation of…
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By Brian Cook, Ed.D Dream and innovate – these are goals that I set for my students. Finding opportunities for them to realize these goals has grown complicated because, as educators, it’s mandatory for us to focus on standardized tests in our current educational landscape. However, state test scores…
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By Maggie O’Brien Project Based Learning (PBL) is an instructional methodology encouraging students to learn by applying knowledge and skills through an engaging experience. PBL presents opportunities for deeper learning in-context and for the development of important skills tied to college and career readiness. Characteristics of Project Based Learning Here…
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“A stellar collection of STEM resources that support project-based learning” -Common Sense Education Defined STEM was recently rated 4-stars by Common Sense; the leading independent nonprofit organization dedicated to helping kids thrive in a world of media and technology. We are excited and proud to be included in their prestigious lineup of educational…
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Editor’s Note: This is the second of a two-part blog series on differentiation in the classroom. Click here for part one. Differentiation is an instructional strategy employed by many classroom teachers around the world. It is based on the following idea: let us provide learning experiences that meet all…
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By Maggie O’Brien We reviewed the major news articles written on STEM education last month and found five that we think are exceptionally inspiring and educational. Topics range from research reports to feature stories about new STEM and STEAM (STEM+Arts) initiatives in schools. These articles support Defined STEM‘s mission of…
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By David Reese, Ed. D. I often see former students of mine around town. Inevitably, I ask them what they remember from class and I expect them to talk about photosynthesis, mitosis, and food webs, but that is seldom what is discussed. Instead, they mention the skills they learned…
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To help provide inspiration and new ideas for engaging your students, we’ve put together a list of articles featuring a few of our favorite trailblazing teachers. 5 stories featuring inspiring K-12 educators: I made my classroom look like the real-world—and test scores soared eSchool News Elementary school teacher,…
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Schools can see big gains in creativity by letting students take charge of their classroom —and their learning. By Stephen Noonoo Even when students aren’t sitting through lectures, they’re still accustomed to letting their teachers dictate the pace, style, and direction of learning. But some forward-thinking classrooms have turned…
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The refreshed site provides educators with an easy-to-navigate, step-by-step approach to authentic applications of STEM and project-based learning (CHICAGO, IL) June 20, 2017 — Defined STEM, a web-based curriculum resource by Defined Learning that supports project-based learning, today announced the launch of its newly redesigned website. “Our goal is to…
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Editors Note: This is an excerpt from the article “She Believed She Could” featured in Tech & Learning. SHE BELIEVED SHE COULD By Ellen Ullman | Tech & Learning If you’re the parent of a girl, you probably tell her she can be anything when she grows up—even President of the…
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By Jason Braddock | eSchool News Here in eastern Ohio, some of our students are embracing their entrepreneurial spirit right at school, engaging in a style of learning that helps make lessons come alive. The students, spread throughout nine districts, are working with my organization, the Mahoning County Educational Service…
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For these two teachers, PBL is the key to differentiating lessons for students of all ability levels. By Jamie Kuminga and Brandi Zivilik | T.H.E. Journal What do special ed (SPED) and gifted students have in common? They both have unique educational challenges and are often removed from the classroom…
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Defined STEM Curriculum aims to engage students in statewide renewable energy initiatives The Hawaii State Department of Education (HIDOE) is moving to further support Ka Hei, its statewide strategic program kicked off in 2014 that educates students about sustainable energy transitions happening across schools throughout the state, through partnerships with…
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By Maggie O’Brien Each month we post a list of news articles that relate to STEM education and project-based learning (PBL). Topics range from research reports to feature stories about new STEM and PBL initiatives in schools. These articles support Defined STEM’s mission of using real-world projects to help…
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By David Reese, Ed. D. In my role as Chief Academic Officer, I spend a large amount of time helping educators make decisions on strategies and tools to support authentic learning. These discussions usually start with curriculum alignment based upon an identified set of standards and move to tools…
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Editor’s Note: This is an excerpt from the July issue of Tech & Learning Leader As a futurist and innovator, Tim Brown looks at emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, autonomous vehicles, and robotics to figure out where the economy, industry, and technology will intersect in the…
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By Dr. Art Fessler | Getting Smart Passion is a driving force in all facets of life, especially teaching and learning. Learning in Community Consolidated School District 59 (CCSD59) in the Chicago suburbs reflects the actual work being done in the world, empowers the learner, solves real-world problems and provides for student…
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By Dr. David Reese, Ed. D. In my research to learn about what attributes school systems envision for their future graduates, I’ve found that content applications were a constant based upon academic standards. However, many systems focused on how the content was to be used by the future graduates….
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By Dr. Kerry Speziale A recent case study conducted by my colleagues and me at MIDA Learning Technologies compared elementary classes who were piloting project-based learning (PBL) against classes that were continuing to use the district’s traditional curriculum. Our findings were consistent with a broad array of existing research that…
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By Maggie O’Brien We reviewed the major news articles written on STEM education and project-based learning (PBL) last month and found five that we think are exceptionally inspiring and educational. Topics range from research reports to feature stories about new STEM and PBL initiatives in schools. These articles support Defined…
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By Art Fessler, Teri Fleming, and Jordan Mening | eSchool News Project-based learning (PBL) is a trend that’s spreading faster than a wildfire during a drought. Why? Because research on PBL proves that it increases student engagement and achievement, and helps students develop the 21st-century skills they need to succeed in…
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By Dr. Art Fessler To make sure our students are future-ready, learning in District 59 reflects the real work being done in the world, empowers the learner, solves real-world problems, and provides for student agency. We are moving from a traditional means of education to an environment where kids…
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A New Jersey district uses a train-the-trainer model to introduce educators to project-based learning. If you had walked into a Hopatcong Borough School District classroom two years ago, you likely would have seen students seated quietly, with a teacher standing at the front of the class giving a lesson….
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Two elementary school teachers explain how they infused literacy and STEM to create an engaging lesson that improved their students problem-solving and critical-thinking skills. Last year, Lake Lehman School District (Lehman, PA) created an innovation team that consisted of a group of lead innovative teachers responsible for working with…
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By Anne Jolly Don’t miss this report: The Complex Data on Girls in STEM in The Atlantic Daily. The new National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) measured students’ ability to think through problems systematically, using technology and engineering to arrive at the best solutions. And now for the Big…
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By Maggie O’Brien We reviewed the major news articles written on STEM education and project-based learning (PBL) last month and found five that are exceptionally inspiring and educational. Topics range from research reports to feature stories about new STEM and PBL initiatives in schools. These articles support Defined STEM’s…
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The performance tasks are extremely thorough, result in student products, and cover key concepts in science and math. Title: Defined STEM Summary: Stellar collection of STEM resources supports project-based learning Pros: The performance tasks are extremely thorough, result in student products, and cover key concepts in science and math. Cons:…
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By Anne Jolly I never intended to be a teacher. I took a “temporary” job as a middle school science teacher when I moved to a new city and no jobs were available in my virus research profession. By the end of that first year, I was in love….
