"We want to empower students with real life skills so they too can influence positive change, while addressing and solving problems and challenges in our world."-Naomi Harm ShareWelcome to our first teacher spotlight of the fall 2019 school year!

We’re honored to share a very inspirational story with you about Naomi Harm, a leader in STEM education. Over the summer, Naomi hosted a series of events titled “Summer Tech Splash” where teachers and students worked collaboratively to build prototypes of a self-driving car. Her event was even featured on Milwaukee’s NPR!

We had a chance to catch up with Naomi, learn about her goals as a leader in STEM education, and hear all about the successes of her events over the summer. She was also generous enough to share her lesson plan with the 3Doodler EDU community.

Naomi, thank you for taking the time to meet with us. Can you please tell us about yourself, the STEM Learning institution you founded, and your goals as a leader in STEM education?

My name is Naomi Harm I am an edtech woman, an instigator of STEM innovation, and a thought leader and influencer. I truly welcome each and every opportunity to share my expertise on project based learning (PBL), student-centered learning, brain-based instructional approaches, and STEM and NGSS activities.

I am also the CEO and founder of Innovative Educator Consulting, a professional STEM learning company that supports women in leadership. We provide innovative education for teachers and administrators that aligns to the ISTE standards.

Our goal is to give teachers everything they need to provide students with experiences that will enhance the pursuit of their future STEM careers. We want to empower students with real life skills so they too can influence positive change, while addressing and solving problems and challenges in our world.

We are so inspired by your Summer Tech Splash events in Wisconsin. Can you please share a brief overview of the events, the experiences of the attendees, and any notable learning breakthroughs you witnessed?

Every summer we offer a multitude of STEM learning events based on the needs and requests of K-12 educators and students. This year, we focused on maximizing creativity, collaboration and communication through STEM design thinking activities. Many mediums were explored, including 3D Printing, coding, robotics, LED circuitry, and Google suite programs to enhance collaboration. Students and teachers created ebooks to share their learning experiences.

The one workshop that left a lasting impact on each and every attendee was the experience of creating a self-driving car prototype with 3Doodler Start and Create pens. Attendees worked in groups through an assembly line scenario, and each participant had a specific task that contributed to the self-driving car prototype. Everyone was actively involved and played a part in the success of the final product. Car stencils were provided as an option to assist with building the car structure, and to inspire design ideas. Some attendees decided to sketch out their own original designs to build their car from to make it truly unique.

What benefits have you noticed with using 3Doodler pens in the educational events and workshops that you host?

3Doodler pens definitely create more engaged learners, and with the pens there is a lot of room to personalize the learning. Every final product is different and unique. At risk students, special needs and English-language learner (ELL) students become instant leaders and peer coaches through the collaborative activities with 3Doodler pens.

Many attendees commented on how calming and soothing the designing and creating processes were with the 3D pens. The tactile tools helped them stay focused, and they had more creative conversations with their teammates. They all felt like they were part of a dynamic team, as they all had a special task to contribute to the final prototype of the car.

Both the educators and students liked that the project didn’t involve screen time or computers. I found this statement so enlightening!

"3Doodler pens definitely create more engaged learners, and with the pens there is a lot of room to personalize the learning."-Naomi Harm Share

Engineering Design Challenge Lesson Plan

You can follow along with Naomi’s lesson plan right here.

Be sure to share pictures of your classroom prototypes on social media!

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