Key Moments
MIT pK-12 Network: Welcome Webinar
MIT OpenCourseWareKey Moments
MIT pK-12 Network webinar introduces programs for engaging learners, educators, and communities.
Key Insights
The MIT pK-12 Network aims to engage, educate, and inspire alumni and friends as ambassadors for pK-12 programs.
MIT offers a wide range of pK-12 programs across various departments, focusing on a hands-on, minds-on, active learning approach.
Resources include curated curriculum, educational technologies, online courses, and opportunities for educators and students.
Accessibility, equity, and scalability are key priorities in developing and disseminating pK-12 educational initiatives.
The network facilitates community engagement through online platforms, local activities, and a planned in-person convening.
Alumni and community members can contribute through volunteerism, entrepreneurship, sharing research, and financial support.
INTRODUCTION TO THE MIT PK-12 NETWORK
The MIT pK-12 Network, hosted by MIT Open Learning, is a community designed to involve alumni, parents, educators, and anyone interested in Pre-K through 12 education at MIT. This welcome webinar serves as an introduction to the network's mission, which is to engage, educate, and inspire individuals to become ambassadors for MIT's educational initiatives for younger learners. The program aims to leverage MIT's expertise in curriculum, pedagogy, and technology to benefit the broader pK-12 landscape.
RESPONDING TO COMMUNITY INTERESTS
The network has identified several key themes from alumni and friends interested in pK-12 engagement. These include supporting local schools through alumni clubs, acting as ambassadors for MIT's learning experiences, and volunteering in classrooms. There's also significant interest in bringing MIT's research back into communities to inform educational practices and opportunities for entrepreneurs to collaborate with MIT on innovative educational products and businesses.
THE PK-12 LANDSCAPE AT MIT
MIT hosts a diverse array of pK-12 programs, initiatives, and research across its departments, labs, and centers. The MIT pK-12 Action Group was formed with the ambitious charge to 'reinvent education for all,' extending MIT's leadership in higher education to the pre-college level. This involves integrating STEM/STEAM education and developing a comprehensive institute-wide strategy to support and amplify these efforts.
UNIQUE ASPECTS OF MIT'S APPROACH
MIT's pK-12 efforts are characterized by a 'Minds-on, Hands-on' learning philosophy, promoting active, project-based learning where students solve real-world problems. This is complemented by an evidence-based approach, informed by cognitive science and educational research. The network also fosters an entrepreneurial spirit, encourages flexibility in program design, prioritizes accessibility and equity, and focuses on developing scalable solutions to address the vast challenges in pK-12 education globally.
CURRICULUM, TECHNOLOGIES, AND PROGRAMS
The pK-12 Action Group organizes its offerings around several pillars, including curriculum, technologies, and programs. MIT develops a wide range of STEAM curriculum modules, accessible through initiatives like Abdul Latif Jameel World Education Lab and the Edgerton Center. Technologies such as Scratch, App Inventor, and StarLogo are available for coding and simulation, while various programs like Spark, BlueStem Academy, and the Lemelson-MIT program cater to students of different age groups and backgrounds.
EDUCATOR RESOURCES AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
For educators, the network provides online courses through MITx and edX, focusing on topics like 'Launching Innovation in Schools' and educational technology. Resources from OpenCourseWare and the Teaching Systems Lab are also available. Professional development opportunities include workshops on maker education through the Edgerton Center and programs like the Science and Engineering Program for Teachers (SEPT), which focuses on STEM, project-based learning, and game-based learning.
PHYSICAL SPACES AND RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES
MIT offers access to its physical spaces, including the Technology Enabled Active Learning (TEAL) classroom and maker spaces like the Edgerton Center, encouraging educators to tour and learn about innovative learning environments. Furthermore, MIT is actively involved in research across k-12 education, from cognitive neuroscience to the economics of education. The Online Child Lab specifically seeks volunteers and research participants to study early childhood development.