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A New Jersey superintendent shares her successful strategy for introducing educators to project-based learning. By Dr. Joanne Mullane If you had walked into a Hopatcong Borough School District classroom two years ago, you likely would have seen students seated quietly, with a teacher standing at the front of the class…
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Four Teachers from four different classrooms at Huntington Middle School (PA) used their individual strengths in a rotational, project-based model to teach middle-school students how to apply STEM to real-world situations. The team included technology teacher Matt Rakar, library media specialist Sally Steward, math teacher Ben Young, and science teacher…
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By Anne Jolly How can students continue to grow in STEM habits and attitudes through holidays, weekends, and even during the school day, given the relatively short time that STEM teachers can interact with a class of students? Consider this: parents may be an untapped resource. After all, who…
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By Maggie O’Brien Each month we review articles written on STEM (science, technology, education, and mathematics) education and project-based learning (PBL). Below are five that we found exceptionally inspiring and educational last month. Topics range from research reports to feature stories about new STEM and PBL initiatives in schools. These…
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By Anne Jolly You already know what the acronym, STEM, stands for – science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Add an “A” for arts, and the acronym becomes STEAM. At first, including that “A” generated questions and frequent push-back, since STEAM brings together what we generally think of as polar…
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This video demonstrates how disciplinary core ideas, crosscutting concepts, and science and engineering practices provide a learning model requiring students to be knowledgeable about science, scientific practice and the ability to apply it in the world around them.
By: Holley Burford It is no secret that student’s in today’s increasingly complex world need to be equipped with a vast range of skills to enter the workforce. Many are learning and preparing for jobs that have not even been created yet. To help our students be prepared, teachers…
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By Dr. David Reese, Ed.D. I was working with educators from a large urban school district in Florida on the development of performance tasks when one of the educational leaders suggested creating local community tasks to drive student engagement. This was a great idea as the county is very…
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By Anne Jolly If you’re a new STEM teacher you may be wondering: “What should my STEM class look like? What should my students be doing?” If you’re a veteran STEM teacher perhaps you are asking yourself: “How are my STEM classes coming along? What does an action-packed STEM…
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By Maggie O’Brien Each month, we review news articles written on STEM education and project-based learning (PBL) and list five that we find exceptionally inspiring and educational. Topics range from research reports to feature stories about new STEM and PBL initiatives in schools. These articles support Defined STEM’s mission of assisting…
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The Illinois district aims to use performance tasks to encourage student growth and assess students’ understanding of standards-aligned learning. (CHICAGO, IL) November 1, 2017 —Defined Learning today announced its partnership with School District U-46 in northern Illinois for a district-wide implementation of Defined STEM, a web-based curriculum resource that supports project-based…
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By Jamie Harbin As a STEAM teacher, I believe it is critical that our students understand and make connections between the classroom and the real world. While not every child aspires to be an engineer, nor do we expect them to be, every child will be faced with challenges…
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By Kelsey Bednar In today’s educational culture, you would be hard-pressed to find a school that did not count STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) or Project-Based Learning (PBL) as one of their core initiatives. While these educational philosophies sound different on the surface, in actuality, they are more…
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By David Reese The term student agency relates to the student having an active role in their learning through voice, and often a choice, in the process. Project and problem-based learning provide opportunities to increase student agency through activities that are interesting and relevant to the learner. When the…
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By David Reese, Ed.D. I frequently collaborate with teachers around the ideas of making learning authentic and relevant for students. The conversation is often driven by the need for student engagement, igniting student passion, and ensuring students develop the skills needed to be lifelong learners. In my years of…
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By Kelsey Bednar High-Quality Project-Based Learning (PBL) provides opportunities for sustained inquiry over multiple working sessions. Transitioning to PBL involves shifts in planning, instruction, classroom management and teacher-student interaction. In my experience supporting educators who are making this shift, I hear one challenge voiced more consistently than others: how…
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By Mary Ginley In a world that has been taken over by social media outlets and video sharing platforms, it makes sense for teachers to capitalize on students’ interest in digital media. Videos, in particular, are a valuable tool that can significantly increase student engagement and interaction with important…
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By Anne Jolly Problem-solving is the heart of STEM investigations, but not just any old problem will do. STEM focuses on authentic projects that fuel students’ curiosity and investigative interests – problems that generate enthusiasm and a sense of empathy as kids engage in work that truly matters. Students…
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By Maggie O’Brien | November 2017 Each month, we review news articles written on STEM education and project-based learning (PBL) and list five that we think are exceptionally inspiring and educational. Topics range from research reports to feature stories about new STEM and PBL initiatives in schools. These articles…
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By David Reese, Ed.D. I often come across educators who are concerned with the time that project-based learning can take in their classroom. Often, shortcuts are looked for and taken, which diminish the value of the learning process. It is important to have a vision for the outcome and…
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A middle school English teacher explains how she incorporates STEM skills like problem-solving, formulas, and tech into her word-filled classroom. By Lydia Withrow With report after report touting the American economy’s need for STEM workers, school districts across the country have rushed to roll out STEM and STEAM initiatives. As…
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By Kelsey Bednar As both teachers and students come back to school in January rested and re-charged, it is the perfect time to implement a new, engaging strategy like Project-Based Learning (PBL). If you want to try this out but your school has not developed a plan for the…
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By Maggie O’Brien We reviewed the major news articles written on STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education in 2017 and found ten that we think are exceptionally inspiring and educational. Topics range from research reports to feature stories about new STEM and STEAM (STEM+Arts) initiatives in schools. These…
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By Gloria Kopp Slideshows and presentations, whether they are PowerPoint or otherwise, are a great way to introduce new concepts and educate your students in new and exciting ways so they can grasp the data a lot easier. Most children these days are very visual learners and instead of…
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By Kelsey Bednar We are currently preparing students for jobs that don’t yet exist … using technologies that haven’t been invented … in order to solve problems we don’t even know are problems yet.” —Richard Riley, former Secretary of Education This quote from former Secretary Riley rings truer…
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By H. Davis Each fall, students, teachers, and parents come together for another academic school year, and as we watch our students grow, it quickly becomes clear that each child has their own unique way of learning about the world around them. One student might spend countless hours reading…
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By Anne Jolly Every student deserves to go into the world with confidence and aptitudes needed to face a new life filled with opportunities. As 2018 rolls out, educators are still asking: How will we accomplish that? How can we inspire our students and equip them with the mindsets,…
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Tips on providing opportunities for students to apply problem-solving and collaboration skills. By David Reese, Ed.D. As educators, it’s our job to prepare the students of today for the jobs of tomorrow. Collaborative problem-solving is a critical part of the 21st-century workforce and essential to success. In 2015, OECD and PISA…
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By Anne Jolly Recharge your Students It’s February, and I’ll bet students are bouncing into your classroom and chomping at the bit to jump into their lessons and assignments. They’re eagerly working as hard as they can. No doubt they stay on task and learn with enthusiasm and persistence….
