The Official STEMscopes Blog

New to science writing, Danielle Porterfield is making an impression with her commitment to tackle new things. She puts passion and skill into every aspect of her work. Whether it’s with STEMscopes, or as a high school chemistry teacher, she's on it.

“I have always wanted to get involved in content design and curriculum writing, so this was the perfect opportunity for me to work toward that goal,” says Porterfield. She began working with STEMscopes after the science instructional coach in her district brought it to her attention. Porterfield likes the work because so much “love and dedication” goes into each component for both teachers and students.

Staff, fellow writers, and the process itself have all allowed Porterfield to grow tremendously. The experience has proven to be both memorable and enjoyable, and she can’t wait to see the final product.

Introduction

The learning needs of one student are often not those of their classmates. To meet each student where they are, teachers need an eclectic set of instructional tools and strategies to draw from. As former teachers themselves, the architects of STEMscopes Math understood this and so created the kind of curriculum they wanted in the classroom. Using Roger Bybee’s 5E model as the framework for STEMscopes Math, they augmented our curriculum with Accelerate and Intervention, components that equip teachers to meet a diverse range of learning styles. We’ll review these components below.

Stephanie Even has been with STEMscopes since June of 2017, making this her fourth year with the curriculum writing team! And we are so grateful to have her with us.

Before joining STEMscopes, Stephanie was a fourth- and fifth-grade science and math teacher for Cy-Fair ISD, located in northwest Houston. Her teaching experience combined with her education background (she earned her Bachelor of Arts in International Service and an Alternative Certification to teach in Texas) make her a standout addition to the curriculum team.

What Stephanie most enjoys about STEMscopes is that it enables her to stay connected to family life and work from home while staying involved in the education field. Finding that type of work was one of her personal goals when she took a break from teaching, and soon after, she learned about the STEMscopes summer writing program from a friend.

When it comes to math education, we all want the same thing: students who are confident critical thinkers and problem solvers. Unfortunately, the classroom is often dominated by teaching models that overemphasize hitting benchmarks and proceeding to the next topic, leaving us with students who misunderstand math and feel intimidated by it. These models treat students like machines, and grades serve as markers reflecting how well the machines are operating. 

The Mona Lisa is surprisingly, almost shockingly, small. Yet its far-reaching influence has made it synonymous with greatness. “Well, that painting is good, but I mean, it’s not the Mona Lisa,” the armchair art critic will opine. Upon seeing it for the first time in real life, some observers remark with puzzlement and a hint of disappointment: “That’s it? Huh.”