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This presentation is part of a project conducted by Kent State University researchers and Holden Elementary School teachers, Kent, Ohio. We developed and implemented a STEM unit that engaged 2nd graders in iterative engineering design to create 3D models of dinosaurs in response to a Design Challenge. The Design Challenge required students to create a 3D printed dinosaur model with external structures that would allow the dinosaur to survive in a given habitat. We developed a basic 3D model of a dinosaur that was assembled from multiple parts to introduce students to authentic engineering, such as assembly of parts and design cycles. Students used an engineering design cycle to iteratively design their own 3D dinosaur models and habitats from everyday materials. We will present the STEM unit curriculum with 3D printing and making activities, showcase students’ dinosaur models and habitats, and share personal experiences with implementing the curriculum in a classroom.
About them: Elena Novak is an Associate Professor of Educational Technology at Kent State University. She earned her Ph.D. in Instructional Systems and Learning Technologies from Florida State University in 2012. Her research examines the intersections of design, technology, and learning. Elena’s current projects focus on the integration of learning technologies such as 3D printing, social robotics, video games, and simulations in teacher and K-12 education to provide educators with research-informed guidelines on how to integrate technology in various educational settings. She designs curricula, assessments, and tools to support and evaluate students’ learning and creativity. Elena's research has been published in top research journals in her field and recognized with several international awards sponsored by the American Educational Research Association as well as the Association for Educational Communications and Technology.
Website: https://www.elenanovak.org/
Shannon Navy is an Assistant Professor of Science Education at Kent State University. She teaches elementary and secondary preservice science teachers and graduate students in curriculum and instruction. Her research focuses on the development of teacher resilience through the acquisition of quality resources, supplemental curriculum resources for teachers, and STEM integration and pedagogy in K-12 classrooms. Her work has been published in top research journals, such as the Journal of Research in Science Teaching, the Journal of Science Teacher Education, Studies in Science Education, and the International Journal of Science Education as well as practitioner-focused journals, including The Science Teacher and Science and Children. She has also co-edited a book, Newly Hired Teachers of Science: A Better Beginning.
Amy Hopkins is a teacher with Kent City Schools in Kent, Ohio. She has been teaching second grade for 16 years. Amy has contributed to scholarly articles for social studies and mathematics and for a book promoting the use of questioning in the classroom. She loves to explore opportunities with inquiry and STEM and encourages an environment for curiosity and scientific reasoning among her students.
Kelli Kunkle has been a second-grade teacher at Kent City Schools in Kent, Ohio for 12 years. She was fortunate enough to go through Batelle’s Innovative Leadership Institute where she learned more about the importance of the design process and STEM/STEM-based learning. She loves seeing the light ignite in a child’s mind and their problem-solving skills shine through.
Bridget Mulvey is an associate professor of science education at Kent State University in Kent, Ohio, USA. Her teaching and research focus on technology integration; the nature and practices of science, engineering, and STEM; and access, diversity, equity, and justice. She taught preK-16 for more than a decade. She earned a master's degree in geological sciences from Indiana University and a Ph.D. in education the University of Virginia. Much of her current work focuses on working with teachers and students in K-12 formal and informal settings to promote more meaningful and authentic STEM teaching and learning.
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