Blog

11 innovative STEM publications that mobilize knowledge

To work towards our mission to innovate and inspire equitable, large-scale improvements in STEM teaching and learning through technology, we make our STEM resources free and our research findings accessible and usable. Achieving such an ambitious mission takes countless partners and perspectives, and we are thrilled to collaborate with teachers, students, scientists, and researchers. In […]

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MothEd

MothEd Students

Michigan State University and the Concord Consortium are collaborating on MothEd to design, implement, and test curricular materials and educator supports that give elementary and middle school learners agency in decision-making while they explore the ecology of local moths.

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Inspiring students on their paths

Teacher Ambassador Rebecca Brewer

It’s not every day that a 9th grade student becomes enamored with pond scum. “The first time I saw a sample of pond water under a microscope,” says Rebecca Brewer, “I was hooked.” Until that time, she had never considered the microscopic world, but once she saw the “alien-like” critters swimming in that sample, she wanted to learn more. “That eventually transcended into wanting to share that thrill of discovery with others.”

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Computational thinking in biology: What is an InSPECT Dataflow diagram?

Integrating computational thinking into core science content and practices is a major goal of our InSPECT project, which is developing hands-on high school biology investigations using simple electronic sensors with Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity—a far cry from the simple germination experiments students usually encounter. An article in the Fall 2017 Concord Consortium newsletter (“Science Thinking […]

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Designer dragons? Talking to students about the ethical implications of editing DNA

University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability, Flickr (CC-BY-2.0) A breakthrough in medical research has allowed a team of scientists to edit the DNA of human embryos to repair a version of a gene that causes cardiomyopathy, a genetic disease resulting in heart failure. While some see this genome editing technology—known as CRISPR—as a […]

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Digital gaming will connect afterschool students with biotech mentors

Our nation’s future competitiveness and our citizens’ overall STEM literacy rely on our efforts to forge connections between the future workforce and the world of emerging STEM careers. Biotechnology, and genetics in particular, are rapidly advancing areas that will offer new jobs across the spectrum from technicians to scientists. A new $1.2 million National Science […]

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The National Science Foundation funds grant to pair intelligent tutoring system and Geniverse

Games, modeling, and simulation technologies hold great potential for helping students learn science concepts and engage with the practices of science, and these environments often capture meaningful data about student interactions. At the same time, intelligent tutoring systems (ITS) have undergone important advancements in providing support for individual student learning. Their complex statistical user models […]

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The thermogenesis of a moth

Is a moth warm-blooded or cold-blooded? If you google this, some would tell you it is cold-blooded. They are not completely right. This infrared study shows how a moth warms up before it flies. So at least a moth is warm-blooded when it moves.Click to …

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