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By Maggie O’Brien Each month, we list news articles on STEM education and project-based learning (PBL) that we find exceptionally inspiring and educational. Topics range from research reports to feature stories about new STEM and PBL initiatives in schools. These articles support Defined STEM’s mission of empowering students to…
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Defined Learning By: Ariana Fine Education technology company Defined Learning, announced that it is releasing its Defined STEM project-based learning materials in Spanish. The web-based curriculum resource will be available in Spanish for grades K-8 by February 15, 2018. “The feedback we have received on the English version of Defined…
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By Rachelle Dene Poth There has been a lot of discussion about how to implement blended learning or how to “flip your classroom.” For some educators, the questions about blended and flipped learning seem to be mostly focused on defining blended learning and implementing it in the classroom. With so…
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By David Reese, Ed.D. Competencies, future-ready skills, 21st century skills all involve students doing something. For the students, these ideas represent the “how” to do something or the skills needed to navigate a situation. For the teacher, these ideas represent the “why” we teach students using certain strategies. And…
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By Anne Jolly “Assessment should be deliberately designed to improve and educate student performance, not merely to audit as most school tests currently do.” – Grant Wiggins You’ve located and designed STEM lessons. You’ve guided your students through exploring problems, creating solutions, and working in teams to do that. …
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Tips for helping students understand STEM and how it connects to all subjects and careers. By Kelsey Bednar The STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) initiative has been gaining traction in the global workforce and classrooms for the past 10 years. The world “STEM” means different things to different…
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By Maggie O’Brien Each month, we list news articles on STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education and project-based learning (PBL) that we find exceptionally inspiring and educational. Topics range from research reports to feature stories about new STEM and PBL initiatives in schools. These articles support Defined STEM’s…
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Rachelle Dene Poth There are so many options available to facilitate collaboration and communication in classrooms today, that it can be challenging to decide which tool would be the most beneficial. What do I recommend? When I got started, I took a close look at my classroom and the…
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By Carolyn Marchetti Districts and schools everywhere are seeing the value and benefits of using project-based learning in the classrooms. It may seem easy for science teachers because they are accustomed to inquiry-based teaching, and maybe even elementary teachers because they have the same students all day and can…
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By Anne Jolly Society and industry are driving the push for kids to be creative, innovate, solve problems, and develop solutions. One thing seems notably lacking —what about the impact of the solutions we come up with? Our ability to create, invent, and innovate seems to be outstripping our…
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By Rachelle Dene Poth There are many ways to provide students with authentic learning experiences in the classroom. We promote student choice by offering a variety of ways for students to show their learning, whether it be through the use of digital tools, or by designing their own demonstration…
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By Maggie O’Brien Each month, we list news articles on STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education and project-based learning (PBL) that we find exceptionally inspiring and educational. Topics range from research reports to feature stories about new STEM and PBL initiatives in schools. These articles support Defined STEM’s…
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The new tool allows school district administrators and teachers to assign and assess student portfolios to measure growth over time. (CHICAGO, IL) April 11, 2018 —In an effort to support project-based learning, Defined Learning today announced its latest extension to Defined STEM, the student Project Manager. The all-encompassing new…
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By Carolyn Marchetti In both math and science, problem-solving is a critical skill. It is a process that students will use throughout their schooling, work life, and beyond. By developing problem-solving skills, our students not only learn how to tackle a math or science problem but also how to…
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By Rachelle Dene Poth With so many different tools available to teachers, we can now not only design more engaging ways for students to learn, but we can also give students opportunities to do more in the classroom. Students need to be more than just the creators, we should…
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By Anne Jolly Kids spring into the world STEM-ready. From birth, they are problem-solvers trying to make sense of the world around them. They’re fascinated with building things—and with taking things apart to see how they work. They constantly discover and explore. It’s fun! Imagine those children entering school…
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BY CAROLINE GORDON MESSENGER AND FELICE HYBERT Districts around the country are moving away from teaching models based on lectures and textbooks—but transition isn’t always simple. Creating a competency-based or mastery-based environment requires re-thinking everything, including teaching methods, assessments, and how to best prepare students for life after school. Both…
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Delivering authentic experiences in the classroom and learning how to juggle district data are two wide themes that will monopolize education discussion in the next 12 months. By Dian Schaffhauser On a recent day in late October the mayor of Johnsonville was setting up a 125-gallon aquarium, which would…
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By Maggie O’Brien Each month, we list articles on STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education and project-based learning (PBL) that we find exceptionally inspiring and educational. Topics range from research reports to feature stories about new STEM and PBL initiatives in schools. These articles support Defined STEM’s mission…
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By Anthony Johnson Think about the jobs in today’s economy — the ones we’re supposed to prepare students for after graduation. Are employees evaluated using bubble-in tests to prove they know the ins and outs of their job? Do they learn and use new skills one at a time…
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By Dominic Gibson Student engagement is the vital ingredient of classroom learning and academic excellence. Without it, students lose interest in their education and falter in their grades. Yet, this is also the area where most teachers and instructors struggle. A 2015 Gallup survey reported that nearly 50% of the students…
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BY DR. GENEVRA WALTERS, DR. NICOLE DEVRIES, AND JAMIE HARBIN Many of you are familiar with the four C’s of the 21st-century learning framework: collaboration, communication, critical thinking, and creativity. But step back for a second and remember why you teach students in the first place–so they can be successful…
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A Defined STEM Learning Experience From: Matt Rakar Technology Education Teacher Huntingdon Middle School (PA) Performance Task: Artificial Island Real Estate Agent Here’s What We Did: Using a rotational teaching model, students completed this project over a nine-week period. Every three days, students rotated teachers and classrooms to cover aspects…
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A Defined STEM Learning Experience From: Matt Rakar Technology Education Teacher, Huntingdon Middle School (PA) Performance Task: Building an Aquatic Habitat Here’s What We Did: This task was very relevant for our students. We challenged them to create an environment that can sustain and display the diversity found in our…
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A Defined STEM Learning Experience From: Meagan Dimit 8 th -Grade Science and STEM teacher Frances Xavier Warde School (IL) Performance Task: Human Ergonomics Engineer Here’s What We Did: As a STEM department, we used a handful of Defined STEM performance tasks to create our curriculum for the class. We…
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A Defined STEM Learning Experience From: Meagan Dimit 8 th -Grade Science and STEM teacher Frances Xavier Warde School (IL) Performance Task: Marketing Specialist: Handheld Devices Here’s What We Did: As a STEM department, we used a handful of Defined STEM performance tasks to create our curriculum for the class….
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A Defined STEM Learning Experience From: Meagan Dimit 8 th -Grade Science and STEM teacher Frances Xavier Warde School (IL) Performance Task: Food Truck Entrepreneur Here’s What We Did: As a STEM department, we used a handful of Defined STEM performance tasks to create our curriculum for the class. We…
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By Rachelle Dene Poth With the summer break approaching, educators and students alike could use some fresh ideas to keep the energy high and finish the year strong. I have found that the end of the school year is a great time to try some new activities and tools and…
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A Defined STEM Learning Experience From: Jacquelyn Baze 10 th –12 th -grade Intermediate Drama Teacher Radford High School (HI) Performance Task: Research Analyst: Data Gathering and Analysis Here’s What We Did: For this task, I printed copies of all the materials and articles on the Defined STEM performance task…
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A Defined STEM Learning Experience From: Sara Topper 6 th -Grade Music Teacher St. Maximillan Kolbe School (MN) Performance Task: Video Game Designer: Creating Virtual Musical Instruments Here’s What We Did: Each year, every class learns some aspect of tone color in music. As a different way of teaching about…
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A Defined STEM Learning Experience From: Rosemary Sexton 5 th -Grade Teacher King Middle Grade School (IL) Performance Task: Aircraft Designer Here’s What We Did: Students worked in groups to learn about and designing planes by using paper. After learning about how planes fly, the various types of planes, and…
