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STEM

STEAM Engines: Rube Goldberg Machines

2021-07-20T13:04:17-06:00

One of the greatest things about living with my son is watching how his brain works. He is a tinkerer, a “how things work” enthusiast, an engineer, and a builder. Where he sees a world of possibility in a pile of Lego, without clear instructions and a plan I see clutter and confusion. Where I see a mess of sticks, he sees a potential fort. Nothing exemplifies this more than the following example: One Saturday morning not long ago I asked Desi to clean up “a world of possibility” from the middle of the floor. He agreed, and I returned a [...]

STEAM Engines: Rube Goldberg Machines2021-07-20T13:04:17-06:00

Celebrate the Bees – World Bee Day

2021-05-29T08:08:07-06:00

On December 20, 2017, the General Assembly of the United Nations unanimously voted to declare May 20 World Bee Day. Why should we celebrate bees? Why not? The purpose of World Bee Day is to recognize more than just the most well-known of the bees - the European honey bee.  Many people don't know that the honey bee isn't native to North America.  It colonized the western hemisphere with the European settlers.  When the settlers arrived, though, this country already had plenty of bees of its own, some 4,000 different species actually, ranging in size from the world's smallest bee, the [...]

Celebrate the Bees – World Bee Day2021-05-29T08:08:07-06:00

Code Monsters: Computers and Social Emotional Learning at Skokie Library

2021-05-27T20:59:54-06:00

Before I get too deep into this post, I feel I must confess that there was a time in my life when I was a skeptic about gaming in the library. This skepticism was based on a number of misconceptions, the best of them being that nebulous old chestnut “you’ll rot your brain,” and the worst of them being that it’s a highly addictive, antisocial activity with little room for creativity. The latter opinion was loosely based on my own experiences obsessively squandering many a perfect summer day in pursuit of eight pieces of Zelda’s triforce. Not that there’s anything wrong [...]

Code Monsters: Computers and Social Emotional Learning at Skokie Library2021-05-27T20:59:54-06:00

(Resource List) do your :bit Challenge with BBC’s micro:bit

2021-04-26T09:59:26-06:00

do your :bit Challenge with BBC’s micro:bit – Link Bank Presenters Claire Ratcliffe Adams Space Science Institute cratcliffe@spacescience.org Brooks Mitchell Space Science Institute bmitchell@spacescience.org Webinar Recording: https://www.starnetlibraries.org/development/webinars/ do your :bit Challenge Resources do your :bit Challenge Description: https://microbit.org/projects/do-your-bit/ do your :bit Activities http://clearinghouse.starnetlibraries.org/174-do-your-bit Circulation Kit Material List http://www.starnetlibraries.org/2020/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Microbit-Kit-Material-List.pdf Patron Instruction Sheet http://www.starnetlibraries.org/2020/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Patron-Instruction-Sheet.pdf U.N. Goal 3: Good Health & Well-being (with related activities) https://microbit.org/projects/do-your-bit/global-goals/good-health-wellbeing/ U.N. Goal 13: Climate Action https://microbit.org/projects/do-your-bit/global-goals/climate-action/ do your :bit Entry Form https://form.jotform.com/201812404053340 Micro:bit Resources BBC micro:bit: https://www.microbit.org/ United Nations Global Goals for Sustainable Development https://microbit.org/projects/do-your-bit/global-goals/introducing-the-global-goals/ Microsoft MakeCode https://microbit.org/code/ Free STAR Net Resources Join STAR Net: http://www.starnetlibraries.org/community/ STEM Activity [...]

(Resource List) do your :bit Challenge with BBC’s micro:bit2021-04-26T09:59:26-06:00

Storytelling With a National Geographic Explorer

2021-05-29T07:59:39-06:00

Have you ever looked through a National Geographic magazine and wondered what it would be like to be a National Geographic explorer?  Well now you can have a chance to find out!  The National Geographic Society has added 3 new courses to its offerings. The introduction to the series is here. These are the courses: 'Storytelling for Impact: Photography' 'Storytelling for Impact: Audio' 'Storytelling for Impact: Video' These courses are different from all the ones already available in a number of ways. - First of all, they are offered as a series collected under the title 'Storytelling for Impact.'  Other National [...]

Storytelling With a National Geographic Explorer2021-05-29T07:59:39-06:00

Learn to Facilitate Creative Learning in Public Libraries

2021-04-16T08:30:50-06:00

We’re excited to announce that the PLIX (Public Library Innovation Exchange) team is launching a four-week online course starting April 26th on the topic of Facilitating Creative Learning. This is a chance to delve into the facilitation side of creative learning, exploring some big ideas as well as practical tips around leadership and implementation of STEAM activities. PLIX connects public library professionals and MIT Media Lab researchers to co-design learning experiences, develop and share facilitation practices, and integrate creative learning into public library programming. PLIX strives to increase equitable access to and broaden participation in STEAM programming.  Recently, STAR Net met [...]

Learn to Facilitate Creative Learning in Public Libraries2021-04-16T08:30:50-06:00

Everyone Knows What Engineering is! – Right?

2021-05-28T21:40:37-06:00

We all know the word.  We hear it just about every day.  We see it all the time. Engineer The E in STEM, STEAM, and STREAM stands for engineering. But do we know what the word actually means?  What is engineering?  What do engineers do? Of all the letters in STREAM, I think the E has changed more than all the others, growing, evolving, expanding, adding dimensions and details.  I decided to spend some time exploring the meaning of the word engineering, the history of engineering, and just how much the work of engineers influences our day to day lives. Let’s [...]

Everyone Knows What Engineering is! – Right?2021-05-28T21:40:37-06:00

STEAM Engines from home: the busiest physicists

2021-02-10T15:42:30-07:00

Towards the end of summer, I fell victim to one of those AMAZING PAINTING YOU WILL BE MESMERIZED type videos floating around on social media. I admit that, like a cartoon squirrel presented with a decoy nut, I am easily captivated. I am handily distracted by cookie decorating videos. TRANSFORM THIS OLD WHATCHAMACALLIT INTO SOMETHING (objectively useless but still) COOL videos regularly siphon valuable minutes off my life. But readers, there was something to this AMAZING PAINTING video. It was an art form called pendulum painting, in which an artist sets a hanging paint container with a hole in the bottom [...]

STEAM Engines from home: the busiest physicists2021-02-10T15:42:30-07:00

STEAM Engines: Nephology

2021-02-10T15:44:16-07:00

We had a beautiful summer in Skokie, and though I really miss being in the library and getting to see all of our eager young science friends, There have been some real silver linings (cloud reference segue absolutely intended!). Always somewhat outdoorsy, this summer, the kids and I spent an unprecedented amount of time outside, taking walks, playing in the yard, and a new game - watching for shapes in the clouds. A discussion on the general merits of living in a cloud (the look so soft and fluffy, right??), led to an absolute nerd-out about what clouds actually are, and [...]

STEAM Engines: Nephology2021-02-10T15:44:16-07:00

A Chill in the Air and Color in the Trees

2021-01-27T16:42:42-07:00

There's been a bit of a chill in the air the last week or so, a frequent thumping on the roof of pecans falling out of the tree in the yard, and a sense of frantic feasting radiating from the hummingbirds who frequent the feeders on my porch.  Autumn is here. One of my favorite things to do as the seasons slip away from summer and toward winter is to walk through wooded areas and collect brightly colored leaves.  This is something my mother did with me as a very young child on my great grandparents' farm.  I still have the [...]

A Chill in the Air and Color in the Trees2021-01-27T16:42:42-07:00
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