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For traditional and homeschool STEM teachers and parents: Short to-the-point and easily applied STEM activities to enhance the curiosity and creativity of students. Help your students NOW to become innovators and inventors preparing them for life and exciting and meaningful careers in STEM.
KBLOG
Richard Kurtz is an award-winning science educator, teaching in New York for almost 40 years. Originally from Toronto, Canada, he received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Waterloo, where he also played college basketball. He trains teachers and works with homeschoolers to engage students in creative, dynamic learning as well running Advanced Placement Biology workshops as a College Board consultant. His workshops, which have a cooperative, fun, and relaxed atmosphere are geared to help teachers to creatively engage their students in “real” science. Richard has had extensive experience working with teachers, parents and students in developing hands-on science activities in biology, science research and inventing both in person and virtually. He is currently a semi-retired educational consultant who is passionate about helping teachers and parents learn and apply strategies to help their students unlock their potential as innovators. He lives with his wife , two dogs (Maya and Bear), and honey bees near a beaver pond in Hudson Valley New York
Contact Rich
rkurtz3@k12stemspace.com
KBLOG 50: More from Dataspire (free Youtube channel)
A central part of STEM education is learning about, collecting, understanding, visualizing and manipulating data. It is important for our students to get experience with data throughout all grades. I just saw that Dataspire has just launched a YouTube channel to help teachers help students learn about data.
KBLOG 49: Show Me the Money for a Makerspace!
I wanted my students to feel that our classroom was special and unique. Many of things that I had available to my students were beyond the school budget. What happens when you want to upgrade your makerspace with grand equipment and technology? The bottom-line teachers, parents and administrators is that there are a lot of funding sources through grants. KBLOG 49 reveals sources for grants.
KBLOG 48: A Classroom/Home STEM Makerspace for Students that Does Not Cost a Lot
A makerspace is a special place where young people can express their STEM curiosity, creativity and inventive spirit. It can be in a space as big as a classroom or bedroom, or as small as a corner of a room or a small box. If you want to have a makerspace at your school or in your home and you want to start small and you have limited funding or experience directing a maker space. KBLOG 48 has some advice!
KBLOG 47: My Continuing Journey to Educate Myself About Little Known Great Scientists: Who was Granville T. Woods?
KBLOG 47: My Continuing Journey to Educate Myself About Little Known Great Scientists: Who was Granville T. Woods?
I am searching for scientists who are not well known, many of them have been ignored in the past due to prejudice and/or ignorance. It is time to acknowledge, celebrate and recognize, for the sake of all students, those scientists, engineers and inventors who remain unknown but have had major impacts on our world. He invented the third rail for streetcars and built the first hybrid vehicle. You may not have heard of Granville T. Woods who was an African American engineer (1856-1910). He was one of the most prolific inventors of the 19th century (had over 50 patents). Read and watch some videos about this amazing inventor, someone you may not have hear of before.
KBLOG ALERT: Coding Week & Teacher Innovator Opportunity
KBLOG ALERT?
Opportunities and activities to assist students and teachers in the fileds of invention and space science.
KBLOG 46: Science Buddies: A Website for Big & Little Kids & their Teachers & Parents (all free)
For homeschoolers, parents and teachers Where can one find (without searching the web for hours) vetted, age-appropriate activities, experiments, science projects ideas and science videos? Check out KBLOG 46 for ONE great resource!
KBLOG 45: Launch a Young Person’s Imagination Using NASA Resources
Most children have a space-curiosity phase; that is a time when they are intrigued by stars, planets, the moon and space travel. Parents and teachers can feed that interest through the many online resouces of NASA . Their space curiosity can become a lifelong area of interest and even evolve into a career.
KBLOG 44. Charles Henry Turner, an African American Scientist, who Teachers and Students Should Know About!
One African American scientist, in particular, can serve as a role model to both science teachers and students is Charles Henry Turner (1867-1923). Dr. Turner authored articles advocating for education and discussing social issues especially with respect to African Americans. His experimental logic and designs were elegant and insightful, even his high school students participated in his work.
KBLOG ALERT 2: Bringing Invention Education to your Classroom (Free Course)
ANNOUNCEMENT for Interesting, exciting and time-sensitive STEM material relevant to helping educators and their students.
Short 9-part course: How to teach inventing to students
KBLOG 43. African American Scientists, Inventors and Engineers You and Your Students Should Know
In this KBLOG I have included links to books about African Americans who have had major impacts in the STEM fields. This KBLOG will be of interest to those who want to broaden exposure and introduce new role models for students.
KBLOG 42. For Teachers and Parents: Our Failure at Failure
Our students need to realize and internalize that failure is the spark of creatively and success. The question is how can we make failure resiliency part of our teaching? Here are some tips.
KBLOG ALERT NOTICE: Science on Halloween
KBLOG ALERT?
ANNOUNCEMENT for Interesting, exciting and time-sensitive STEM material relevant to helping educators and their students.
KBLOG 41: Virtual Field Trips for Students
KBLOG 41: Virtual Field Trips for Students
Field trips should be an integral part of a student’s experience. Nowadays students have few opportunities to physically visit wonderful places. The Internet offer virtual field trips to anywhere in the world. This KBLOG has some suggestions.
KBLOG ALERT: NASA and Thomas Edison Pitch
KBLOG ALERT?
Opportunities and activities to assist students and teachers in the fileds of invention and space science.
KBLOG 40: STEM Competions that Overcome, Money, Space and Time Constaints (K-12)
KBLOG 40: STEM Competions that Overcome, Money, Space and Time Constaints (K-12)
How can you spark the creative interest of STEM in young people? What can students do to make classroom factual learning and hands-on experiences meaningful in a way that students can connect the classroom and the world outside. I absolutely know that STEM competitions are one of the best ways for students to express their interest, enthusiasm and talent in the various fields of STEM.
KBLOG 39: START LOOKING NOW! The Not-So-Secret Secrets to Amazing Internships for Students and Teachers
KBLOG 39: START LOOKING NOW! The Not-So-Secret Secrets to Amazing Internships for Students and Teachers
Many of my students, myself included participated in internships, usually over the summer. The students express that their internships were the pivotal high school event helping them to in develop and determine their interests and career paths.
KBLOG 38 The AI Elephant in the Classroom: Part 5: Lets Catch Up
KBLOG 38: KBLOG 17: The AI Elephant in the Classroom: Part 5: Lets Catch Up
There is a ton of information being generated quickly people and AI platforms that address student learning at the K12 level. This KBLOG contains excellent AI resources for educators that can be used immediately and easily.
KBLOG 37: Be THAT Inspiring Teacher: Two Different Shoes, Facts, Skills and INTANGIBLES
KBLOG 37: Be THAT Inspiring Teacher: Two Different Shoes, Facts, Skills and INTANGIBLES
Teaching revolves around three things, facts, skills and the INTANGIBLES. The INTANGIBLES are not forgotten, they teach students about goodness, caring and determination. How can you make the intangibles your most powerful teaching skill?
KBLOG 36: Summer Break: Back in August
The Challenge: How do you get fresh ideas for the next school year? A Solution: Read, Relax and Think.
I have had so much working on my KBLOGs. I am so grateful to all my subscribers. I decided to take a lot of the summer off from blogging. I have a lot of garden work and I am studying and preparing for an oral, practical and written exam to become a Master Beekeeper from Cornell University. I have to take the tests during the summer.
KBLOG 35: The Titanic Tinfoil Boat
Combining a hands-on experience with a light-hearted competition is a great recipe to introduce the scientific method to students. I have students make and test foil boats so students can naturally find their way through the scientific method. Further details are found in KBLOG 35