Nurturing Young Innovators

This book offers elementary teachers practical tools and ideas to foster risk-taking, curiosity and creative thinking in their students, helping them succeed as lifelong innovators. Today’s students need broad skills to help them think creatively, work collaboratively and implement innovations in our complex and global society. These skills must be taught early to ensure success. In Nurturing Young Innovators, PK-5 teachers will learn how to engage families and communities in activities that create environments where creativity, innovation and collaboration are fostered and valued, and where technology is used to redefine learning and promote responsible risk-taking. This book includes: • Examples of how teachers can collaborate with students, parents and the community to support student success and innovation. • Practical tools, including sample projects, reflection questions and exercises to drive student learning. • An action plan to help you track the steps you’re taking to facilitate creativity in students, and a Resources section to support the content in each chapter. Written by two experts who are passionate about supporting early learners through effective uses of technology, this book is a singular source for learning how to encourage innovation and creativity in early learners so they can develop the skills they need to thrive.

This book teaches how to engage families and communities in activities that create environments where creativity, innovation and collaboration are fostered and valued, and where technology is used to redefine learning and promote responsible risk-taking.

Reveals the importance of innovation in American global competitiveness, profiling some of today's most compelling young innovators while explaining how they have succeeded through the unconventional methods of parents, teachers, and mentors.

Embark on a captivating journey into the enchanting world of professions with "Professional Stories: Nurturing Young Minds for Future Innovation." This thoughtfully crafted book introduces young readers to the diverse tapestry of careers, from healthcare heroes mending hearts to engineers crafting marvels and educators shaping young minds. Soar through the skies with aviators and delve into the nurturing embrace of the earth with agriculture professionals. Each profession comes to life through engaging narratives, sparking curiosity and planting seeds of aspiration. With a focus on simplicity and relatable language, this book is a gateway to understanding the significance of various roles and the skills they entail. An invaluable resource for parents and educators, it celebrates the magic of learning and inspires the dreams of tomorrow's leaders.

From the founder of Harvard's Change Leadership Group comes a provocative look at why innovation is today's most essential real-world skill and what young people need to become innovators.

How do you create effective STEM classrooms that energize students, help them grow into creative thinkers and collaborators, and prepare them for their futures? This practical book from expert Anne Jolly has all the answers and tools you need to get started or enhance your current program. Based on the author’s popular MiddleWeb blog of the same name, STEM by Design reveals the secrets to successful lessons in which students use science, math, and technology to solve real-world engineering design problems. You’ll learn how to: Select and adapt quality existing STEM lessons that present authentic problems, allow for creative approaches, and engage students in meaningful teamwork; Create your own student-centered STEM lessons based on the Engineering Design Process; Assess students’ understanding of basic STEM concepts, their problem-solving abilities, and their level of engagement with the material; Teach STEM in after-school programs to further build on concepts covered in class; Empower girls to aspire to careers in STEM and break down the barriers of gender bias; Tap into STEM's project-based learning style to attract and engage all students. Throughout this user-friendly book, you’ll find design tools such as checklists, activities, and assessments to aid you in developing or adapting STEM lessons. These tools, as well as additional teacher resources, are also available as free downloads from the book’s website, http://www.stem-by-design.com.

Young Children and the Arts: Nurturing Imagination and Creativity examines the place of the arts in the experiences of young and very young children at home and in out-of-home settings at school and in the community. There is great need for development of resources in the arts specifically designed to introduce babies and toddlers to participatory experiences in the visual arts, dance, music, and storytelling/theater. This book presents valuable guidelines for early childhood teachers, families, caregivers and community organizations. Young Children and the Arts presents a comprehensive approach to the arts that is aligned with early childhood developmentally appropriate practice and that combines an exploratory, materials-based approach with an aesthetic-education approach for children from birth to eight years of age. It addresses both how the arts are foundational to learning, and how teachers and parents can nurture young children’s developing imagination and creativity. The models presented emphasize a participatory approach, introducing young children to the arts through activities that call for engagement, initiative and creative activity. Additionally, Young Children and the Arts addresses the intersection of early childhood education and the arts—at points of convergence, and at moments of tension. The role of families and communities in developing and promoting arts suffused experiences for and with young children are addressed. Young Children and the Arts examines the role of innovative arts policy in supporting a broad-based early arts program across the diverse settings in which young children and their families live, work, and learn.

Designed to help teachers meet the diverse needs of young children, this book offers differentiated strategies for promoting intellectual discovery and creative thinking across key disciplines.

Examines and responds to the tension educators face while trying to nurture creativity within the curricular constraints of the classroom.

Engaging students in artmaking, Lily Yeh transforms a derelict Beijing factory into a vibrant beautiful school for migrant workers' children.