Arkansas PBS > Engage > Pressroom > AETN launches STEM site for Arkansas Educators
Posted 05 Nov 2013
As part of the Arkansas Educational Television Network's (AETN) commitment to the Arkansas Department of Education (ADE), educators and administrators across the state, AETN has created a specialized website to support Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) foundations at the elementary, middle and high school levels.
AETN ArkansasIDEAS (Internet Delivered Education for Arkansas Schools) created the new website, ideas.aetn.org/stem, in partnership with the ADE and Teacher Created Materials (TCM) to provide classroom resources for instruction strategies, materials and assessments for K-12 educators. Designed to assist teachers directly, the evidence-based program introduces practical, standards-based strategies that support seven STEM foundations - Academic Language Proficiency, Critical and Close Reading of Nonfiction Text, Writing Across the Content Areas, Problem-Solving and the Mathematical Practices, Historical Thinking and Document Analysis Skills, Use of Technology for Project-Based/Problem-Based Learning, and Science Content Knowledge and Inquiry Skills.
To illustrate each STEM foundation's application, a two-part video strategy session emphasizing student-motivated learning and exploration is provided, along with the associated materials - such as detailed lesson plans - needed to carry out the objectives. Following the instructional portion of the session, each video features a practical demonstration filmed in an Arkansas classroom with Arkansas students.
The ADE supports STEM measures to create an interdisciplinary approach to learning where rigorous academic concepts are coupled with real-world lessons. The methods encourage students to apply science, technology, engineering and mathematics in contexts that make connections between school, community, work and enterprise with the goal of making today's students better competitors in the global economy.
ArkansasIDEAS, the only state-funded comprehensive online professional development resource for educators in the nation, was launched in 2005 as a cooperative endeavor between AETN and ADE. The Arkansas Legislature passed Act 2318 that created this partnership between ADE and AETN to provide high-quality, online professional development for educators licensed in Arkansas in order to improve teacher quality as a means to increase student achievement. More than 50,600 registered educators in all regions of the state have completed approximately 648,000 credit hours in ArkansasIDEAS since its launch.
ArkansasIDEAS (ideas.aetn.org) is designed to enhance educators' content knowledge and instructional skills.
The Arkansas Educational Television Network (AETN) is Arkansas's statewide public television network that enhances lives by providing lifelong learning opportunities for people from all walks of life. AETN delivers local, award-winning productions and classic, trusted PBS programs aimed at sharing Arkansas and the world with viewers. AETN depends on the generosity of Arkansans and the State of Arkansas to continue offering quality programming. For more information, visit aetn.org, or follow the AETN blog at aetn.org/engage. AETN is broadcast on KETS (Little Rock), KEMV (Mountain View), KETG (Arkadelphia), KAFT (Fayetteville), KTEJ (Jonesboro), and KETZ (El Dorado).