The Elementary STEM Coach Podcast

3D Printing with kids can be intimidating, especially if you don't have any outside experience to teach them. I felt the same way, and I almost wanted to give up on 3D printing. In fact, 3D printing is a STEM lesson I enjoy teaching and continue to learn about! In this episode, I'll be answering these common questions I get from teachers about 3D printing.

• What printer should I get?
• How do kids design 3D prints?
• What 3D printing lessons should I teach for each grade?

Resources Mentioned

Spooky season is coming to a close, so what are you going to teach in STEM now? These pumpkin STEM stations aren't Halloween specific, so they can work in November! What I like about them is that they can be adapted for all grade levels, K-5, and are low-prep. Once you have all the materials prepped, you are ready to go for a couple of weeks!

Here is a snapshot of the stations:

Science: Build and Label a Pumpkin (inside & outside)

Technology: Life Cycle of a Pumpkin robot coding

Engineering: Pattern Blocks Pumpkin Building

Math: Pumpkin Seed Counting

You've spent the first part of your teaching career as a general education teacher, and now you are stepping into the elementary STEM space. It's equal parts exciting, but also overwhelming.

What types of supports are out there to support you in this new-to-you role?

Well, you are definitely going to enjoy today's interview!

I am chatting with CEO of SmartLab, Dr. Jennifer Berry. The company's philosophy on how they support teachers and students is definitely one that I agree with and goes further than just teaching STEM lessons.

Dr. Berry’s background and deep leadership experience in K-12 education, plus her commitment to growing mission-oriented teams, make her the ideal leader to navigate the company’s next chapter of growth. She joins a leadership team already transforming how students experience and consume innovative career-connected curriculum with hands-on, STEM-infused learning,” stated Franklin Staley, Managing Director of Exeter Street Capital Partners and Chairman of CLS.

Have you been on the fence about starting video school-wide news? Maybe you think you don’t have the right equipment, you need to go live each day, or that it’s too complicated. Whatever your hang-ups are about getting started, I was there too. However, I still got this started at my school, and it was such a success!

But don’t just take it from me. 

In this guest interview, I am chatting with elementary teacher Rebecca Zide, who successfully implemented video school-wide news at her school with the help of my on-demand workshop. 

She shares all her successes and learning moments while implementing these announcements at her school. I know you’ll find her stories inspiring and motivating to help you want to try this with your students! 

If you wanted to dedicate a week to teaching students what each letter of STEM was, where do you even begin? You want the lessons to be simple enough to last for one class session, but still engaging.

This is Part 2 of a 2 part series where I will be giving you a week of lesson plans for Kinder-2nd grades on how to teach each letter of STEM in a week.