Hi and welcome to the STEM4EC community, an initiative of STEMIE (STEM Innovation for Inclusion in Early Education) national center. We look forward to your participation. We started this community as a way to engage you in exchanging ideas, personal narratives, and questions about including young children with disabilities in STEM learning. Whether you are an early childhood or early childhood special education practitioner, faculty, family member of a child with disabilities, or a STEM industry professional, this place is for you! Here are a few easy ways for you to contribute:
About the Authors
Megan Vinh, PhD.
Director of the STEM Innovation for Inclusion in Early Education Center (STEMIE)
Chih-Ing Lim, PhD.
Co-director of the STEM Innovation for Inclusion in Early Education Center (STEMIE)
Share your ideas and experiences
We feature a weekly blog on STEM learning for young children with disabilities. Blogs include insights, infographics, guest articles, videos, podcasts, and more. Learn about early STEM learning and children with disabilities. Share your comments with us — your ideas and experience. Your comments and replies are valued!
Join in the Community
Sign up for an account to maximize your impact! Network with others who are interested in advancing STEM in early childhood, exchange and develop ideas and knowledge with others, and share stories and experiences.
Send us your ideas
Have an idea for a community discussion or event? Let us know at stemie@unc.edu
Pass a 'word of mouse' to your colleague
All community blogs and infographics have share links for quick share to social media and email. Share away! Also, feel free invite anyone else who might be missing out.
Review the community guidelines
Finally, here is a link to our community guidelines and privacy statement.
We look forward to learning together with you.
Comments
Hello, my name is Lisa Burke. I am a retired NC elementary academically gifted, math/reading intervention teacher and administrator from many NC counties. I have degrees from App State, NC State, East Carolina University, and Elon University. I have written and received many STEAM grants from The NC Council of Mathematics. I would like to share your ideas with my parents and my local community in Alamance County. I have a tutoring LLC, Lisa's Learning Lab. I tutor many students who are home/private/public and charter schooled. Parents are always interested in ways to support their kids academically, behaviorally, and emotionally. Would it be ok to have small meetings with parents who are interested in these topics? Thanks.
As an Early Intervention practitioner who is a grandmother of a 15 month old child with sensory issues, I have used walks in the park for the past 9 months to introduce my darling to the touch of leaves, branches, petals and bark. This has helped with vocabulary as well. I will say, "Touch the bark" and a little arm stretches out from the stroller to do just that. I push the stroller from tree to tree to compare the touch of the bark. Baby trees have smooth bark and old trees have rough bark. My grandchild has become fascinated with leaves and trees so much so that their parent made up a poem "Hello tree". Not surprisingly, one of the truly best loved books on the shelf is "Growing A Rainbow" by Lois Ehlert.
Thanks for sharing your experience, Jo Ann.
Working with children with disabilities is challenging but fullfilling when you see her enjoying the activities you prefer for her. Her desire to engage with other kids is the most rewarding one.
So excited to know more knowlesldge with other colleguea
I am so excited and want to learn more on how to be involved! I LOVE STEM. As an early childhood prekindergarten teacher in a blended classroom, I have seen how powerful and fun STEM activities are. I also spent a month in China leading a STEM camp and a 3 day workshop for early childhood teachers on STEM. Would love to share! Thank you.
PS- HI TRACEY :)