Written by: Shannon Wydra - Gorham Middle High School STEM Teacher and WMSI Teacher Mentor
This blog post is a little different from others I have written in the past. Normally I write about an activity my students have worked on in my STEM classroom. This post is not only about activities from my small teaching world, but also an opportunity for all teachers and classes of students from grades 6 -12.
For the past three years my students have been entering the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow competition. I am not sure if I am capable of expressing the impact this contest has had on myself and my teaching through my writing. Yes, the prizes we have won for our school have been fantastic - a Samsung tablet, a Samsung phone, $15,000 to spend on classroom supplies - but the real impact has been non-material. I have adjusted much of my teaching to revolve around identifying, examining, and solving real world problems. The students are then tasked to create a three minute video showcase of their solution. Students work to solve problems they choose that have the potential to impact our community. My students have worked on an app to share local youth events between schools, an app and system to assist in locating lost and injured hikers (see video below), and designed and built efficient indoor plant growing systems to produce fresh local produce during the long winter months.
My current students have begun brainstorming problems they recognize in the community. I can’t wait to see what problem they work to solve this year!
The training I have received access to simply by joining the contest has been invaluable. I have attended hours of problem based learning virtual training that was made available for all entrants the second year we entered the contest. We were fortunate to make it to the semi-final round of the competition that year, which afforded me the opportunity to become a part of the Samsung Teacher Academy. Since then I have attended monthly virtual meetings with other members of my cohort, a week long virtual training in summer 2021, and a week long training in NYC this past summer. These experiences have been slightly uncomfortable, a little bit stressful, and by far the most valuable and impactful experience for my teaching career. I have experienced the entire problem based learning process I ask my students to complete, but in 24 hours. This summer’s PBL activity culminated in each group of four teachers presenting their solutions to real world problems to a panel of professionals at Samsung headquarters.
The Samsung Solve for Tomorrow competition is now accepting applications until November 2, 2022. I encourage you to visit their website and check out how easy it is to enter. Empower your students to make a positive change in their community using STEM.