What can we do?

Can you set up an online section so people can post lesson plans using STEM or links to lesson plans? They would have to be detailed and include materials lists, websites, equipment needed etc...

Once people tried them they could post problems they had and their workarounds. This should get people involved.

I would love to be able to talk, via the internet, with other instructors. Teaching math is my 4th career. I started off as a chemical engineer. I was fortunate to have parents that valued both education and my love for science and math. I haven't found many teachers that love math. And, I haven't found many teachers that have found time and practical ways of enhancing math and/or science lessons.

Maybe we could PLAN a day and time to all meet online to discuss a topic. We could still use this blog site as the meeting location.

Your suggestion for a webinar sounds great, however, I might be the slow learner. (Unfortunately, my few attempts at interacting on a webinar have been unsuccessful.)

I'm willing to try almost anything.

We could also create a chat on Twitter for STEM educators to network. If you've never participated in #edchat, it's worth checking out as a model.

I just joined this community and am looking for these types of collaborations, so I am definitely game to be part of an effort like this. I am also a 2nd career teacher - my first career in Software development/Electrical Engineering and management.

Looking forward to hearing how we might put some of these ideas into real activity. I think that webinars and sharing of lesson plans both specific and ideas on how to develop are a great start.

Hi Cheryl,
Sounds like you and I might have a few things in common...especially entering teaching after other careers.

SO?? With summer upon us, maybe we could try this topic discussion idea...or a chat....I'm not sure I'm going to be gung ho about twitter...I've just gotten used to texting.

But, this community site seems a bit bare and I'm interested in it being a bit more active or lively.

I'm also a chemical engineer now working & volunteering as a 7-12 grade math tutor in a small rural low income school district. Next year I'll be doing some substitute teaching as well. After a lot of hours in the high school classroom this year, I'm trying to decide how to best use my time to help math education going forward. A big issue for me in this district is the poor math fundamentals of our high school kids. Maybe 30% come in weak in multiplication tables and basic integer addition/subtraction. Fractions, forget it. So even though I can teach them solving equations and factoring, they just don't have a good framework to hang it all on. If we're going to get kids who are comfortable with math, I'm thinking something has to change sooner than high school? I've started sitting in on some elementary school classes to better understand how this earlier learning process should work. How important is parental involvement at the early stages? Can community or school programs fill in where parents aren't? I'd love to hear from anyone with ideas or experience in this area! Kelli, sounds like you had some great success at your school, did you do that all at the high school level, or did it require changes at lower grades too?

Hi Kelli, Cheryl, Carol and others -

Wanted to let you know a couple things. First off, we're launching a science chat on Twitter starting on Tuesday June 8 at 9ET/6PT. Use #scichat. This will be moderated by Eric Brunsell (Eric Brunsell, Assistant Professor, Curriculum and Instruction at University of Wisconsin, and our facilitator here in this group) and Dr Jeff Goldstein, (Center Director National Center for Earth and Space Science Education). I will be posting a primer for how to use Twitter shortly, so if you're not a Twitter user but want to become one, this should hopefully help.

We don't have a #mathchat yet, but if there's interest, let me know and I'll make that happen.

Finally, we're in the early planning stages of a project-based learning camp - an online collaboration that will happen in July for teachers to brainstorm together and develop a project-based unit plan. Stay tuned for more about this in the coming weeks.

Great to have you all here!

Please let me know how I can get involved in this camp. I am licensed to teach both math and science. I currently only teach math but I've ask (begged) our science teacher to consider joint classes or projects for the near future.