Digital Science Tools for Increased STEM Engagement in Sumter County Schools
Sumter, SC (PRWEB) August 27, 2014 -- Sumter students from 2nd grade through high school are now engaging with science through an innovative collection of online videos that their teachers have access to through a technology partnership with Carolina Biological Supply Company. The new services, called Twig and Tigtag, blend visually stunning footage from the very best video archives around the world including BBC Motion Gallery, Getty Images, the Science Photo Library, NASA and others.
Each short video includes narration and a full transcript offering Sumter teachers a convenient and effective means to help students understand and embrace difficult science concepts. The short videos, about 2-3 minutes in duration each, are written by experienced television producers based in London, England, who work closely with school teachers around the world. The videos anchor a suite of online exercises, quizzes, and other media that support science teaching.
“We’ve long depended on Carolina Biological for supplies to support our hands-on science teaching. But, these new Twig resources help expand our teachers’ reach and engage students in a way that is meaningful and, more important, relevant to our students who seek a more ‘tech savvy’ learning experience. Our Sumter kids deserve the best, and after an extensive evaluation of Twig and Tigtag last school year, we decided that these two new tools would become a critical part of our District’s efforts to move toward the new Next Generation National Science Framework,” said District Science Coordinator Lori Smith.
Across the United States, school districts are responding to the Next Generation National Science Framework (NGSF) and its call for increased rigor in science teaching. Using Twig and Tigtag, the District was able to quickly cross walk from their current South Carolina science framework to the new NGSF framework, giving Sumter teachers and students a head start on implementation of the more rigorous science requirements.
“Many of our children,” continued Ms. Smith, “have parents who work in aerospace and aviation, and our new Continental Tire plant utilizes heavy equipment, machinery and advanced manufacturing, all of which require the development of higher skills in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). Twig and Tigtag are the perfect tools for helping our teachers make real world connections between what students study in class, and the careers and post-secondary options that await them upon graduation from Sumter schools. I couldn’t be more thrilled.”
To learn more about Sumter schools go to http://district.sumterschools.net. To learn more about Carolina Biological and their Twig and Tigtag service go to http://www.twigcarolina.com or http://www.tigtagcarolina.com. For media or other inquiries, please contact James McPherson, Director of Strategy and Business Development at Carolina Biological Supply.
James McPherson, Carolina Biological Supply Company, http://www.carolina.com, +1 3365386297, [email protected]
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