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Design & Pitch Challenges in STEM

News

Jun 4, 2018

SUDDS Team Awarded Prestigious $1.2 Million ITEST Grant

Through a recently National Science Foundation funded $1.2 million ITEST grant, Jere Confrey and her team will continue to help math classrooms redesign group work to inspire and engage children through entrepreneurial problem-solving and coaching.

May 31, 2018

“Shark Tank” Competitions Provide Feedback, Increase Engagement in STEM Classrooms

Jere Confrey is bringing elements of the television show “Shark Tank” to middle school mathematics classroom to promote practices that increase middle school girls and minorities motivations and capacities to pursue careers in STEM fields.

Mar 15, 2018

Innovation Challenges for Middle School Mathematics in a Digital Learning System: Student Participation Impact on Achievement, Affect, and STEM Career Interest

This project will advance efforts of the Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST) program to better understand and promote practices that increase middle school girls and minorities motivations and capacities to pursue careers in STEM fields. By developing digital mathematics and engineering-based challenges, the project is designed to motivate students to pursue STEM fields. Students participate in teams to create and pitch entrepreneurial ideas. Using a personalized avatar, students will navigate a learning map, develop a portfolio of work products, ideas and experiences, identify peer partners and form a team, and collaboratively prepare for an entrepreneurial start-up competition.