September 5, 2017
Based on feedback from out-of-school time STEM facilitation experts and other afterschool leaders, we reviewed our 20 Skills that Make STEM Click for overlap and redundancy. We found that some skills had very similar purposes and objectives and that there was a need to separate some skills that had formerly been combined. We also pared down a little, streamlined a little, and made some tweaks to help you find what you’re looking for.
August 29, 2017
Click2SciencePD.org first went live in January of 2015. Since then, we’ve added numerous staff development guides, videos, blogs, and webinar recordings. We’ve also been busy evaluating the effectiveness, usability, and function of Click2Science's website, professional development resources, skills, and overall professional development model.
August 22, 2017
It is important to bring youths' prior knowledge and experiences to their learning in out-of-school time spaces. Not only does it make their leaning more robust, but it helps them build on their interests and identities (NRC, 2012). This can support life-long interest in STEM and even career choices in STEM. Here are three ways you can use prior knowledge in your out-of-school time program.
August 15, 2017
Millions of people all across the United States will be looking at the sky on Monday August 21. There is a sense of excitement and anticipation in people of all ages. This is a great opportunity to engage with youth in your program — even if you miss the eclipse itself!
August 8, 2017
Youth spend approximately six hours a day in school, two hours a day in afterschool, and another six hours at home or in the community. This means a significant amount of their time spent learning is "out-of-school," and it's worthwhile to ensure these environments are as rich as possible.
August 1, 2017
When I taught high school ESL (English as a Second Language) courses, I was required to use a literacy battery that asked youth to read out loud to me, one-on-one. The goal of this “running record” was to determine whether they were making progress on their reading abilities in English. As they read to me, I would write down their mistakes, time their fluency, and ask them comprehension questions.
July 25, 2017
American pop culture has always been “stuck” on slime — from The Blob (1958) to Ghostbusters (1984) to Stephen King’s short story, “Gray Matter” (1973) — and youth are no exception to the rule. Here are some ways to use slime to get youth excited about summer learning.
July 18, 2017
The internet is full of “STEM Activities” that promise to stimulate youths’ curiosity, spark their interests, and teach them STEM. However, not all activities are created equal. I've compiled some of my own criteria to help you make every STEM learning opportunity top-notch.
July 11, 2017
Most young people are out of school for about 10 weeks during the summer months. What do those out-of-school hours mean? Teachers often report that youth experience a “summer slide,” or a decrease in their students’ achievement over the summertime. At Click2Science, we think that summer is a great opportunity to give all kids a chance to engage in hands-on, minds-on learning!