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A Defined STEM Learning Experience From: Nancy Nunn 4 th- and 5 th -Grade Reading Enrichment Teacher Morgan County Elementary (GA) Performance Task: Business of Farming Here’s What We Did: For this task, students worked in groups to design an advertisement for local farmers, promoting their product and emphasizing the…
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A Defined STEM Learning Experience From: Brenda Welch K-12 4-H instructor Iowa 4-H and Clover Kids Performance Task: Culinary Artist: Creating a sustainable food supply Here’s What We Did: Individually or in teams of two, 4-H’ers became culinary entrepreneurs who recently purchased a restaurant on the outskirts of an urban…
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By Felice Hybert Back in the early 1900s, John Dewey promoted the “learning by doing”approach to education, which would later become the foundation of project-based learning (PBL). This framework allows for students to use knowledge from all areas of study to complete a project or task, a process that prepares them…
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A Defined STEM Learning Experience From: Amy Palmer 6 th -Grade English Language Arts Teacher Diley Middle School (OH) Performance Task: Mars Transportation Consultant Here’s What We Did: As part of our debate unit, we gave the students some choice of topics, showing them videos and research materials from four…
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A Defined STEM Learning Experience From: Amy Palmer 6 th -Grade English Language Arts Teacher Diley Middle School (OH) Performance Task: Artificial Island Real Estate Agent Here’s What We Did: As part of our debate unit, we gave the students some choice of topics, showing them videos and research materials…
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A Defined STEM Learning Experience From: Julie Pessagno 11 th -Grade Chemistry Teacher La Planta High School (MD) Performance Task: Chemical Engineer: Carbon Fiber Here’s What We Did: For this task, students were asked to create their own carbon fiber company and convince product manufacturers to buy their product. Working…
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A Defined STEM Learning Experience From: Lee Johnson 6 th – and 7 th -Grade Science Teacher North Middle School (IA) Performance Task: Photovoltaics Here’s What We Did: I used this task as part of an environmental science unit and started with a survey asking students what they already know…
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A Defined STEM Learning Experience From: Lee Johnson 6 th – and 7 th -Grade Science Teacher North Middle School (IA) Performance Task: Fracking Here’s What We Did: I used this task as part of an environmental science unit and started with a survey asking students what they already know…
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A Defined STEM Learning Experience From: Pamela Hudson 4 th -Grade Math and Science Enrichment Teacher Endeavor Elementary (OH) Performance Task: Efficiency Expert: Zoos Here’s What We Did: As efficiency experts, students performed research to analyze the day-to- day operations of running a zoo. In their research, students discovered habitat…
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A Defined STEM Learning Experience From: Pamela Hudson 4 th -Grade Math and Science Enrichment Teacher Endeavor Elementary (OH) Performance Task: Backpack Designer Here’s What We Did: For this task, students worked in groups to design the perfect backpack. After researching different design companies and backpacks they liked, students dug…
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A Defined STEM Learning Experience From: Pamela Hudson 4 th -Grade Math and Science Enrichment Teacher Endeavor Elementary (OH) Performance Task: Farm-to- table Restaurant Entrepreneur Here’s What We Did: For this task, students created their own farm-to- table restaurant showcasing organic,locally grown ingredients on the menu. Students researched the health…
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A Defined STEM Learning Experience From: Pamela Hudson 4 th -Grade Math and Science Enrichment Teacher Endeavor Elementary (OH) Performance Task: Civil Engineer: Water Treatment Here’s What We Did: For this task, students learned about water treatment facilities and how water in the United States is very different from water…
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A Defined STEM Learning Experience From: Dallas Meadows Teacher Barnett Elementary (UT) Performance Task: Zoologist Here’s What We Did: After reading the book Scat by Carl Hiaasen, as a class we explored the power one person could have to save an endangered species. Using Defined STEM, I searched for a…
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A Defined STEM Learning Experience From: Gina Riley 7th-Grade Life Science, Social Studies, and Language teacher Salem Grade School (WI) Performance Tasks: Environmental Scientist: Fracking What we did: It typically takes our classes a week to complete a project. To start the Defined STEM activity, I explained to the students…
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A Defined STEM Learning Experience From: Gina Riley 7th-Grade Life Science, Social Studies, and Language teacher Salem Grade School (WI) Performance Tasks: Historian: Shipwreck What we did: It typically takes our classes a week to complete a project. To start the Defined STEM activity, I explained to the students that…
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A Defined STEM Learning Experience From: Jenn Wells High School Science Teacher Newell-Fonda High School (IA) Performance Tasks: Rocket Golf Course Designer What we did: To start the task, I showed the class the introductory video provided by Defined STEM, which got students excited to share their own ideas for…
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A Defined STEM Learning Experience From: Jill Weitgenant High School Mathematics Teacher Essex Community School (IA) Performance Task: Computer Manufacturer Here’s What We Did: For this task, students acted as the CEO of a new computer technology company. We started the lesson by experimenting with the efficiency simulation. The goal…
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A Defined STEM Learning Experience From: Paul Karlovics Second-Grade Science/ STEM Teacher Summit 104 (IL) Performance Task: Numbers at Work Here’s What We Did: During this great hands-on project, students built a model of a greenhouse using recycled materials. Students were excited to build something and practice counting in the…
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A Defined STEM Learning Experience From: Paul Karlovics Third-Grade Science/ STEM Teacher Summit 104 (IL) Performance Task: Skateboard Park Advocate Here’s What We Did: While collaborating in a small group, students were asked to design a skateboard park and convince their city planning team it would be a good idea….
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A Defined STEM Learning Experience From: Paul Karlovics Fourth-Grade Science/ STEM Teacher Summit 104 (IL) Performance Task: Emergency Services Coordinator: Earthquakes Here’s What We Did: For this task, my students were acting as emergency services directors in an earthquake-prone region. Their job was to determine how to make the city…
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A Defined STEM Learning Experience From: Paul Karlovics First Grade Science/ STEM Teacher Summit 104 (IL) Performance Task: Drums and Vibrations Here’s What We Did: We began the project with a PowerPoint presentation on the basics of sound and the parts of a drum, which included the video clips provided…
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A Defined STEM Learning Experience From: Paul Karlovics Kindergarten Science/ STEM Teacher Summit 104 (IL) Performance Task: Pushes and Pulls Here’s What We Did: For this task, students pretended they were playground inspectors and had to discover equipment that required a push or a pull to operate. I took students…
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A Defined STEM Learning Experience From: Laura Balliett Middle School STEM Teacher Harding Middle School (IA) Performance Task: Backpack Designer Here’s What We Did: To ignite curiosity in my students, we watched the introduction videos on the Defined STEM website. With their interests sparked, students realized how many people it…
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A Defined STEM Learning Experience From: Jill Voiland Third-Grade Teacher Sonoran Heights Elementary (AZ) Performance Task: Design Architect Here’s What We Did: The first step I do when using any Defined STEM task is to introduce students to the task with the help of an instructional aide who helps with…
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A Defined STEM Learning Experience From: Cheri Thompson Second grade West Point Elementary (AZ) Performance Task: Egyptian Museum Here’s What We Did: To match our second-grade curriculum I adjusted this lesson from an Egyptian museum to a virtual trip to China. Students acted as teachers who have been asked by…
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A Defined STEM Learning Experience From: Sarah Williams Seventh- and Eighth-Grade Gateway to Tech and STEM Teacher Milton Somers Middle School (MD) Performance Task: Veterinarian: Animal Prosthetics Here’s What We Did: For this task, students acted as veterinarians with the goal of opening a new clinic designed to help animals…
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A Defined STEM Learning Experience From: Cathy Field Sixth-Grade Social Studies Teacher Andrew Jackson Middle School (WV) Performance Task: Industrial Designer: Skateboard Park Here’s What We Did: For this project, students were tasked with designing a skateboard park while learning about the approval process with local government. To start, students…
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A Defined STEM Learning Experience From: Cathy Field Sixth-Grade Social Studies Teacher Andrew Jackson Middle School (WV) Performance Task: Advertising Analyst Here’s What We Did: For this task, my students created a unique product appealing to the masses, and crafted a well thought-out advertising strategy around it. They had to…
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A Defined STEM Learning Experience From: Dvora Celniker 7/8th Grade Career Exploration Teacher Los Coches Creek Middle School (CA) Performance Task: Rain Barrel Manufacturer Here’s What We Did: Students completed this task in small groups acting as green business owners manufacturing their own rain barrels. Students used the research on…
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A Defined STEM Learning Experience From: Stacey Gill 6th/7th Grade, All Subjects Teacher Mountain Valley Academy (CA) Performance Task: Backpack Design Here’s What We Did: To start, I had students reflect on what their backpacks were like and what qualities it had; from the straps, to the zippers, to color,…
