On Thursday, February 8, ROI’s hosted a workshop for its first cohort of 15 STEM Fellows. The group gathered at Ivy Tech to discover new ways to integrate technology into education. STEM Fellows also took an in-depth tour of the makerspaces, technology labs, fabrication, and advanced manufacturing resources available at Ivy Tech’s Bloomington campus.
The day’s activities focused on examining how K-6 schools are using tech in the classroom and exploring novel ways to make technology usage more relevant to curricula and student development. For example, using a computer to write a report is a minimal way to integrate technology whereas having students create and record a podcast elevates the activity and redefines it through the use of technology. STEM Fellows hope to model innovative technology lessons for fellow educators in their home schools.
STEM Fellows will also use what they learned on the Ivy Tech tour to expose children at younger ages to the pathways, careers and education opportunities available to them in STEM fields. ROI would like to thank Adam Gross, Ivy Tech Director of Admission, and Kirk Barnes, Dean of Technology and Applied Sciences for facilitating this STEM Fellow tour.
Nominations for the second Cohort of ROI’s STEM Fellows will open this spring. Read more information on ROI STEM Fellows.