![Bringing STEM lessons to life]()
Bringing STEM lessons to life
Technology is changing the ways we interact every day - how we learn, communicate, create, and much more! How can we use technology to transform our daily lives in positive ways, without sacrificing meaningful, personal interaction? Story Tapestries has worked with scientists, engineers and mathematicians to align arts concepts with STEM subjects and bring the human emotion connection to academic materials. Now, we are looking to make our own leap of services through technology, creating an innovative Virtual Classroom to give access to students, educators and parents across the country.
We believe that for a community to be successful its students, educators and parents/mentors must have access to:
- information
- time
- opportunity
Access for students:
We work with schools to understand how to share information with students in a way that allows every kind of learner to process and demonstrate comprehension. We partner with them to organize time so that students are interacting with new subject matter and resources for a period of time that is appropriate and effective. All of us together are working hard to ensure students have opportunities not only to learn and be successful in school, but also opportunities to continue to grow, achieve goals and be successful as adults. Experiences during their school years that allow students to share, explain and celebrate what they're learning, such as schoolwide performances, are incredible opportunities that reinforce lessons and develop a sense of pride in their own accomplishments.
Student responses to Story Tapestries programs:
THIS is incredible. Can we do this every year? I did not know that science could be easy. Did we really build a live machine? I would go to school every day with a smile on my face if we always had workshops like this.
Access for educators:
Teachers want their students to be successful. They seek information, reference materials, and best practices using whatever tools they have available to them. Unfortunately, while there are many resources out there, they are often difficult to find or expensive to acquire. Educators are continuously asked to achieve more in the classroom with less and less time dedicated to each subject area. They struggle to have time to plan and execute interactive lessons for their students that bring a sense of fun to learning and allow the students to be part of the process. Most teachers we meet are eager to try out new methods, but are afraid to test out something new without the support of an expert.
An educator's response to Story Tapestries programs:
"Encouragement from (Story Tapestries) while implementing my first lesson plans using this artistic approach resulted in innovative new methods through which my current students learn... the outcome is an increased interest and participation... By teaching those who will teach others, the efforts of Story Tapestries will continue to reach young pupils for generations to come."
- Shannon Eaton, Montegut High School
Access for parents:
Many parents aren't able to keep up with the constantly changing academic standards. They're not sure what they can do at home to support their child's learning. Parents must balance their own lives and the logistics of daily life with the desire to enjoy time with their kids and be part of their growth. Some parents become disconnected from the school community because there aren't clear or easy/convenient ways to participate and engage and/or because they're faced with barriers such as language.
A parent's reponse to Story Tapestries programs:
“Thank you for working so closely with our teachers, being so creative, and inspiring our children to think above and beyond.”
- Shelly Cefalu, PTA representative at North Forest Pines Elementary School
Story Tapestries is dedicated to addressing these needs in communities across the country. We've designed a Virtual Classroom web-based tool that will allow children, teachers and parents to access information in innovative ways. Our goal is to address access to information, reduce the time necessary to do so, and increase the opportunities for all community members to be part of the education process. The arts break down the barriers that challenge communication, and bringing the magic and power of arts-based tools to every community is our commitment.
Our brand new website will put valuable resources at the fingertips of users. Learn more here:
http://www.globalgiving.org/projects/virtualclassroom/
We are sharing with you about this project now as we get ready for tomorrow's #GivingTuesday celebration. Following Black Friday and Cyber Monday, #GivingTuesday is a way to connect to the "meaning for the season" - celebrating compassion and giving back to our own communities. On Giving Tuesday we come together and celebrate a new global tradition of generosity. We invite you to be part of this special world-wide movement!
GlobalGiving has found numerous ways to get involved in the #GivingTuesday movement, and Microsoft YouthSpark will be matching donations made through GlobalGiving to approved projects at the following times:
Tuesday, December 2 at 9am EST
and Tuesday, December 2 at 3pm EST
Funds will run out quickly, so if you'd like to be a part of this matching event and make your gift give even bigger, be sure to donate either at 9am or 3pm EST.
Thank you for your continued support as we strive to provide better services to more people each day! If this project strikes a chord with you, we'd encourage you to share this message with family, friends and colleagues that might be inspired to become part of this international Giving Tuesday movement.
With deep appreciation!
-the Story Tapestries Team
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