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A Defined STEM Learning Experience From: Stacey Gill 6th/7th Grade, All Subjects Teacher Mountain Valley Academy (CA) Performance Task: Aquarium Design Here’s What We Did: To start this project I created a student page that only included the materials I wanted them to work on. I had my students perform…
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A Defined STEM Learning Experience From: Beth Harrison 6th Grade Engineering/ STEM teacher Mount Lebanon Elementary (SC) Performance Task: Earth Scientist – Alternative Energy Here’s What We Did: Using my interactive whiteboard, I started the project by explaining the Defined STEM lesson and walked students through the task addressing the…
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A Defined STEM Learning Experience From: Beth Harrison 6th Grade Engineering/ STEM teacher Mount Lebanon Elementary (SC) Performance Task: Civil Engineer – Water Treatment Here’s What We Did: What were the chances of this happening? In the midst of the biggest rain event in 1000 years (that caused major flooding…
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By Maggie O’Brien Each month, we list articles on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and project-based learning (PBL) that we find exceptionally inspiring and educational. These news stories support Defined STEM’s mission of empowering students to build future-ready skills through authentic project-based learning. Here’s what we liked this month:…
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By Anne Jolly Happy summer, filled with lots of good sunshine and time to explore! And during that prized time, perhaps your Stem preparation for the coming fall is ramping up – or will be soon. If you taught STEM this past school year, you may be searching for ways to make…
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By Rachelle Dene Poth Project-based learning (PBL) is fairly new to me. A few years ago after attending some conferences and reading a few books, I realized that I had not been doing authentic PBL. Instead, I had been assigning projects, and only promoting student choice by offering a variety…
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By Jenna Blair Increasing globalization and digitization in the modern world have caused a higher demand for skilled workers in STEM jobs and careers. At a time when cryptocurrencies are turning the world of finance on its head, virtual reality or VR is being utilized by core industries in…
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By Anne Jolly “STEM literacy has a profound and growing impact on our day-to-day lives. It helps us make critical decisions about our health care, our finances and our retirement. It illuminates the ever more complex issues that govern the future of our democracy, and it reveals to…
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A district is preparing its students for the future by focusing on the skills and connections students will need in their careers. By Felice Hybert Having a job may seem a lifetime away for a child, but by exposing them to different career paths, we can get them thinking…
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By Larue Fitch At Kankakee School District, we asked our students the question, “What was your most memorable moment in school?” More than 90% of their responses reflected a project they created on their own, and the relationship they had with a teacher during it. They remember the moments…
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By Maggie O’Brien Each month, we list articles on STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education and project-based learning (PBL) that we find exceptionally inspiring and educational. Topics range from research reports to feature stories about new STEM and PBL initiatives in schools. These articles support Defined STEM’s…
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An experienced educator shares insights on the importance of following the UBD framework to effectively implement the PBL process. By Dr. David Reese I have long been a passionate follower of Understanding by Design (UbD) and the work of Jay McTighe and Grant Wiggins. As a…
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A school district uses project-based learning to introduce students to a variety of careers starting in kindergarten. By: Suzie Boss In Kankakee, Illinois, students begin exploring future careers as soon as they start kindergarten. By engaging in project-based learning units that have a strong career focus, students experience education through…
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By Kelsey Bednar One of the many initiatives that districts across the U.S. are working toward is the successful implementation of project based learning (PBL). If you are looking to incorporate this strategy for the first time or enhance your current PBL curriculum, this article will review four important…
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By Maggie O’Brien Each month, we list articles on STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education and project-based learning (PBL) that we find exceptionally inspiring and educational. Topics range from research reports to feature stories about new STEM and PBL initiatives in schools. These articles support Defined STEM’s mission…
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By Rachelle Dene Poth Technology creates many opportunities for teachers to provide innovative learning experiences for students. An even greater benefit is that these learning experiences can take place regardless of the time and place, and offer students more personalized opportunities for interacting with their peers and the content. With…
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By: Anne Jolly So, you’re going to be teaching STEM? That’s great! You may be a first-time STEM teacher, or perhaps you’re an experienced STEM teacher eager to add new energy and pizazz to your lessons. In either case it’s time to roll up your sleeves and dive in to…
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Two educators share how they use innovative real-world projects to build entrepreneurship skills and inspire creativity in their students. By Grayson McKinney and Zach Rondot Let’s change that, shall we? We’re attempting to change this narrative and inspire innovative thinking in our students through real-world project-based learning. Our favorite…
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By Meghan Raftery “What makes your heart sing? If you don’t take the time to think about the answer—really think about it—you may never know the joy and success that you are truly capable of achieving.” – Carmine Gallo This quote is a great reminder of the importance…
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By Heather Wertman and David Reese, Ed. D. For many educators, the practice of project based learning (PBL) is new. Many educators have long thought that PBL was focused on the project. However, attention should be focused as much on the process, as the content-related products. Beginning PBL in a…
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By: Caroline Messenger Research shows that young children are more active and intentional about their knowledge-gathering when they’re asking questions like “How?” and “Why?” These simple questions have led my district to discoveries that have transformed our teaching. When we set out to build a competency-based curriculum from scratch in…
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By: Chuck Hensley and Larue Fitch You’ve heard them before: the moans and groans from students when introducing a new unit or starting a new project. “Why do we have to learn this?” “When will I ever use this in real life?” Education is designed to expand outside the walls of…
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By Rachelle Dene Poth The start of each new school year is such an exciting time for educators and students. After the summer break, educators head back into their classrooms and schools, hopefully feeling recharged, excited for the new school year, and ready with a list of new teaching…
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By Deanna Freeman, Intervention Educator at Castle Heights Elementary School, Lebanon, Tennessee The Challenge: Building critical-thinking and problem-solving skills in students that are in my response to intervention (RTI) groups. Project-based learning helps my students connect what is being taught in the classroom to everyday life. They see…
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A reflection by Susan Sokolinski, 3rd–5thgrade math teacher for gifted students, Grace McWayne Elementary School and Louise White Elementary School, Batavia, Illinois “Defined Learning was something we knew we could incorporate into our teaching. These projects have inspired them to make learning their own, it got them out of…
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By: Dr. Angela Mullennix More than ten years ago, I started my career in education as a lateral entry English teacher. The concept of rubrics was an emerging one in the school district where I taught. In fact, I remember attending a professional development seminar in which a state…
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An instructional coach and media coordinator share how they collaborated to create an innovative and engaging PBL curriculum By Dr. Angela Mullennix During the most recent school year, I was fortunate to work with an individual who made my job of coaching teachers through the inclusion of project-based learning (PBL)…
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By Darielle Timothy, K-5 Teacher at Sugarland Elementary, Sterling, Virginia. The Challenge: Implementing a project-based learning curriculum that was effective for every student and customizable for teachers. Exposing students and even teachers to project-based learning (PBL) can be intimidating. It’s a lot of work to implement and at…
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By Anne Jolly I loved watching the science mystery sleuths in the series, “Mythbusters.” This mystery-solving TV series stirred my curiosity. And it stimulated the curiosity of many of my science students as well. (I can hardly wait for “Mythbusters, Jr!”) Curiosity is a magical state of mind that…
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By Joshua Arnold There are plenty of guru-led ideas in education right now that you can have trouble finding one that works for your classroom. Most of these ideas are backed by teaching methods that have been tried and have shown success. Whatever path you choose for your learners,…
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By Kelsey Bednar “We are currently preparing students for jobs that don’t yet exist … using technologies that haven’t been invented … in order to solve problems we don’t even know are problems yet.” —Richard Riley, former Secretary of Education This famous quote from former Secretary Riley rings…
