Enabling Active STEM Learning | Click2Science
Developing STEM Practices & Mindset

Enabling Active STEM Learning

Purpose: Frontline staff and volunteers will be able to facilitate active STEM learning experiences.

As a result of ongoing, consistent professional development efforts, frontline staff and volunteers will be able to:

  • Facilitate active learning experiences that allow youth to solve problems and investigate phenomena in meaningful ways.
  • Compare learning outcomes in activities where learners are active to those where learners are passive.
  • Convert activities where learners are passive (listening/reading) to ones where youth are actively engaged in STEM.
  • Facilitate individual and group discussions in which youth develop their own understanding of STEM.

Staff Development Guides

Staff development guides are designed for coaches and trainers to use when providing professional development to frontline staff or volunteers. These downloadable step-by-step professional development guides include agendas, social and experiential learning activities, videos learning modules, supporting documents and handouts. The guides available below are designed to support the skill Encouraging Collaboration. For more information about Staff Development Guides, please visit About Staff Development Guides.

  • Break It Down

    Participants will learn how breaking problems into smaller, manageable parts is key to computational thinking and building this skill.
    Strategy: 
    Developing STEM Practices & Mindset
    Skill: 
    Enabling Active STEM Learning
    Situation: 
    Training (large group)
    Length: 
    120 minutes
    Preview

  • What About Challenges?

    Participants will reflect on programmatic challenges in order to add more active learning opportunities to their program.
    Strategy: 
    Developing STEM Practices & Mindset
    Skill: 
    Enabling Active STEM Learning
    Situation: 
    Meeting (small group)
    Length: 
    35 minutes
    Preview

  • Making STEM Meaningful

    Participants will apply strategies for making STEM meaningful to their upcoming activity plans to learn to get youth actively engaged in STEM learning.
    Strategy: 
    Developing STEM Practices & Mindset
    Skill: 
    Enabling Active STEM Learning
    Situation: 
    Coaching (one-on-one)
    Length: 
    15 minutes
    Preview

  • Make It Active

    Participants will review strategies to get youth actively doing STEM in order to add more active learning opportunities to their program.
    Strategy: 
    Developing STEM Practices & Mindset
    Skill: 
    Enabling Active STEM Learning
    Situation: 
    Meeting (small group)
    Length: 
    25 minutes
    Preview

  • Get Active

    Participants will compare active and passive learning and convert passive learning activities to more active ones in order to engage youth in active learning.
    Strategy: 
    Developing STEM Practices & Mindset
    Skill: 
    Enabling Active STEM Learning
    Situation: 
    Training (large group)
    Length: 
    60 minutes
    Preview

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Self-Directed Web Lessons

Click2Science Web Lessons offer self-directed, on-demand professional development for frontline staff and volunteers. Web Lessons are hosted on Penn State Extension Better Kid Care learning management system. To complete a Click2Science Web Lesson, please review our instructions for accessing lessons on Better Kid Care. For more information about self-directed Web Lessons, please visit About Web Lessons.

  • Embracing Active STEM Learning

    Children and youth are born ready to explore. Many schools and out-of-school time (OST) programs now emphasize an inquiry-based style of learning. What does it take to support OST active STEM experiences? This module includes many hands-on program ideas, information on the emerging Maker Movement, and exercises that guide facilitators as they integrate active investigations into the curriculum. This is one of 20 STEM facilitation skills that help STEM click for school-age children and youth.

    Strategy: 
    Developing STEM Practices & Mindset
    Skill: 
    Enabling Active STEM Learning

    Learn More

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On-Demand Webinars

Click2Science hosts virtual professional development webinars each month focused on out-of-school time learning environments. STEM, professional development best practices, and other relevant events. All webinars are recorded and made available for on-demand viewing. The recorded, on-demand webinars below are designed to support the skill. Encouraging Collaboration. For more on-demand webinars or to register for an upcoming webinar, please visit our Webinar page.

 

  • Code Your World: NYSD 2018 - 09/12/2018

    Code Your World: NYSD 2018

    Computer Science is a 21st-century skill that empowers young people to be creators, rather than just consumers of technology. Computer science experiences ignite innovation and develop problem-solving skills that are applicable in all areas of the real world. Today, computer science is driving growth and innovation across all sectors of the workforce.

    Strategy: 
    Developing STEM Practices & Mindset
    Skill: 
    Enabling Active STEM Learning
    Date: 
    September 12, 2018

  • Learning About Space: NASA and Beyond - 05/09/2018

    Learning About Space: NASA and Beyond!

    Learn to enable active STEM learning in your program. Active learning engages youth in critical thinking and problem-solving. It builds their skills to be college and career ready - and supports them in developing a positive STEM identity. We will focus on active learning about a far-away topic - space - with resources from NASA and beyond.

    Strategy: 
    Developing STEM Practices & Mindset
    Skill: 
    Enabling Active STEM Learning
    Date: 
    May 9, 2018

  • Get Minds Moving, Move It Outdoors 04/12/17

    Get Minds Moving – Move it Outdoors

    "The one who does the work, does the learning." During this webinar, we explore what active STEM learning is and what it looks like. We talk about the numerous reasons to take active learning outdoors, including health, social emotional, and cognitive benefits.
    Strategy: 
    Developing STEM Practices & Mindset
    Skill: 
    Enabling Active STEM Learning
    Date: 
    April 11, 2017

  • Using the Senses to Embrace STEM 06/15/16

    Using the Senses to Embrace STEM

    Things can get a bit messy when young learners are actively engaged in STEM, but messiness is part of the learning experience especially for first and second graders. This webinar features strategies that support staff in leading activities where younger students explore, discover, and embrace STEM learning with their senses and mind.
    Strategy: 
    Developing STEM Practices & Mindset
    Skill: 
    Enabling Active STEM Learning
    Date: 
    June 14, 2016

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