STEM
Becoming a Student Again with Astronomical Research
By Florida Virtual School on January 30th, 2015
Last year I was honored to be chosen as a NITARP teacher.
NITARP, short for the NASA/IPAC Teacher Archive Research Program, pairs teachers with astronomers from Caltech and NASA, and allows the teachers to do authentic astronomical research.
I thought this program would be something that was a little out of my comfort zone, as I only had classroom experience (like most science teachers), but I decided to apply anyway as it would be an educational experience. To my surprise, I was one of eight teachers that was accepted out of hundreds of applicants.
The teachers were split up into two teams, each with an astronomer to lead them. My team had educators from Boston, Colorado, and California and my astronomer, Varoujan Gorjian, was from Caltech and NASA. Continue reading
Meet FLVS Student Sariah Robertson
By Guest Blogger on June 4th, 2014
She’s not your typical video gamer. She’s also not your typical model or cheerleader. In fact, Sariah Robertson is anything but typical – she’s extraordinary! FLVS student Sariah started her own organization called My Girl Code which focuses on inspiring girls to become more interested in advanced technology systems such as coding.
It all started when her mother told her to make something more of her life than just playing video games. Instead of pouting, Sariah turned to the Internet and started researching how to make a career out of game design. Continue reading
AIME, AMC, USAMO, Oh My!
By Guest Blogger on September 25th, 2013
The science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) field is rapidly growing. There are many programs and contests young students can become involved with to learn more about the different careers in STEM.
Many of these contests, however, are commonly recognized by their acronyms: AIME, AMC, USAMO. Few people outside the field know what these letters actually stand for. Each contest is part of the American Mathematic Competition Association (AMC). This group is devoted to growing mathematic understanding in the nation’s youth. Of the many contests, AIME, AMC, and USAMO are the most popular. Here are the contests behind the acronyms. Continue reading