STEM Cities

http://m.deseretnews.com/top/3018/0/The-best-cities-in-America-for-STEM-professionals-.html

Are you in the right place to pursue a STEM Career?

STEM jobs article in USA Today

Always the same message.  Need more students, need more qualified applicants, need more women!

http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2014/07/01/brookings-job-vacancies-stem-skills/11787741/

Girls and Computer Science

This is a great article about the abilities and opportunities for all children, but it emphasizes once again the challenge we have getting girls engaged in STEM fields.  No pun intended.  I remember years ago I attended a challenging 2 week computer science camp while still in high school, and we were all exposed to a new world of languages and programming.  This was in the late 80's, so I came back to my school with skills that served me well, along with college credit in COMP 143.   I would sit in our basic computer class as a Senior and write code for all the other students...good ol' Pascal.

I love that this article mentions the CSI effect.  My school is famous!  :)  I met a girl today who has a double major from UI in fire ecology and forestry management, and is still taking classes for fun and further training.   In my visit with her, I was immediately impressed with her.  Probably because my friend Bill told me she is awesome so she must be!  Girls, get out there and find your passion!

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865591365/Why-more-girls-should-study-computer-science.html?pg=all

Miss Utah 2012, Kara Arnold, and her STEM platform

I have great family and friends that email and text me when they hear cool news about STEM.  I love this story, and it goes right along with the goal I have to spread the word about the significance and power of STEM initiatives.

On Saturday night, the new Miss Utah was crowned.  So?  Well, I will let the news article explain...

"Arnold, who recently graduated from the University of Utah with a degree in biochemistry, will represent Utah throughout the year and at the Miss America pageant in January 2013. She will also receive a $10,000 scholarship, serve as a representative of the Children's Miracle Network, and promote her personal platform, "Discover Your Potential — Step Up with STEM." STEM stands for science, technology, engineering and mathematics, and Arnold's platform focuses on encouraging women to explore opportunities in those fields."

How cool is that?  I will have to see if she travels to Southern Idaho for school visits!   Way to get the message out, Ms. Arnold!  Oh, how I hope your talent was a science experiment!

Great STEM images

As I think about the iSTEM theme of Integration meets Innovation, I realize that these STEM topics do not stand alone.  Since we focus on reading, writing, and math in the elementary grades, then we need to bring the S and the T and the E to that level as well.  Science connections come easily to me, but my friend made a good point the other day about Technology.  Since some classrooms don't have advanced tools for learning, she reminded me that even basic tools like rulers and balances can be considered technology.  We need to expand our definitions of STEM so that we don't feel restricted by what "new toys" we can afford for our classrooms.  Engineering seems daunting, but that is just applied math and science to solve problems, and kids do that all the time on the playground!  So here are 2 images that I have collected recently to remind me to connect the dots.

The link to this image is eeweek.org

You can download the PDF file of this graphic

Cassia Regional Tech Center Open House

On Thursday afternoon, the Tech Center in Burley is hosting an Open House for parents and students of Mini-Cassia.  From 4-7 PM, the teachers will be on hand to show off all the programs available to Juniors and Seniors in our District. Whether your student wants to learn CADD (like my son is doing right now...and earning 16 college credits as a result) or get training in EMT, CNA, Construction, Electronics, Graphic Design, IT,  Auto Mechanics, or Automated Manufacturing, this is a great resource for our community. 

I attended a field trip with the 8th graders last Friday, and I was reminded how awesome that Center is for our students.  Students have to plan for these classes, since they take the place of 2 classes in a regular school day, but it has been totally worth it for my son.  It is a great way to get more "T" in a STEM education.

The Electronics Class builds VEX Robots

The Automated Manufacturing class designs and builds cool stuff!

EMT Basic students practice on a lucky 8th grader

Another reminder for Hot Careers in 2012...STEM always makes the list!

http://management.fortune.cnn.com/2011/12/27/10-hot-careers-for-2012-and-beyond/

In the following days, I will be posting several actvities that are great to know about in 2012.  Please let me know by email if you hear of local events or programs that support STEM education.