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Looking to integrate math, science, and engineering in your classroom? Start with the science and math practices! By Carolyn Marchetti STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) is more than just a grouping of subject areas. It is a movement to develop deep understanding between these content areas, so students are more…
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By David Reese Ed. D. In the world of standardized tests the content and skills, often called power standards, drive instruction and the focus for learning. This is critically important information for student success on tests and the data that determines school and school system success. This knowledge and understanding…
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Equitable STEM education in elementary and middle school can level the learning field and close STEM achievement gaps. By Anne Jolly Back in the days before STEM made a formal entrance into the school curriculum, I sometimes struggled to make lessons relevant for my widely diverse student population. I had…
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By Alan Oakman When I was a student, I used to wish for two things: no boring lectures and no homework. The tides have changed and I have become a teacher now. But I can sense that even my students want the same things that I did, i.e., interesting lessons…
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With so many digital classroom resources available, where do we start? By Rachelle Dene Poth There are a tremendous amount of digital resources available to teachers today. Within seconds, teachers can find websites, images, documents, videos, learning tools, and other media formats online. Having access to so much makes it…
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By Ann King, 5th-grade teacher at Hinsdale Elementary School in Hinsdale, New Hampshire “Defined STEM provides the foundation for my students to work together in a wide variety of ways while implementing 21st-century skills. This platform not only gets my students excited about learning, but it also meets the Common…
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A Defined STEM Learning Experience From: Amber Bush 1st-grade reading, social studies, and technology teacher Diamond Springs Elementary School in Virginia Beach, Virginia Performance Task: Reporter The Challenge: Finding a project-based learning platform that fits students at any level of learning. I have students with a wide variety of…
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By David L. Reese, Ed.D. Through project-based learning (PBL) and the use of real-world performance tasks tied to social challenges, students have the opportunity to apply competencies associated with social and emotional learning. In a previous blog post, I shared five aspects of the PBL process and how it encourages…
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By Jacie Maslyk I visited an early elementary classroom the other day where students were working on a design challenge. They were spread out across the classroom clustered in small groups. Some on the floor and others perched on stools, these students were focused on the problem at hand. Tasked…
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By Rachelle Dene Poth A few years ago, after reading some books over the summer (LAUNCH and Pure Genius) and doing some reflection, I realized that what I had been doing was not authentic Project-Based Learning (PBL). Instead, I had simply been doing projects based on learning, quite different than…
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A Defined STEM Learning Experience From: Bob Johnson 9th-12th-grade forensics, environmental science, earth science, and physical science teacher ARTS Rise Program, Stamford, Connecticut Performance Task: Nutritionist The Challenge: Getting students excited about science As a science teacher for more than 25 years, I have found that students perform…
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Learn how PBL can bring about rigorous and engaging teaching needed to build students’ future-ready competencies. By Anne Jolly Teaching STEM? What do you want your students to know and be able to do as they go through their STEM journey? I’m guessing some student skills at the top of…
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By Maggie O’Brien We’ve reviewed articles on STEM education and project-based learning (PBL) throughout the year and took note of the stories we found exceptionally inspiring and educational. Below are our favorite articles and some of the most highly read in 2018. Topics range from research reports to feature stories…
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The residents of Marveltown were used to unusual inventions. They embraced wildly innovative ideas and their town reflected the unusual creations of those in the town. Some of the inventions were practical while others were a bit outlandish. It is this imaginative mindset that enables the children of Marveltown to…
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By Anne Jolly Half a century ago Project-Based Learning (PBL) emerged as a practical teaching strategy for allowing students to solve problems or do simulations that mimic real life. Today, PBL remains the optimal education method for authentic 21st-century learning. This research-based learning process continues to be the engine for…
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By Rachelle Dene Poth Students need opportunities to do more than just sit passively in the classroom. We need to create learning experiences where students can collaborate, problem solve, build their social-emotional learning skills, and go beyond simply learning the content. With the power of technology, we have more resources…
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By Dr. Jacie Maslyk Hovered over a table full of intricately designed gears, lights, and wires, one student looks up and cautiously asks, “What if it doesn’t work?” She’s nervous. She dedicated a lot of time to this project. She has meticulously planned and applied new knowledge to this. She…
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By Anne Jolly Girls’ education has been a major focus for researchers for decades. I strongly advocate for more STEM success and preparation for girls. I write blog posts on girls and STEM on Defined STEM and other blog sites. I scatter references to the need for more attention to STEM…
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By Rachelle Dene Poth Years ago when I started to use more technology in the classroom, I thought that by having students watch videos at home, rather than in class, I would be “flipping” the classroom. Fortunately, I learned quickly that I was not, and made some changes to implement…
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By Carolyn Marchetti In just a few days, on March 14, I will join with my friends, colleagues and millions of others around the globe to celebrate Pi Day. For the uninitiated, Pi Day is an annual celebration that honors Pi, the numerical value of the ratio of the circumference…
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By Anne Jolly Kids are born creative, curious, and imaginative. They like to daydream and ask questions. Children you teach have the potential to make unusual connections, imagine, and come up with multiple ways to do things differently and better. Classrooms are filled with potential pioneers and innovators who can…
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By Rachelle Dene Poth There are so many different ways to get our students involved in learning with the use of technology. When we leverage the technology properly, there really are no limits to the number of resources and the possibilities to enhance and extend the learning that we can…
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By Rachelle Dene Poth About a year ago, I read about something called the “gig economy.” Not knowing what that meant, I turned to Google to do a search and within .30 seconds, I had over 35 million results. After a more advanced search and filter, I learned that the…
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By Anne Jolly Creativity is crucial when it comes to education. According to the Future of Jobs report, creativity is one of the three top “must have” skills in our workforce and society. Since creativity is crucial for learning, fostering creativity should be a natural function of schools. Think about…
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By Jacie Maslyk When we were kids we thought about future careers as a doctor or a lawyer or a teacher. Maybe we dreamed of being dancers or football players. Today, kids still think about those options, but they are quickly developing a growing knowledge of potential pathways to STEM…
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By Rachelle Dene Poth Most schools have reached that somewhat chaotic or challenging time of the school year. Spring is in full swing with schedules packed with academic events, sports activities, high school musicals and of course, the testing season is upon us. For some, when April hits it can…
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By Anne Jolly I remember a haunting conversation with a 7th-grade science teacher – I’ll call her Sara. Actually, I guess Sara was the one who was haunted – haunted by the possibilities of what STEM could mean in her classroom if she could just pull it off. Her frustration…
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Finding your project There are four main ways to find the perfect project for your class. Subject/Topic: Search projects by subject and topic. Each product within a project is aligned to our taxonomy. Choosing a subject will also display a list of topics to further narrow your selection. Gradeband: Search…
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Customizing your project Once you have selected a project it’s time to customize it for your specific learning goals. At a minimum we require you to choose one or more products to assign. Each product has it’s own learning objectives so usually we recommended choosing 1-2 products. To begin, click…
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Assigning/Sharing your project There are numerous ways to assign or share your project. You can assign directly to a class, student, or team. Note 1: If you assign to a team, keep in mind there will be a single product submission and check-in answers for the entire team. Each student…
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Guiding students and teams through your project – student perspective We’ve created a number of teaching guides to help you with this process. Click the link below to launch the task plan: Project Task Plan Specific Task Plans for grade range: K-2 Task Plan 3-5 Task Plan 6-8 Task Plan…
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Evaluating and Assessing Student Work The assessment process includes both evaluating the design process through student check-ins and assessing the submitted products students or teams create. To begin go to the My Projects page by clicking the link in the top blue bar. If there is submitted work, you will…
