Images courtesy of Science Coach
When COVID-19 swept the nation in early 2020, schools had to quickly transition to blended and remote learning. It became clear that there’s a need for innovative online curriculums that enable effective learning. Science Coach, a non-profit STEM organization that educates teachers on how to coach 6th-12th grade students to do high-level research, recognizes this. They recently partnered with BizzyB to make their fully remote Innovation Curriculum available to the public.
The curriculum is made up of 14 comprehensive modules. Students will explore innovation and independent exploration, create their own research questions, gather relevant background information, understand ethics, design and plan their experiments, and more.
Here are three reasons why Science Coach’s Innovation Curriculum is the future of STEM online learning:
It challenges traditional models of online learning.
Traditional models of online science instruction don’t challenge students to think on their own or apply that knowledge. They either focus on “textbook” memorization or resort to “edutainment” and “gamification.”
Science Coach’s curriculum offers a solution. The project-based learning (PBL) framework gives students the opportunity to develop their own science fair or high-level research projects and find answers to their own questions. As they work through the entire innovation process, they learn in an interactive and engaging way.
It rethinks the role of teachers.
In BizzyB, teachers act as coaches to their students. Instead of simply imparting knowledge, Science Coach teachers empower students to find their own answers. They encourage and help students to do the work and can easily oversee their progress, provide feedback, and mentorship, and guide them through the process.
This unique student-teacher relationship enables teachers to play active roles in their students’ learning.
It sets students up for real-world success.
While students design their own science fair or high-level research projects, they are being equipped to make a positive difference in the world. As they work through the Innovation Curriculum, students are exposed to over 24 different STEM careers. They also develop relevant skills that are transferable across STEM professions. These skills include critical thinking, science literacy, data analysis, problem solving, communication, and perseverance.
Many Science Coach students have even developed solutions to real-life problems. Luke developed a way for hikers to detect Lyme bacteria in ticks, Elizabeth worked to save honeybees through RNA transference, and Nick helped inoculate Ash trees from Emerald Ash Borers. These are only a few examples of how this type of learning sets students up for success.
Online learning is changing, and Science Coach is working with BizzyB to make sure it is changing for the better. Visit BizzyB to learn more about our enriched online learning platform or learn more about our partnership with Science Coach.