Girls Rock NAEP Engineering Test
Posted on May 1st, 2019 by Mary Lord
STEM educators and advocates will find much to cheer about in the widespread gains that U.S. eighth graders posted on the latest National Assessment of Educational Progress in Technology and Engineering Literacy (TEL) – the so-called nation’s report card.
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Tags: CTE, K-12 engineering, NAEP TEL, nation's report card, national assessment of educational progress, Public Policy, STEM education
TeachEngineering, the digital library of hands-on curriculum curated by the University of Colorado, Boulder’s College of Engineering, has added several new features to help STEM teachers integrate authentic engineering activities into their physics or math classes – or simply introduce concepts that engineers use on the job in fields from aerospace to software development.
Music can be a great teaching and learning tool – even for conveying the complexities of STEM. Showcase your or your students’ songwriting talent in the VOICES (Virtual Ongoing Interdisciplinary Collaborations on Educating with Sound) songwriting contest. Entries due December 31, 2019. 
Just as athletes “learn from the game,” the annual NCAA March Madness basketball competition offers students a timely, engaging way to hone their STEM knowledge and skills. eGFI has compiled some bracket-busting resources to pep up your math and science classes.
The UL Innovative Education Award awards up to $250,000 annually to U.S. and Canadian youth empowerment and nonprofit groups with proven programs that use the environment as a pathway to STEM learning (E-STEM) and community engagement. Apply by March 12, 2019.
Science research competitions can spur confidence and open college doors, but many students – particularly those from underrepresented groups – don’t know about these opportunities. The Society for Science & the Public seeks to broaden participation through its Advocate Grant Program, which offers training, a $3,000 stipend, and paid trip to Washington, D.C., for individuals to help three to five underserved students navigate the transition from conducting to presenting their research at a competition. Apply by March 5, 2019. 
A major new consensus study from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, underscores the vital role of teachers in creating the hands-on, multidisciplinary STEM education for every student envisioned by the Next Generation Science Standards. The report also calls for more creation and sharing of free educational materials so teachers no longer have to spend hours each week searching for curriculum.
Spatial visualization – the ability to imagine objects from different angles – is a key STEM problem-solving skill that varies widely by gender, race, and cultural background. Yet it’s rarely taught. The University of Colorado-Boulder’s College of Engineering developed an inexpensive training program that closed STEM performance gaps so well it’s required of all incoming engineering students. The curriculum is now available for free online so any school can advance STEM equity. 
Pioneering female engineers, daring efforts to lay the first trans-Atlantic cable, and a history of Google are among the 24 titles on NSTA’s 2019 Best STEM Books that not only tell build literacy skills but also accurately depict complex STEM content. 
