Meredith Williams, an 8th grade science teacher at Freedom Middle School (Orlando, FL), always tries to set her students up for success right at the start of the year by facilitating a discussion beginning with three simple words, “What is it?” To encourage her students to think critically and creatively about problems through science exploration, she incorporates a variety of manipulatives so that her students have something hands-on to observe, analyze, and form ideas around. With manipulatives and discussions – both in small groups and as a class – she shows her students that asking questions is a key component of science, as was the case at the start of this year. For the hands-on portion of the activity, she incorporates models printed using her 3D printer and MyStemKits lesson kits. 

MyStemKits is an online platform of STEM content and resources that support the development of 21st-century skills like critical thinking and reasoning, communication and collaboration, and creative problem-solving. MyStemKits has over 350 standards-aligned lesson plans for STEM hardware including 3D printers. Williams regularly incorporates 3D models and manipulatives to boost student participation in her science classes, including the Seeds Dispersal Kit which she regularly uses at the start of each school year to encourage thinking through a problem. Williams states, “Science is not about being bored but about asking questions that advance our knowledge of the world around us.” 

Williams has recently been selected as Boxlight MimioMaster specializing in the use of MyStemKits curriculum in her science teaching. As she continues to implement MyStemKits activities, lessons, and design challenges in her classroom, we will share her experiences to inspire educators to implement more STEM using easy-to-use, turnkey solutions such as MyStemKits. 

To read more on Meredith Williams’ experience, read the full case study here.