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Introduction Defined Learning (formerly Defined STEM) is a platform for providing project based learning to your classroom. Defined Learning combines project-based content that accentuates the goals of STEM education and the tools to customize, evaluate, assess, and create portfolios. Real-world videos set the stage for each lesson by showing the…
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PK-2 Implementation Strategies Overview Teachers should aim to do 1-2 performance tasks a semester. K-2 content was designed for whole class or group work that is led by the teacher. (i.e., most of the product descriptions read more like directions or lesson/unit plan for teachers) Most of the task can…
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3-12 Implementation Strategies A list of ways to integrate Performance Task Projects into your class is shown below. Culminating Unit Activity The performance task presents a problem that is tied to a primary academic standard. The task connects with numerous other academic standards as well. The task contains a number…
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Three elementary school teachers explain how they created an engaging and dynamic project that empowered students to build future-ready skills. By Grayson McKinney, Zach Rondot, and Amanda Oliver “Never again is someone going to pay you to give them answers they can look up online. They will only pay you…
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Learn how an AZ school used the engineering design process to successfully establish a schoolwide STEM focus. By Christine Rowlan Teachers are good at juggling all of the new each year — new admin, new standards, new curriculum, new students, new assessments, new parent expectations, new fundraisers, new new…
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Projects, Performance Tasks, Products, and Portfolios While navigating Defined Learning you will be encountered with terminology that sometimes has multiple meanings in the educational world. Here are the main parts of Defined Learning and their definitions. Projects – A project is the overall bucket for a particular project type. Project…
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Team/Group Roles for Defined STEM projects Student teams often function most effectively when members have designated roles. These can be instructor-determined or established by the groups themselves, e.g., by giving teams a list such as the one below and asking them to decide on and delegate appropriate roles within their…
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Suggested Performance Task Project Planning Template
Understanding by Design (UbD) UbD offers a planning framework to guide curriculum, assessment and instruction with a focus on teaching and assessing for understanding and transfer. Defined Learning provides sets of performance tasks, literacy tasks and constructed responses in which students engage in “real world” applications of key concepts and…
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Performance Tasks A performance task is any learning activity or assessment that asks students to perform to demonstrate their knowledge, understanding and proficiency. Performance tasks yield a tangible product and/or performance that serve as evidence of learning. Unlike a selected-response item (e.g., multiple-choice or matching) that asks students to select from given…
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A high-school math teacher shares tips on building a collaborative high-school STEM classroom at the start of the school year. By Dr. Roxanne Comegys Let’s set the stage… It’s the first day back from summer vacation at a high school. The students have missed each other. They have so…
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How to Log in with Google / Import Google Classes Is your district using google classroom? You can easily import your classes into Defined STEM with a few clicks. Note: This document assumes you already have Google Classroom classes setup with students Log in using Google – Go to https://app.definedstem.com…
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Class and Student Rostering Options There are many ways to roster your students supported by Defined STEM. Google Classroom (Teacher based) – Follow the tutorial on setting up students from Google Classroom Classlink (District Based) – Districts utilizing Classlink are automatically available to sync with us using the OneRoster format….
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My Classes The My Classes dashboard is useful for a few reasons: Organize, create, and adding classes and/or teams (this may have been done for you already) Add/Edit/Remove students from classes and teams Viewing student portfolios and submitted work Accessing the student view for an individual student Sharing your class with a…
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Groups – Authoring & Sharing Projects Groups give you the ability to share projects and resources between teachers in a convenient spot. Using the Defined STEM group feature is useful curriculum teams working together on projects. By default, all users are part of their school and district “groups”. Additionally, all…
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By Rachelle Dene Poth As we head back to our classrooms and prepare for the upcoming year, there are many things we need to consider. A few of my reflections are: What worked well last year that we should continue and build upon? What did not work well that…
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By Anne Jolly Ten years ago, a groundbreaking event occurred in the K-12 education arena. The Common Core Standards introduced a set of clear, consistent guidelines for what every student should know and be able to do in math and English language arts from kindergarten through 12th grade. The…
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By David L. Reese, Ed.D. Personalized learning is an educational approach that aims to customize learning for each student’s strengths, needs, skills, and interests. Personalized learning can be an important and valuable part in promoting student success in school. According to the Handbook on Innovations in Learning, “Personalized learning is…
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A STEM education consultant explains how consistent collaboration among teachers can foster effective STEM-based PBL instruction. By Anne Jolly I entered the teaching profession directly from working in a virology lab. Every day our lab team met to discuss what was happening with our experiments testing potential medicines, what we…
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By Kelsey Bednar It’s that time of year again! Teachers and students are back to school with a renewed excitement about the prospects of an exciting, productive year ahead. Before the new learning can begin, time must be taken to establish expectations, evaluate prior knowledge, and review content and…
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By Jacie Maslyk A 3rd-grade class is preparing for an upcoming unit of study. The teacher envisioned a cross-curricular approach to connect content in social studies with English Language Arts (ELA) using project based learning. She mapped out some potential topics and pulled some resources for students. She hoped…
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By Rachelle Dene Poth In education today we need to stay informed of the different strategies and resources that are available for providing more personalized learning experiences for our students. Being able to differentiate our instruction, relies on our understanding of the types of learners that we have in…
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By Anne Jolly Project-based learning is an engaging way of learning for students. It’s real. It’s creative. It helps kids make sense of the subject matter they’re learning. That’s why the PBL process is closely tied to STEM projects. But, despite the fact that STEM-based PBL is fun, there’s one…
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Learn about Sustainable Development Goals and get tips on raising awareness and introducing these important goals to students. By Meghan Raftery Adopted in 2015, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) provides a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and in the…
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By Dr. David Reese The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals are designed to address global challenges, including those related to poverty, inequality, climate, environmental degradation, prosperity, and peace and justice. The Goals interconnect and leave no one behind. Looking at these sustainability goals through the lens of problem and…
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By Dr. Jacie Maslyk My sons and I recently visited the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh. It is truly a place of discovery for learners of any age. Their exhibits are inviting for all members of the family and open-ended for the curious learners, like my sons. The museum offers…
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By Anne Jolly STEM and project-based learning (PBL) are closely connected. In fact, well-implemented STEM projects generally require a PBL approach. That leads to this question from teachers If I’m doing PBL, am I doing STEM? The short answer is – maybe or maybe not. STEM cannot happen without…
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An elementary school intervention teacher shares how imagining their own bakeries inspired her students to collaborate, create, and consider future careers. By Deanna Freeman Project-based learning (PBL) helps my students connect what is being taught in the classroom to everyday life. They see how the language, science, and…
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By Rachelle Dene Poth There are a lot of questions about what the world of work will look like in the future. What skills will our students need and how can we best prepare them for jobs which may not even exist yet? What types of experiences should our…
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From professional development opportunities to connecting lessons to careers, here’s how schools and districts can promote STEM for all By Joel Jacobson In schools across the nation, approximately 136,000 students took advanced placement (AP) computer science, a 31 percent increase from last year. This group included a record…
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By Anne Jolly Let’s say that you’ve heard the hype about Project Based Learning (PBL), perhaps tried some PBL ideas you’ve read about, but you haven’t actually put the entire PBL experience into action in your classroom. Now you’ve decided to jump right in – after all, how hard…
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By Rachelle Dene Poth Over the past year, there has been an increase in the discussion of how to prepare students for the future of work and the future of learning. With so many changes happening when it comes to education and technology, as educators we must focus on…
