In an effort to celebrate a new and innovative way to integrate science, technology, engineering and math into the school curriculum, East Central University will conduct the formal naming for its new Pitsco STEM Maker Space Lab on Wednesday, July 27, at 11 a.m. on the first floor of the Lanoy Education Building.
STEM education is becoming more prevalent in today’s classrooms and thanks to a new initiative at ECU, pre-service teachers will not only experience STEM in an exciting way, but also become even more effective teachers by using these tools.
“The Pitsco Maker Space kits will be used in Education Methods Classes as well as in collaborative activities with our area school partners,” said Dr. Brenda Sherbourne, dean of ECU’s College of Education and Psychology. “By utilizing Maker Space products in our teacher education program we are preparing our pre-service teachers to provide challenging curriculum for P-12 area students. These experiences ensure that P-12 students are prepared for the 21st century skills necessary for today's workforce.”
Through the generous donation of Pitsco and Dr. Harvey Dean, Maker Space products are available not only to pre-service teachers, but also to in-service teachers through professional development. The Pitsco STEM lab includes a variety of hands-on learning kits designed to transform classrooms into real-world learning centers where students develop skills necessary for a variety of career fields.
This innovative lab will provide teachers the opportunity to infuse into their classroom curriculum real world applications of STEM subjects as well as important workplace skills such as problem solving, critical thinking and decision making.
Prior to that event from 9 a.m. until 10:30 a.m., representatives from Pitsco will provide demonstrations of the Pitsco Maker Space products for the CampTech Terra Workshop participants and those attending the formal naming ceremony.
“Pitsco STEM labs shift the responsibility for learning to the students, who work autonomously in pairs,” said Matt Frankenbery, vice president of Pitsco. “Teachers are then able to spend less time on classroom management and student discipline and more time working one-on-one with students who need assistance.”
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