In today’s digital age, it is important to provide equal opportunities for learners of all grade levels and abilities to access advanced education technology. Learning how to utilize these devices and grasp topics such as coding, robotics, AR/VR, and computer literacy are essential for pathways in STEM and beyond. Additionally, exposure to these concepts will prepare students for higher learning and keep them caught up with all the latest trends in education.

Teq was able to make this possible by working with Chicago Public Schools (CPS) for the district’s celebration of National STEM Day. By partnering with various schools throughout the district, this weeklong celebration from November 4th-8th, 2024 allowed students and teachers alike to experience what lies within the walls of innovation in technology. CPS CEO, Pedro Martinez, emphasized the importance of this event and others among it.

“A STEAM-focused environment is not only important for our students’ future, it is also fun and brings joy to learning,” said Martinez.

Participating schools and staff 

Over the course of the week, Teq had the opportunity to work with students, teachers, and admin from eight different schools throughout CPS. These include: Charles W. Earle STEM Elementary School, Irene C. Hernandez STEM Middle School for the Advancement of Science, Evergreen STEAM Academy Middle School, Salmon P. Chase STEAM Elementary School, Ferdinand Peck STEM Elementary School, Philip D. Armour STEM Elementary School, John T. McCutcheon STEAM Elementary School, and Mary Gage Peterson STEAM Elementary School.

The introduction to new technology can be daunting for students and staff. However, the Teq team was there to help every step of the way. Carolyn Gosz (Senior Account Executive), Matthew Sund (Field Product Specialist/Account Executive), Nicholas Cilluffo (Field Product Specialist), and Benjamin Cebulash (Field Product Specialist), were all in attendance to help guide middle and elementary learners during this special week of STEM exploration.

Representatives from zSpace, SMART Technologies, and Active Floor were also present to show off their technological solutions and to ensure that the activities proceeded seamlessly. In addition, products from Wonder Workshop, Ozobot, KinderLab Robotics, KUBO, Umety, Modular Robotics, and BirdBrain Technologies were also used for activities and demonstrations.

Activities and experiences

To kick off the celebration of National STEM Day, the staff at Teq set up a rotating STEM playground. This included seven different stations during each day of the event. The activities for each station varied. Experiences included everything from AR/VR, screen-free coding, block-based coding, project-based learning, and active learning experiences.

Each station began with a brief introduction and demonstration. Then, each group of students had 15 minutes to experiment and tinker with the technology before switching to the next station. Additionally, to create a more inclusive and diverse environment for English language learners, the instructions for each station were read in both Spanish and English.

Even though the circuits only lasted 15 minutes, students were able to grasp complex topics in a short amount of time. Plus, this sparked collaboration and teamwork between them. For example, in the project-based learning station, students took inspiration from the Rube Goldberg Machines iBlock. This required them to build and experiment with various objects and attach them to a pegboard, simulating the Rube Goldberg effect. This could not be done all at once. However, students who started working on their machine were succeeded by the next group. The next group would finish what the previous group was working on.

Impact on students and staff 

After the week concluded, students had rave reviews of their experiences, referring to it as “epic” and “legendary.” Having little experience with these types of STEM products, they thoroughly enjoyed learning about them. They also wanted to further explore all the different pathways that this technology could guide them to. Teq staff, teachers, school administrators, and students’ families were in awe of what their learners were capable of. Seeing pure joy radiate from so many students further inspired the district to incorporate more STEM curriculum into their schools.

CPS is the only school district in the nation to enforce mandatory computer science courses. The district focuses heavily on STEM education. Kelli Easterly, Executive Director of CPS’ STEM Department, emphasized how important these experiences are for students, not just for their current education, but for their future endeavors as well.

“The goal is to create an environment where our young learners have the curiosity to ask new and interesting questions about our world and, at the same time, have the tools and skills to help find the answers,” Easterly stated.

Get STEM for your school with Teq

The team at Teq is always enthusiastic about working with districts such as CPS and beyond. Your school or district could be next! Check out all our top-of-the-line STEM products, project-based learning experiences, and online and in-person professional development services on the Teq site to learn more.

For more tips, tricks, and tools for teaching in and out of the classroom, check out more content on the Teq Talk blog or our YouTube channels OTIS for educators and Tequipment.

We also offer virtual professional development, training, and support with OTIS for educators. Explore the technology and strategies that spark student success — no matter where teaching or learning are happening!

Follow us on social:

  edteq             OTIS4educators  |  Teq Products  |  iBlocks           MyTeq          Teq