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Learn how the fastest-growing school district in TX is empowering its teachers to deepen students’ understanding of career pathways through authentic project-based learning. Imagine if a district had a chance to build their schools from the ground up knowing what they do today about how to create an environment…
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It’s easier than you think!” This is the advice I gave to my colleagues who were hesitant to try Project Based Learning (PBL) using the Defined Learning platform. I attended a summer institute to learn about Defined Learning after previewing a handful of tasks. During the summer institute, I conducted a…
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By Anne Jolly Have you taught William? Early in my teaching career, I remember walking into the school office with a bounce in my step – the holiday spirit everywhere! Student-made seasonal cards glittered on bulletin boards, a lighted tree sparkled in the office and smiles issued from office…
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By Dr. David Reese In most school districts standards and state-testing drive most curricula and classroom instruction, however, many leaders are incorporating a focus to help students succeed beyond school. Systemically, it can be a struggle trying to determine classroom priorities as teachers are evaluated on academic standard mastery on…
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A district leader discusses how they determined the best way to scale PD and prepare teachers to implement project-based learning. By Megan Raftery and Maggie O’Brien “What does Project-Based Learning (PBL) look like for Norwalk?” This question has been Tina Henckel, Director of K-12 STEM in Norwalk, Connecticut’s primary…
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By Jacie Maslyk Powerful learning does not happen in isolation. This is especially true for our students, which is why STEM learning is so critical. Learning within siloed subject areas does not allow students to see the interconnected nature of science, technology, engineering, and math. When we create connections…
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By Rachelle Dene Poth To prepare for the future, we need to help our students develop skills that will transfer to whatever they decide to do once they leave our classrooms. An important part of learning is also the practice of reflection and becoming self-aware in the process. Beyond…
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By Jacie Maslyk When I was in second grade, we had a project where we shared what we wanted to be when we grew up. I remember having some very diverse interests and really didn’t know which career path was right for me (not to mention, I was only…
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By Rachelle Dene Poth It is important for us as educators to continue to ask ourselves two questions: ”How can we best prepare our students for the future?” and “How can we best prepare ourselves?” We have been looking toward the future, preparing for 2030. Here we are in…
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By Meghan Raftery Dr. Valencia Bradshaw may be a 14-year veteran of Fulton County Public Schools, the fourth-largest school system in Georgia, but she has not always been an educator. She spent 18 years in the financial management industry before becoming a business education and marketing teacher. For the…
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By Meghan Raftery As most of the United States rapidly transitions to a full-time homeschool environment, teachers are especially equipped to handle this crisis with their own children. We are fielding questions from our friends, family, and neighbors about schedule design, resources, and how to keep students on task….
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The 5E instructional model is a successful instructional strategy used by many teachers. for teaching science. This a five-stage sequence that can be used to guide teaching and learning. This process can be utilized when using Defined Learning performance tasks in the classroom. The five stages in this sequence…
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By Dr. David Reese When we think about the remote classroom it is important to keep it structured for both the teacher and the student as everyone slowly becomes comfortable working remotely. Defined Learning provides teachers with a library of engaging performance tasks and an easy-to-follow framework that can…
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By Anne Jolly, During this unprecedented time in our education history when many schools are closed nationwide, how can parents and other caregivers set up environments and activities to help kids continue their learning? And what kind of learning is most useful? This Worlds of the Future report spotlights four…
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By Rachelle Dene Poth One area that I have tried to bring into my teaching practice more over the past four years, is Project Based Learning (PBL). When I first started teaching, I thought that I had been doing “PBL” however I was not. Making connections with educators, attending…
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By Dr. Carolyn Marchetti Teaching math in a remote classroom needs to be even more engaging than face-to-face since we are not next to our students to give them a nudge when they are off task. One way to engage them while reinforcing our math standards and practices is…
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By Rachelle Dene Poth The past month has definitely been a challenging time in the world. We are experiencing unprecedented changes in our daily lives and in particular, in education. These changes have forced us to act quickly so that we can support our students and their families and…
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By Meghan Raftery As schools across the world participate in large-scale remote learning amidst the outbreak of COVID-19, Defined Learning can be helpful to ensure meaningful learning takes place away from the classroom. Below are five ways that Defined Learning can be used to facilitate remote learning. For more…
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By Rachelle Dene Poth With many schools around the world facilitating remote learning for the remainder of this academic year and possibly longer, we must find ways to provide more than just the content for our students. We need to consider how we can use this time as an…
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By Dr. Jacie Maslyk A group of students gathers outside in a large grassy area. Their teacher is giving directions and assigning students to teams; launch team, diagnostic team, retrieval team, and evaluation team. The students have spent several weeks learning about the science, technology, engineering, and math behind…
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When students access Defined Learning they each have to log-in with their appropriate credentials. Depending on your district setup your students may utilize Clever, Google, Classlink, or username/password as the authentication method. If you don’t know your district/school authentication method, please Contact Us. If your authentication method is username/password, you…
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By Anne Jolly As the pandemic crisis slowly eases, I wonder what lasting impacts this protracted event will have on K-12 education – specifically on teaching and learning in the PBL/STEM arenas. Many educators predict that teachers will incorporate and expand the use of virtual learning and continually improve…
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By Meghan Raftery The motto for the Westminster School District is “Building Tomorrow’s Leaders Today.” This motto frames the work of all-district teams, including the Department of Educational Services. “Our goals are firm, but the means are flexible.” Lori Hernandez, the Executive Director of Teaching and Learning for Westminster…
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By Meghan Raftery When teachers are first learning how to engage students in project-based learning (PBL), one question comes up most often: how should students be grouped? It’s a challenging question because there are a lot of factors that go into how a teacher decides to group students. FOMG…
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By Rachelle Dene Poth The past couple of months have been a challenging time in education and the world. For educators, the challenge was making the shift to remote instruction and trying to find the right balance and tools to best meet our students’ needs. The sudden shift to remote…
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By Anne Jolly The school year will soon be underway, and you’re probably already planning for your next round of PBL projects. One of the main questions you will need to answer as you implement these projects is this: How’s it going? That’s the question that formative assessments are…
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By Rachelle Dene Poth As schools continue to work through their experience from school closures during the last academic year, we are also preparing for the unknown of the upcoming school year. Educators are spending time this summer looking for new ideas and different tools that can help with…
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Access to Defined Credentials is via your Defined Learning access. Depending on your district, this may be via username/password, Clever, Google, or Classlink. Begin by navigating to https://cred.definedlearning.com Click on the “Sign in with Defined Learning” button at the top right of the page. Choose your login provider. If you…
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Effective July 27, 2020, Defined Learning has partnered with Tennessee STEM Innovation Network (TSIN) to offer schools STEM career awareness curriculum through project-based learning tasks for students grades 5-8 at no cost to schools. Defined Learning was selected as it is a curriculum proven to engage students in project-based…
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How to Log In Each district has a unique way to access Defined Learning. Your district administrator should inform you which way is in place with Defined Learning. For an overview of how to log-in, check the video below. Teachers and Student log-in at different sites: Teachers: https://app.definedlearning.com Students: https://students.definedlearning.com
The Student Dashboard The student dashboard view is a separate site for students to access Defined Learning projects. Each student has a unique login. Depending on your district preferences the login may be through a separate portal or at the main Defined Learning student site. For more information on the…
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Using Folders Folders can be useful in saving/categorizing projects and assigning.
