Welcome to Vivify’s Blog!
2020 Hour of Code Resources + Unplugged Coding Activity
Schools across the world will participate in an Hour of Code on December 7-13th as part of Computer Science Education Week. Check out our must-watch inspirational coding videos plus low-prep activities perfect for social distancing or distance learning.
Thrilling STEM Activities for Kids: Roller Coaster Challenge
Let’s talk about roller coasters! Make the stimulating challenge of creating a roller coaster part of your next STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) project. By using the engineering design process, student teams are tasked with creating a thrilling ride! Students learn about the science of roller coasters, including various forms of energy, and then using common materials such as craft sticks, paper and tape, students design a track for a ping pong ball to land safely in a cup at the bottom. This activity is definitely one of my new favorite STEM activities for kids!
10 Easy STEM Career Classroom Activities
Do you talk about STEM careers in your classroom? Perhaps you don’t have a STEM background and feel intimidated. Or maybe you know about certain careers, but you are looking to expand your knowledge of the diverse field. We can help! Read on for strategies to bring STEM careers to life in your classroom! Through activities that connect STEM to student interests, we will show you how to easily engage kids with the exciting possibilities of real-world STEM.
Summer STEM Bucket List Student Gifts
Summer is almost here! Give your students a gift that will encourage them to continue learning all summer long. With a Summer STEM Bucket List, kids will explore, create, and discover things about the world around them in a way that kids (and their teachers) love! Get your FREE printable Summer STEM Bucket List below.
Hour of Code Resources + Unplugged Coding Activity
Schools across the world will participate in an Hour of Code on December 3 - 9th as part of Computer Science Education Week. Interested in participating or enhancing your lesson plans? Check out our must-watch inspirational coding videos plus helpful blogs and websites on teaching coding. No computer? No problem - try out our favorite unplugged coding activity!
How to Engage Little Kids in Engineering Activities
This week is Engineers Week! It is a time to connect kids to real-world engineering problems and expose them to what engineers really do. Read on to learn more about the engineering design process and how to use it in education, as well as how to make an engineering kit for your budding engineers. Oh, and there is a freebie too!
STEM Conferences for Educators
Are you looking for professional development opportunities specific to STEM education? Below is a list of conferences I have attended plus ones that come recommended from colleagues. This list includes both national conferences that change location each year and ones specific to the Texas area.
STEMtimidation and Cady Coleman
“To Claire, we are going to need more astronauts”
These are the words that Cady Coleman wrote on the autographed picture that was given to me in grade school. The picture has graced the walls of my childhood bedroom as I dreamed of becoming an astronaut like herself, then in college as I pursued my degree in Aerospace Engineering, and now in the office at my home where I am raising my daughters to dream big and be inspired by people like her.
I Didn't Always Want to be an Engineer
What!?! Yes, it is true. Engineering was never my ultimate dream job; but it was part of my dream.
I remember one day in an engineering class at Texas A&M University where the professor asked my classmates and I, "Who in here wants to end up working with people?" I don't remember the point of this question, but I do remember that there were only two people in the class that raised their hands-- me and my Vivify sidekick, Natasha. You see, my dream was always to help people. I enjoy working with others, finding creative ways to solve the problems of this world, and ultimately improving the lives of others. The issue was, however, that I had this knack and interest in engineering, particularly for Aerospace Engineering. So where and how would my skills and my dream collide?