UPCOMING WEBINARS AND IN-PERSON CONVENING
The webinar series is ongoing, with future sessions planned on STEAM curriculum and community engagement strategies. A significant event is the planned in-person convening in September 2020, designed as a training workshop and summit. This event will focus on practical skills for running programs, best practices in volunteerism and advocacy, and networking opportunities. A planning committee is being formed to help organize this impactful gathering.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND SUPPORT
The MIT pK-12 Network emphasizes community involvement through various channels, including online platforms and local chapters or alumni clubs. The network seeks to unite interested individuals, facilitate idea sharing, and support grassroots efforts. Ways to contribute include sharing opportunities, financial support for the pK-12 fund, and actively participating in discussions about pressing issues in k-12 education, such as equitable outreach and policy change.
RESOURCES AND CONTINUED ENGAGEMENT
Key online resources for staying informed include pk12.mit.edu and outreach.mit.edu, which provide updates on webinar series, events, and workshops. The network is actively working to curate and consolidate activity guides and resources into a single, accessible platform. Community feedback is highly valued to ensure these resources meet the needs of educators, parents, and volunteers, fostering a continuous cycle of improvement and collaboration.
Mentioned in This Episode
●Software & Apps
●Organizations
●People Referenced
How to Get Involved with MIT's PK-12 Initiatives
Practical takeaways from this episode
Do This
Avoid This
Common Questions
You can get involved by supporting local K-12 programs, volunteering in classrooms, acting as an ambassador for MIT's initiatives, or exploring online courses and curriculum. Financial contributions to the PK-12 fund are also highly valued.
Topics
Mentioned in this video
An initiative within MIT Open Learning focused on reinventing education for all, with a charge to define a K-12 strategy for the Institute.
Developed the 'Shadow Spec' game, which tests geometry skills and includes embedded assessments.
Offers programming and online courses with curriculum and activity modules, as well as a residential program with hands-on courses.
Offers courses on educational technology and the future of teaching practice, including 'Launching Innovation in Schools'.
Focuses on systems leadership in education, co-teaching the 'Launching Innovation in Schools' course with Peter Senge.
Provides maker education resources, including how to set up maker spaces and conduct maker activities, as well as workshops for educators.
Offers activity guides, such as the 'Chillout' guide, focusing on creative applications of STEM concepts like heat and heat transfer.
An office within MIT that opens up campus curriculum, pedagogy, teaching, and learning opportunities globally through online and blended learning.
Offers STEAM camp curriculum activities that are great for informal learning settings, local communities, or at home.
An office at MIT that engages with the Cambridge and Greater Boston community, and will be featured in an upcoming webinar on local engagement.
Developed the 'Shadow Spec' game, which tests geometry skills and includes embedded assessments.
Offers programs like Mites and MOSTEC to recruit and support diverse students for MIT.
A research initiative at MIT looking for volunteers and participants, especially for young children (0-3+), to study early childhood development.
From MIT Government and Community Relations, will be a speaker on local community engagement in a future webinar.
Professor at the Teaching Systems Lab, co-teaching the 'Launching Innovation in Schools' course on MITx.
Leadership, Giving and Strategic Initiatives Officer within MIT Open Learning, and presenter for the webinar.
Works with MIT J-WEL on Open Learning, focusing on systems leadership, and co-teaches 'Launching Innovation in Schools'.
A platform where MITx offers courses, including 'Launching Innovation in Schools'.
A block-based coding environment for young learners to create projects and learn coding fundamentals.
A drag-and-drop, block-based coding tool for middle school to high school students to create real-world apps.
Offers a week-long residential program covering subjects like race car design, autonomous vehicles, and AI for data science and health.
An online learning platform where MIT offers courses, including 'Launching Innovation in Schools'.
A six-month online program with a five-day conference at MIT for 11th graders, focusing on academic content and mentorship.
A block-based coding environment for young learners to create projects and learn coding fundamentals.
A six-week residential program for 11th graders offering rigorous academic courses and mentorship opportunities at MIT.
A program for K-12 teachers worldwide focusing on STEM subjects, with tracks in broadening participation, project-based learning, and educational games.
A rigorous four-week summer residential program for girls entering their 12th grade, focusing on hands-on learning with MIT faculty and mentors.
A tool for simulating biological scenarios and environments, suited for high school students.
A resource website for MIT's PK-12 initiatives, providing updates on webinars and outreach opportunities.
An MIT program for rising 10th and 11th graders in Greater Boston, serving underrepresented communities, with applications opening soon.
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