EdTech Awards 2021 Recognizes SAE PreK-8 STEM Programs
Posted: Wednesday, April 28, 2021
Finalists and winners for The EdTech Cool Tool Awards 2021 have been announced, with SAE STEM@Home™ chosen “Best Parent/Student Solution” and “Best STEM Solution” finalist, and SAE’s A World In Motion (AWIM) STEM education program named a “Best Skills (21st Century Skills) Solution” finalist.
Developed during the COVID-19 pandemic to give all students access to free resources and enriching STEM experiences wherever and whenever learning happens, SAE STEM@Home features STEM-inspired storybooks, Meet the Engineer videos, and immersive student-centered STEM learning modules and experiments as well as a downloadable guide for educators.
Each STEM@Home module was designed to complement one of SAE’s existing AWIM challenges and can be used as an extension for traditional AWIM or assigned to students who are learning from home. Topics covered include More About Motion, Thinking Computationally, Machines at Work, Energy in Motion, and A World of Sounds. Students can also access step-by-step instructions and videos to learn how to create a cipher wheel, build a skimmer, or make a DIY musical instrument.
With a focus on hands-on STEM experiences, SAE’s AWIM PreK-8 STEM education program is an inquiry-based learning curriculum that brings STEM concepts to life, in and out of the classroom, setting students on a path of lifelong learning and discovery. It empowers educators to spark student interest and achievement--sharpening 21st century and workforce skills including, but not limited to, problem-solving, inquiry and analysis, communication and collaboration, critical thinking, and project management--and provides a solid foundation to help students succeed in future education and career endeavors.
Starting with the youngest learners, from preschool through 8th grade, and combining practical, experiential learning with mentorship, AWIM has paved an equitable path to career opportunities for over 6 million students globally. AWIM’s curriculum is unique in incorporating an industry professional or university student volunteer into the classroom setting to assist the teacher.
“The worldwide pandemic put education and training to the test, but remote learning and working—in many unexpected ways—ultimately brought us closer,” said Victor Rivero, who as Editor-in-Chief of EdTech Digest, oversees the program.
“Trying times revealed strengths and capabilities of people, and workability of products. Leaders and innovators with their tools and techniques worked hard to keep the learning world connected to knowledge and each other. As so many have shown, nothing can stop the human spirit—and we continue to move forward,” Rivero said.
The EdTech Awards recognizes people in and around education for outstanding contributions in transforming education through technology to enrich the lives of learners everywhere.