SUNY Cobleskill is partnering with CreositySpace and the Indium Corporation to offer the first professional learning workshop for K-5 educators and administrators focused on using invention and innovation to leverage student creativity and curiosity in STEM learning.
A recent report from the National Academies of Science Engineering & Medicine recognizes the critical connection between K-5 science education and long-term workforce development. The biggest barrier to achieving that is teacher training around adopting science instruction early and prioritizing science and engineering through fifth grade. “We can’t talk about workforce development and supporting an innovation economy in New York without employing a long-term strategy that includes elementary educators and students,” said Peg Zokowski, CreositySpace CEO.
The recent New York State exams revealed that only 35 percent of fifth graders are proficient in science. Integrating STEM subjects within the existing curriculum and lesson plans, while balancing the demands of standardized testing requirements, can be quite challenging for teachers. Stereotypes and misconceptions that STEM is too difficult or only suitable for certain students also create barriers to participation, discourage students from pursuing their interests, and ultimately, limit innovation. Using innovation prompts can change this without turning the classroom upside down.
Student ideas are a natural way to keep kids engaged in learning and make classroom management easier for teachers. This unique workshop will help educators tap into this source of student energy with innovation-based instruction and will explain simple ways to integrate STEM innovation prompts within their existing curriculum to help students apply their reading comprehension skills to science in hands-on activities.
SATURDAY’S WORKSHOP: The workshop will take place on October 26, from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on the SUNY Cobleskill campus. CTLE credits are available, and attendees will leave with instructional strategies, lesson plans, and digital and printed hands-on materials valued at over $300 to use throughout the year. Principals and Superintendents are also invited to register to learn how these solutions could be integrated and scaled across their schools.
To learn more and register visit: https://suny.cobleskill.edu/creosity.
“Usually, one wouldn’t expect much connection between elementary schools and higher education, but at SUNY Cobleskill, we believe that education should be all encompassing. We want students to learn and be curious about science from very early in their life, so they are not avoiding it as they are growing up and are ready to be successful in college and the workforce when they leave K-12 education,” said Anna Miarka-Grzelak, Vice President for Strategic Enrollment and Innovation at SUNY Cobleskill.
As a proud sponsor of this initiative, Indium Corporation believes strongly in the power of STEM education to inspire the next generation of innovators. By working together with educators, the company hopes to nurture students’ curiosity and provide them with the tools they need to explore STEM subjects. Indium Corporation’s goal with this initiative is to help build a foundation that will empower students to pursue careers in science and technology.
“We are excited to support this program, which will help teachers bring real-world science and creativity into their classrooms. By nurturing STEM curiosity in young learners, we’re not only sparking an interest in science and technology but also fostering the critical thinking and problem-solving skills that will shape tomorrow’s workforce,” said Dawn Roller, Associate Vice President of Human Resources at Indium Corporation.
Using invention and innovation prompts as tools in classroom instruction allow students to make a personal connection to science and apply what they learn in school today—not three, five, or ten years down the road. “Innovation-based instruction is a fun way to integrate student creativity, interests, and lived experience to develop lessons that turn science into a tool every student can use to change their world, ignite early career exploration, and increase student participation in learning,” said Zokowski.
