Winner and some STEM insights!

Thank you to everyone who responded to my technology post. And if you really thought I was talking crazy, sorry.

Congrats Cindy on being my winner and writing the awesome expanded definition of technology {here, just scroll up!}.

I recently attended an AWESOME workshop about all the ways to incorporate STEM into my classroom. I knew what STEM stood for: science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. But I had NO IDEA how to really incorporate more science and engineering into my classroom. Yup, I skipped over the T in STEM because I thought I really had technology down and I was using it. Boy was I wrong. I found out that technology is anything that is human-made and it doesn't have to be used by electricity or with batteries. So we did this activity called Mystery Bag. Yes, if you do show-n-tell you know all about a mystery bag. But inside the mystery bag were all these common materials: light bulb, brad, paper clip, plastic container, pen etc. that we normally use just every day and don't think anything of it. But really they are considered technology... even a pocket chart is technology! So if you were (or are) the teacher who says that they don't use STEM in their classroom, you might use 3 out of the 4 letters every day and just not know it. If you want to learn how to use more of the E in STEM, check out these websites/blogs (some courtesy of Cindy from Kindergarten Love/Scientifically Science Fun):

Science for Kids
Growing a STEM Classroom (TPT store with TONS of 3-5 challenges)
Little Miss Hypothesis (also Little Miss Kindergarten)
The Science Life
The Science Penguin
Engineering is Elementary (EiE)
PBS LearningMedia--Science
Children's Engineering
Lego Education (yup, legos are so much more than just building what is included in the box)
NCTM Illuminations (you have to go here and click everywhere!!)
Get Caught Engineering
Peep and the Big Wide World (ages 3-7) or PBS Kids--Fetch activities and ruff guide (ages 8-10)
National Library of Virtual Manipulatives (make sure you have Java installed)
Engineering for the 21st Century (website from the MathScience Innovation Center, place where I had my workshop in VA)
Lamppost in a 1st Grade STEM classroom

I hope these are helpful... STEM is already spinning around in my head trying to make me figure out how to incorporate it all...:) What is one new thing you can incorporate in your classroom that deals with the four parts of STEM. Leave your comment below. Enjoy!