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JUNIOR Environmental Engineering STEM Project: The Algal Bloom Challenge

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Imagine looking at a local river and seeing the water turn a thick, neon green. That is the image we presented to our 5th graders to kick off their latest science unit. We challenged them to become environmental engineers . In this post, I want to share a STEM project I designed with my colleagues, Jessica Jordon and Courtney Gienapp, where students didn’t just study algal blooms — they designed real solutions to stop them. To kick things off, we started with a “provocation.” We showed students images of algal blooms in Singapore and around the world. Although we couldn’t go on a field trip this year due to restrictions, the visual impact of the discolored water was enough to generate curiosity. The Inquiry Cycle This provocation led to three main categories of student questions: The Cause: What is algal bloom and what causes it? Plant Growth: What makes the algae grow so fast? Consequences: How does this contamination affect the ecosystem? Students researched how nutrient-rich ...
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Digital Citizenship Integration Model - Building a Culture of Care

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  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHy4SqmxgsM I want to share my "Digital Citizenship Integration Model." My goal with this framework is to help you integrate digital citizenship concepts easily and meaningfully into your students’ learning experiences. Ultimately, it’s about developing a culture of compassion, responsibility, and well-being within our digital lives. What is Digital Citizenship? According to Common Sense Education, digital citizenship is "the responsible use of technology to learn, create, and participate." While technology offers our students incredible opportunities to connect and discover, it also brings challenges—from cyberbullying and privacy violations to digital distraction. To truly help our students, we need to move beyond isolated lessons and build a Digital Citizenship Culture . This consists of shared attitudes, beliefs, and practices for responsible technology use championed by every stakeholder in the school. Here is how my two-part ...
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Conceptual Understanding in STEM with Julie Stern

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  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRP7g4Sn5Fw Want to take your students’ conceptual understanding to the next level? I had the incredible opportunity to join the first cohort of Julie Stern ’s “Learning Transfer Endorsed Educator” course . As someone whose school uses a conceptual approach, I couldn’t pass up the chance to learn directly from the expert herself. Here is a breakdown of the key tool I learned—the Learning Transfer Mental Model —and how I used it to design a 4th-grade STEM project. Why We Need This Model Our world is becoming increasingly complex. Students need more than just information retention; they need to think divergently and apply knowledge to unpredictable challenges. The Learning Transfer Mental Model helps organizing information into “concepts”—fundamental elements that act like mental folders. This organization builds schema in the brain, allowing students to retain information better and transfer it to new contexts. The Storyboard Phases 1. Acquire (Sur...
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Day in the Life as a STEM Teacher

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQsDlL4bIXU In this video I wanted to share with you all a glimpse of what I did as a teacher, specifically as a 4th and 5th grade Design & Innovation Specialist at Singapore American School. Learn more about what I do here: www.lpbeta.org
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Fantasy Writing ... in STEM Education? - PBL, Science, & Writing

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 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQbUrFo8WG8 As a learning designer, I love finding connections between seemingly disparate subjects. Recently, I collaborated with Sean Smith, a 5th-grade teacher, to merge two unlikely partners: NGSS Science standards (Ecosystems & Earth’s Systems) and Fantasy Writing. The result? A project-based learning experience centered on Worldbuilding . The Challenge: Connecting Middle-Earth to Science  We needed to integrate standards about matter, energy flow in ecosystems, and the interaction of Earth’s spheres (geosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere). Looking at these concepts through an “eduPermaculture” lens, I realized they are essentially the rules that govern a world. This led me to J.R.R. Tolkien. His creation of Middle-earth wasn’t just about characters; it was about geography, history, and systems. This process is called “worldbuilding.” We used this real-world creative process to frame our driving question: How might we create a ...
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The Power of Passion & Inquiry In PBL Project-Based Learning

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  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPg9PPMPnoU What happens when you combine student passion with a framework for deep learning? You get meaningful engagement. This year, the Grade 5 Learning Community embarked on Personalized Inquiry Projects (PIPs)—long-term, transdisciplinary experiences co-designed by students based on their own interests. From Passive to Active Traditional learning can often feel passive, short-term, and siloed. PIPs flip the script. They are active, open-ended, long-term, and deeply personalized. Students weren't just completing assignments; they were driving their own learning journey. The variety of projects was staggering: Two students used Blender to design and mint NFTs, actually selling one on a marketplace. Another student prototyped custom sneaker colorways using design software. One group created a website with strategies for students with autism. Others built a Minecraft solar system, wrote original music, or designed digital comic book...
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Developing Students into Empathetic Creative Problem Solvers with Design Thinking

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCO0qh4_XrA If you look at the "About" page of almost any school website, you will likely find a mission statement about nurturing students to be "creative, collaborative problem-solvers." We all agree this is the goal. The Future of Jobs Report confirms that innovation and interpersonal skills are rising in prominence. However, when I entered the teaching profession, I have to admit I was ill-equipped to teach these skills. My training focused on content, not on how to design authentic experiences that empower students to design their own future. Through my journey to fix this gap in my own practice, I discovered Design Thinking . More Than Just Brainstorming : While traditional Creative Problem Solving (CPS) focuses on innovation, Design Thinking is the "ultimate toolkit" because it is rooted in empathy . It cultivates a human-centered culture where solutions are born from the needs of others. Putting It i...
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