MakerMinded enriches classrooms without burdening teachers

MakerMinded competition sounds enticing: Have students participate in STEM- and manufacturing-related activities, programs and experiences listed on the MakerMinded web site; document and showcase the participation on social media; earn and track points received for participation; win prizes based on points earned at the end of the school year. But how does a teacher fit all this into a crowded curriculum? Two Ohio educators have found a way to incorporate MakerMinded participation into their regular classes and school club activities. And, as a result, both find their schools near the top of the points leader board among schools in the Buckeye State. Russell Nelson, sixth-grade science and sustainability teacher at Dayton Regional STEM School (DRSS) in Kettering in southwestern Ohio, and Juliann Trevorrow, Project Lead the Way teacher in Alliance City Schools in northeastern Ohio, offered tips on how the MakerMinded competition can become part of a school’s regular curriculum and club agenda: