real-world STEM experiences for kids

Real-World STEM Experiences for Kids with Georgia Littleton [ep.92]

Real-World STEM Experiences for Kids with Georgia Littleton [ep.92]

real-world STEM experiences for kids

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Episode Summary

Creating real-world STEM experiences for kids can be challenging at times for STEM teachers. How can we bring real-world STEM experiences to our classrooms? In today’s episode, I chat with Georgia Littleton about how she has created real-world STEM experiences for her students. This was such an amazing conversation that we ended up chatting for over an hour. This episode is just a few clips from our conversation, but you can listen to the full episode on my YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@naomimeredith_

 

In this episode, you’ll learn:

  • How Georgia creates real-world STEM experiences for her kids
  • Georgia’s experience with incorporating STEM world experiences into her classroom
  • Examples of the real-world STEM experiences Georgia has brought to her STEM classroom

Resources Mentioned:

Meet Georgia Littleton:

Hi Everyone, I'm Georgia Littleton and currently the Gifted and Talented and STEM teacher/coordinator for K-6 at Booneville Elementary School. This is my 3rd year as the GT & STEM Teacher, and my 12th year teaching. My first year, I taught Kindergarten, then I moved to 3rd grade for 4 years. Next, I spent 1 year in 4th grade before I moved to 6th grade science for 3 years. I have a Masters in Gifted, Talented, and Creative and also a Masters in Curriculum & Instruction. So, yes, I considered myself a life-long learner. I am blessed to get to work with all student K-2, and then identified GT students in 3rd-6th grade. I considered my classroom organized chaos because we usually have so many projects going on. My goal is to encourage students to never give up. Failing is part of learning and I try to teach students how to overcome and persevere when they do not succeed the first time.

Connect with Georgia:

  • Email: georgia.littleton@boonevilleschools.com
  • Facebook

Episode Transcript: 

Naomi Meredith  00:00

In today's episode, I am interviewing an amazing educator who is so passionate about what she does Georgia Littleton. I first met Georgia when she attended my first ever virtual workshop, the K through two STEM planning workshop, which you can actually still jump in on, it was all recorded. So once you jump in, you get access to the whole thing, you can grab that at Naomi meredith.com/primary workshop, but I met Georgia, and she was just so much fun to have during the live workshop. And she asked great questions and also contributed some really awesome ideas. So after the workshop, we ended up chatting some more. And I could just tell that, again, super passionate about what she does. And I asked her if she would be on the podcast. And she said, Yes. So she was telling me about this whole real life experience that she brought to her kids, where she brought Antarctica to them to her small town where they don't even have snow. So you're gonna hear a clip of our hour and a half long interview, that was super inspiring, and just so much fun. It didn't even feel that long when I was talking to her. So this is part of the interview, where she's going to be talking about this whole Antarctica experience that she brought to her kids. So you'll see here that I'm asking her about something. But this is where you're really going to get some awesome impact. However, I didn't want you to miss out on this whole experience. So you can actually check out the full episode over on my YouTube channel. Just search up Naomi Meredith. And I have the full of bonus content, the full interview over on there that you can listen to the audio of because it was just so much fun. And again, she has some great stories and just so many things that I know that have inspired her, and also some other cool real life experiences that she has brought to her students. Georgia little tin is currently the gifted and talented and STEM teacher coordinator for K through six at Boonville Elementary School. This is her third year as the GT STEM teacher and her 12th year teaching. She has a wide variety of teaching many grade levels in the elementary space, including sixth grade science. She has two masters want to get in gifted, talented and creative, and also one in curriculum and instruction. Georgia considers herself a lifelong learner and feels blessed that she gets to work with all the students in K through two. And also all the identify GT students in third through sixth grade, Georgia considers her classroom organized chaos, because they usually have so many projects going on. Her goal is to encourage her students to never give up and understand that failing is part of learning. And she tries to teach them to overcome and persevere when they don't succeed the first time. So again, you're definitely going to hear the passion in her voice and just her love for education and for learning. And I hope that you enjoy this clip from our time together. But again, also check out the full length episode over on my Youtube. 


Georgia Littleton  03:53

I mean, all kinds of like, I bought her some leather off of Amazon because you know, how the leather earrings were style, you know, and she would have kids that would help her sometime design and some of the advertisement for and yeah, he was really, I mean, we discounted a lot of anything, anything that kids can do, you know, you


Naomi Meredith  04:15

do a lot of like, you do a really good job. Because like, this is what we're gonna get into anyway. But you did a really good job of bringing like real world experiences to your kids that are authentic. And I know that you're really passionate about it. You've told me that before but like your voice that you're passionate about it, like even yourself, like you're you as a learner, you like the world real world experiences, and then you know how impactful that is for you as a teacher, and then you're bringing that to your classroom, which I know you're telling me about this whole Antarctica thing with some extra. So tell us more about that because you're like, really, this is a really cool thing that you're doing with your kids.


Georgia Littleton  04:55

Okay, so we were at a chess tournament and it was like November, I think, and my GT teacher sent me this email and opened it up. And it was like a long term research, you know? And I was like, Why in the world is this? And she said, Well, she said, I know. She said, we're, you know, a lot a lot. We like doing unique things and you like, you know, do strange things. She said, so, I thought you might be the person that would do this now. So yeah, okay. She's like, just go look it up and just get some more information. It's like, okay, so I looked at it, and I was like, I get to work with a live researcher in Antarctica. Now, first of all, I'm from Arkansas. I forgot to say them from little mini school. We're three high school, and which are in the middle of nowhere. Some of our kids don't even get out of the state much less. We'll see the ocean.


Naomi Meredith  05:52

Yeah. Oh, oh, right.


Georgia Littleton  05:55

Right. Yes, we are landlocked? Well, I'm embarrassed to say, but my kids were in the sixth grade and eighth grade. They just went to the beach for the first time this past summer. And if we had had relatives that lived in Florida that we could stay with, I probably still would not have ever had the beach experience. Yeah. But anyway. So this was a research opportunity through Rutgers University. And it was, the scientists are stationed at Palmer Research Station in the western peninsula of Antarctica. First of all, I had no idea how many research stations are in Antarctica, but he's never looked at it, you need to look at a map. I wish I didn't have numbers in front of me. But it's like almost all the way around Antarctica. They're like different countries have research stations. I didn't know that either. Yeah, it's a pretty interesting map just to look at. So anyway, so I was like, hey, the worst they can do is not accept me, you know, no matter what. So I filled up application and I sent it to my GT specialist. I was like, Hey, can read this and tell me what you think. She was like, Okay. And of course, I asked you, you know, why you want to do this. And I'm like, our kids are landlocked. And some of them don't ever get to even see the ocean. And I try to bring in as many real world things as I can. Because how many times is educators? Do we hear? Why do we have to learn that? Yes. I mean, I don't think there's a teacher. A lot of that is not heard that question. But if I and that's why I'm so big on real world. If I can relate what I'm teaching to something in the world world, that explains that question. I don't have to hear that.


Naomi Meredith  07:41

Mm hmm.


Georgia Littleton  07:42

I don't hear him very often in this position.


Naomi Meredith  07:45

That's really good, though. Because you're doing a good job. It is.


Georgia Littleton  07:49

Now we're all my kids interested in this? No, but I might even do it because they might not ever get to experience Antarctica again. So what it was, is these researchers, of course, they rotate through Palmer station, and they spend different amounts of time down there, but they go down there, the program that we got accepted into, was it Antarctica. So what it was, is they were working on the whole thing centers around climate change. But what we don't realize is what all climate change effects, you know, and especially the kids don't realize it, okay. So for example, the basic or start of the food chain in Antarctica is cruel. And of course, my kids are like, what's krill? Yeah. Like, what shrimp are, we know, what's your boss? Well, it's kind of like sharanam just just think of it as shrimp. And I said, but that's the basic food chain. So if the global warming warms up the water which is doing in Antarctica, then the krill it affects them, because they like a certain temperature. So if the level of or the depth of the ocean that they like for lightness, darkness, and all that technical stuff, but if it's not the temperature they want, then they're probably going to decrease in population. So that means the seals that depend on them. And then they pick ones that depend on them. And then the whales, everything's gonna have trouble. Yeah. Like another example of climate change is that the Adel penguins are the most Well known penguins in Antarctica that is so hard to say. Okay, so the Adel penguins are cold weather penguins. They love ice. So with the climate change has been going on the the past years, is that The OS is not getting as thick, and there's not as much. There are research scientists that have been going down to conversation since it first opened up, I think it's been roughly about 30 years. And they're like, we can tell you where the OS was, and how much is melted back onto land now wow. And like their big icebergs how much smaller they are. So I thought like, it was all frozen down there, like the ocean and everything was like frozen year round. Well, it's not. So I've learned a lot. But they have what they call new assets. It's what's frozen in the past year. So it's, it's like your, you know, your fresh, new Frozen, you know, water baths in the ocean. So the big vessels they use, they're an icebreaker. So it does not have to slow down to bust through that one year old OS. Whoa, yeah, if it's less than a year old, it can just go right through it at the steady speed as to slow down when it starts getting in thicker us. Mm hmm. So they take this big ass breaker, and they have this huge net on the back that they can draw. They can set it to wear at different depths, they can open up different nets. And so they can catch whatever is in the water at at different depths. And so then they bring those and they take all that to the research station. And so it's it's just, it's amazing what they you know what they do, but it all bases around climate change and how it's affecting everything. So because the Adel penguins, because they are cold weather penguins. They are actually dying out. Yeah. And they're predicting, like, within so many years, there's not gonna be any more adult England's Oh, no. Yeah. Yeah, that's how serious it's hard for us around here. I know, to really think that climate change is real, because it's hard for us to see any effects. But when you Google a map, and I did this, a Palmer station when we started working with them, of an aerial view, you know, 30 years ago of where the OS was, you know, the glide shears to what it looks like, now, I was like, Oh, my goodness, you know, it's a big deal. And so there's other types of penguins that that are coming in now, that are warmer weather penguins that don't have to have the OS. Yeah, just like the humpback whales. They are migrating down to Antarctica. Now, they used to never migrate down to Antarctica because it was too cold. So actually, that was one of the other programs that I could have got chosen for was to track Well, migrations. Hmm, that's cool. Yeah. And the research scientists will tell you, you know, we used to never see the humpback whales, because it was too cold for Yeah. And everything is changing. You know, there's, you know, there's, you know, birds that come down that never used to and it's just, it's a big difference. Okay, I was shocked when I saw a video of these guys working in Antarctica. Yeah. And they had on T shirts and no jacket. I'm like, it's supposed to be cold down there. They said, Yeah, this is their summer time. So they're the exact opposite of us. Okay, to where the Arctic, which is the North? Yeah, they are on the same season as the US is just the opposite.


Naomi Meredith  13:30

Okay. 


Georgia Littleton  13:32

So yeah, crater. Yeah. And that was one of the questions on our pretest that we had to take with him. And I'm retaining it. Yeah. But he was just amazing. But like, the teachers that got accepted. And the reason it was so amazing, is they only accepted three public school teachers for each of the three programs. So there was none of us. Now, because they are from records, which is based in New Jersey, they do a lot of work in New Jersey, which is such a small state. Yeah, sure. Doesn't take you 30 minutes drive all the way across it. But they work with a lot of four H clubs up there. And they do this program with them. So there was probably that many four H clubs that were also in with us. So what we were going to get to do is they were going to after they had been there while they went down right before Christmas, they actually got to celebrate Christmas down there in Antarctica this year and the new year so that was kind of neat. But they had thought that they would start getting lessons to us the middle of January and they asked us to do five lessons. And what it was it was going to be using a dichotomous key using for identification of the animals. So what they were going to do, they had some like last year's that we could go practice on and they have a picture what we were seeing it was a bird and then it had a curl in its mouth. And they asked us to you is basically the bird, dichotomous key to identify the bird. And then the zooplankton one to identify the zooplankton. And it's male. Yeah, so that will stuff and it's pictures that they have taken this year. Oh, wow. Yes. That was what was so neat is that? Yeah, it was like,


Naomi Meredith  15:26

How often do you talk to them? Like, how often do you guys meet? Is that live? Or is it pre recorded?


Georgia Littleton  15:33

That's it. Okay, that that that's the big deal. The big hoopla on this was that we were supposed to get to have a 30 minute Zoom meeting with our scientists. Yeah. And our kids could sand and 20 questions. So the three schools that were gonna partner and be there that same day, we all got to sit in 20 questions, and they were going to pick you know, 10 to 15 questions per school, then they were asked in that list back to us, so we would know. Yeah, he was really excited about this is so cool, you know. But anyway, it turns out that my live Zoom meeting was the same day, same time that I was receiving my award from the state oh, oh. Well, I didn't want my kids to miss out. So I asked one of our interventionist if she, which her son is in fifth grade, so he got to go through the program. So she was really excited because she saw practices all the time talking about Korea when it ran out, he's talking about so I asked her I said, if I have everything set up, and I will forward you all the emails, I said, Would you please go down there to my room? Or I said, Are we you can do it in your room, I sit and do the same, I say it's just gonna be a 30 minute zoom. So but that way, my kids still get to participate. So because what I had originally planned is I was gonna go down to our gifted and talented conference on Wednesday. Do that come home Wednesday, not come to school Thursday morning, do Masoom and then drop back to Little Rock and finish out our conference for Thursday afternoon Friday? No problem, no big deal. Then I get an email from the State Department that I wasn't at 56 award winner. Oh, so I was like,


Naomi Meredith  17:23

Oh, no.


Georgia Littleton  17:28

At the mic, okay. There is no way I am not going to accept my ward. You know, because this, this was a big deal for me. 56 award, I even I'll show you know, everybody on the podcast can't see. But


Naomi Meredith  17:45

I know a Willie, I want to edit the video. Eventually, they'll be able to say, Oh,


Georgia Littleton  17:49

Well, here. I will hold it still then maybe. 


Naomi Meredith  17:52

That's so awesome.


Georgia Littleton  17:54

anyway. So I 56 award is for the outstanding gifted program. Yay. Yeah. So what it is, is our Gifted and Talented program, you have the State Department has these minimum requirements that you have to do. Yeah, and there's like 10 categories, community involvement, curriculum PD, you know, blah, blah, blah, blah. Well, the activity six is what you do above and beyond the minimum requirement. And this is just my third year being the GT teacher.


Naomi Meredith  18:26

Ah, oh, yeah. Well, I'm not surprised. Like, you're like, look at all this stuff you're doing you're like, snapshot.


Georgia Littleton  18:36

But my GT specialist really encouraged me a lot. Actually, she encouraged everybody to not just me, but ever, but because this was she had somebody from her Co Op had won it for three years in a row. And she's one like, keep the momentum going. And so it was an intense application fill out. Because our gifted and talented Advocacy Council is the ones that read the application and select it and the names are eliminated. So they have no idea. But they have these questions, but you have to tell what the minimum requirement is. But then you have to tell what you're doing above and beyond. But the problem is, there's a character limit.


Naomi Meredith  19:21

And all this stuff.


Georgia Littleton  19:24

Make it short and sweet. So like what a narrative they tell you don't bulletin. I mean, they want you to talk, you know, and that's hard. It's hard for me as much stuff as I do. I hate bragging about myself. Oh, yeah, it was what I dreaded about this podcast and most is I don't know how to brag on myself. Oh,


Naomi Meredith  19:43

I did a great job explaining like I could tell you do a lot you just saw on this podcast, like look what I do, guys. There you go. If you need other evidence.


Georgia Littleton  19:57

I'll do that. Yeah, good idea. You're awesome. Okay, so anyway, so I filled this out. And it was, I mean, several pages long. So anyway, they said, you've won. And the amazing thing is, is it comes with a $3,000 cash award. Oh my god. So it went to my school district. So my district coordinator, she takes me and she's like, did you know you got this award? And it comes with a $3,000 monetary award? And I'm like, Yes, I did. And accepted it at our GT conference. She goes, Wow. And I'm like, No, I do get the money. Right. It doesn't go into general fund. Yeah, she goes, she goes, Well, I've got to contact the State Department. She said, whatever they said. And of course, they said it was designated for GT. So that's why I was so thankful for you, when we did the three, five works STEM workshop, and I was asking about the green screen and the stop motion and all that, because it's always nice when you know that somebody has first hand knowledge of the materials, and whether it works or not. And so that's why I asked for your list. Because, yes, this is a lot of money, but I don't want to just blow it total, and then go, why did I spend it on that? Yes. And even though it's for the GT program, I would like for as many kids at our school to benefit from it as possible. And one of the things and I think I've told you about this at our three five workshop, is that when I first took over this, my principal had even mentioned about us taking over morning announcements, as our principal does it every morning, you know, good morning. And I was kind of like, yeah, you know, I don't know anything about that. Yeah. So when you were talking about the green screen, and the stop motion, and your video production, I was like, Oh, my gosh, this would fit right in?


Naomi Meredith  22:01

I mean, you could totally do it. I


Georgia Littleton  22:02

believe it. Yeah. So my GT No, not me, the GT students see teach the kids to debt? Oh, totally. Yes. So they could get to where they could eventually do it. But then the whole school would actually benefit, you know, and then we might even be able to use that as a reward for like, the top IR reader or something kid come in and do the morning announcements with us, you know, and my kids could teach them how to do you know, just all the times looking for awards, you know, that are incentives that are internal that we, we don't have to buy? Yeah, so I'm thinking, Okay, that would be a really good one. Yes, we are celebrating Dr. Seuss week, this week instead of last week. So and I was thinking, you know, we can have kids come on and read a Dr. Seuss book, or, you know, anyone,


Naomi Meredith  22:54

just so many opportunities and like, real world, like we're talking about, like, my kids love it. I've done it. There's my second year. And the kids are funny, because they're funny with me, because they like, No, I have a YouTube channel. So they like, they listen to me, because like, Oh, she knows you're not that close. But okay, thank you. But anyway, I've been doing it and they love it. It's just super like, they are passionate about this stuff, because they love this is totally them like presenting on camera. And like peer to peer. So like, once you start doing it, you really see like, a whole like you said, you want all the kids involved like the little kids look up to the big kids who are on camera. T shirts are like, Oh my gosh, I can't wait to I'm on the news. Like the little kids are so excited. And then you can like you said have like them reading books and having them be more involved. Like we do like a joke of the day. So any kid can submit a joke. So it's just a really cool, like in house experience that can grow with time. But I know you like I think you'd be great at facilitating that. Because you're like, all about the real world stuff is totally up your alley.


Georgia Littleton  24:08

It's so funny, because we have so many kids that are bashful that don't want to get up in front of kids and speak but I think something like this, they would be just fine with it. Well, you know, nobody would get to see him. And you could cover up their little screen here on their computer and they'd never see themselves.


Naomi Meredith  24:25

Yeah, or they could edit that could be on the editing team. Switch. Like I had some kids who are on editing, you're like, I think I really want to be on camera. But I also had some kids like, I don't actually like be on camera, I really want to be on editing. So I've had some lab which is really good because they're both important. We actually editing team helps us a little more than if there's a teacher who's like scared to get started or like whether it's like getting experiences for their students or like doing something for themselves as professional development. Do you have any tips for them? Like what would you recommend? Like because you go I'm writing down all these lessons, but if someone who's like not at the same level as you are, like, could they start?


Georgia Littleton  25:07

Okay, definitely. The first thing is you have to be comfortable stepping, not comfortable, but you have to be willing, willing to better word, you have to be willing to step out of your comfort zone. And like, I guess for me growing up on the farm, I got dirty or walked in cow manure, you know, walked in mud, you know, anyway, so that's why it doesn't bother me getting dirty. But like, one place that you can start is like, we have a science museum and Little Rock. It's called Museum of Discovery. And they offer professional development workshops in the summer. And oh, my gosh, they are wonderful. And they are STEM based. Most teachers don't know about them. I have gotten to know the ladies down there. And it is just, it's amazing. But okay. They came up to our co op this year. Yes, I know, I'm getting off topic. But one of the activities she did with us for STEM, it was called needle felting. Ooh, cool. Now, I am not a knitter. I'm not a crochet er, I can't do cross art. I can't do anything like that. All this was is you get like a foam cushion. Yeah, like a square of like an eight by eight. And you get your piece of material you put on top of there. And there are like these needles that are like really skinny. I get them if you want me to. And you put this wool colored wool just on there. Like you're gonna take like a permanent marker before and try shadows on. Like, she told us to do something. Of course, I'm not the artsy crafty person, remember? So I drew a bubble ale. Oh, I was like go GA Yeah, drew in Iowa in a bubble letter. Yeah. But all you do is you take your needle and you just poke cool. And that's all you do. My kids went crazy about it. Like this is all you do is just didn't poke. Again, it's something that for some people, it's very relaxing. And some people thought it was so slow, it was boring. But like I bought a book that she recommended about how to make your straight lines how to make 3d. There are people out there that make like stuffed animals out of cool, and they look real weird. I mean, yes, it's just crazy. But that's what I would suggest is just start with a hands on workshop. Because, and no offense to people that have the workshops where they read the PowerPoints, but if you don't get in there yourself, and that's what I have found out, if you don't get in there yourself and do it yourself, it's hard to bring it back. But if you're at a workshop, like I can pull over in my teacher book right here and whip out our book that we made this summer, yeah. And, but if you do it yourself and you have something to take back, whether it's a water tower, or whatever. Another thing is your nature centers, they will offer some PD, whether they do it or somebody offers it up there. Any of your just any places like that, just contact them, you know, or, and a lot of them, they will come to your school. And you don't even have to do it yourself. If you're not comfortable with doing it yourself. Call your nature center and ask them to come and present something to your students. Like for example, your State Game and Fish Commission. Good ABA, I found out that ours even though the fish hatchery is on the other side of the state, when I was in sixth grade sites, I contacted them and we did a fish dissection for now I thought at first this was gonna be like you know the paper one and you know, ah, we would just you know, like the fold and and stuff. You know, it just be papers. Nope. They came wheeling in with an ice chest. Oh, cool. And the fish hatchery had cut the fish form the day before and put them on in an ASHA stone us. Whoa, look at that. They were like six to eight inches long. Oh, wow. Yes. We opened them up. And every two to three kids got a fish. And which they had all the utensils. Yes, they were using scalpels and stuff. And we had to have a lesson on that. And you know, it's pretty tense. But the kids loved it. You know who I'm sure I had a couple that turned gurney and had to leave the room. But, I mean, we got to do their insides and they went through what every organ was. They gotta say if it was a female, she had eggs. Then we got to take their eyeballs out and look at their eyeballs. And then we cracked their skulls open And I don't know if you fish very much, but probably about the size of your thumbnail. Yeah, is about how big a fish's brain is when there is 180, bitty tiny. I mean, that's the smartest whale? Oh, I'll put it like this. A lot of the kids when they were trying to dig into their skull and crack it open, they smashed the brains. Oh, no, but they're meant to do a little tiny thing. But I mean, just, even people like that, invite people into your classroom. And they will do it for you. And it will be free. For three years, I had them come up, you know, different people did it each year. But for three years, they came up and provided dead but real fish for my kids to dissect. Yeah, and it didn't cost me a thing. And these people, it was probably a, I'm gonna say a four hour drive for them. And they didn't mind a bit. And they, and they stayed all day, because then I had five classes. And we started out first thing in the morning. And they thought, Well, you know, they'll do one or two classes. And then that's it, you know, and I'll have to record it. No, they stayed the whole day. Just excited. All they asked was for a large trashcan, for it to be triple bagged, to provide paper towels


Naomi Meredith  31:21

perfect.


Georgia Littleton  31:23

And yeah, just but just anything that they can do to like I say it's too much for them to get the hands on, then invite people in that will do the hands on with the kids. And I guarantee you that the kids will love the class, love the experience. And it will be huge. Oh, just because the more you can get them up and doing stuff, the better. They like it because you know that no matter how much they love technology, they get tired of sitting still. Yeah, whether they have a screen in front of them or not. And they want to be moving around


Naomi Meredith  31:59

100% Yeah,


Georgia Littleton  32:01

stay with me and I will be accountable for all of them. But so yes, so that junior beta club sponsor is going to go ask the school? If so, yes, if we can go so that might be an adventure. So June, I'm gonna need some prayers for Jane because the first week in June is when I'm going to Gatlinburg for a week for the STEAM in the park. Yeah. And then towards the end of the month, if this works out, Oh, I'll be taking 12 junior high kids to Louisville, Kentucky.


Naomi Meredith  32:34

This summer.


Georgia Littleton  32:36

I'm gonna get my miles in.


Naomi Meredith  32:37

Be so busy.


Georgia Littleton  32:40

But I just thought, you know, these kids need to be able to experience that. That's what we want. We want them to see that reward. We want them you know, to be able to say, Hey, I got to go to Nationals. My seventh grade year in beta. Yeah. Yeah. And not everybody can do that.


Naomi Meredith  32:55

Oh, I'm you're the great breath. Best person? Oh. Well, I appreciate your time, so much. And I know teachers are gonna love hearing all your experiences, like I can see the passion, but you can hear it in your voice. And I wrote down everything that you said. So I will link. I always take notes and interviews. Because I know people will want all the all the links. Do you have a lot of all the cool things? Is there a way that teachers can connect with you if they have any questions and you want to chat?


Georgia Littleton  33:31

Yes. I don't know if people usually do email address. Yeah. But you are welcome to put my email address. It's just Georgia Dot Littleton at bumo schools.com. And then I'm on Facebook. It's Georgia Goldsmith Littleton. Not probably very many Georgia Littleton. But you'd be surprised how many people have the same name. Yeah. And then I have just recently and so like very recently, so there's like, probably nothing on there. But I'm trying. So I did set up a Twitter account. Perfect. And it Yeah, GeorgiaGTSTEM. So I still have to get somebody to explain Twitter to me and how it worked


Naomi Meredith  34:14

Me too.


Georgia Littleton  34:18

that I don't do Instagram. I just I can't get into that one. But sabia baby steps see I created the Twitter account. So but yes, but they can find me that they can email if anybody has any questions, they can email me and I will be happy to share anything. I'll visit with them. I'll call them I'll zoom them. But anything I can do to help people I just want to encourage everybody that defines your passion and teaching. And you know, we can do such a better job teaching if we have a passion. And sometimes it's hard. I was just asked that question what is your passion? And that was like, Oh, I don't know what my vision is. I


Naomi Meredith  35:02

just want to help kids. Real World Learning. I mean, I'm answering the question for you, you're really gonna like making connections to why learning is fine. And hands on, and it can apply to everybody. So I answered it for you.


Georgia Littleton  35:16

Yeah, Well, that's kind of what I ended up. Yes, but yeah, I have lots of resources. And I love doing if anybody has any crazy out of the box stuff that I can do like the Antarctica deal or the artifact exchange, just shoot them to me and I would love to do stuff. So


Naomi Meredith  35:35

Well, I appreciate I'm sure they will. I'm sure you got people reach out. And then by give me like an expert at Twitter after this, you'll have all the people chatting with you. But thank you so much for your time. And I love all your stories. And I know all the teachers are gonna love hearing them, too. So I appreciate you so much for doing this. Thank you so much again.


Georgia Littleton  35:56

Well, thank you for hosting the K-2 and the 3-5 STEM workshops so we could meet appreciate it very much.


Naomi Meredith  36:02

Of course, there's so much fun. I'm glad you got to come live. It was so much fun.


Georgia Littleton  36:07

It was I enjoyed it. So you never know what experience you're gonna get something out


Naomi Meredith  36:12

  1. Oh, absolutely. You're so right. You just have to try. Yes,


Georgia Littleton  36:17

that's right. Thank you so much. I know I talked a lot longer than what you


Naomi Meredith  36:23

You're awesome. All right.


Georgia Littleton  36:25

I appreciate it so much. Yeah.


Naomi Meredith  36:27

Thank you.

real-world STEM experiences for kids

 

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More About your host, Naomi Meredith

Naomi Meredith is a former classroom teacher turned current K-5 STEM teacher and coach. Her role not only includes teaching over 500 students in her school, but also leading professional development and co-teaching with teachers to help them integrate STEM & Technology.

With over a decade of experience along with a M.Ed. in STEM Leadership and STEM certificate, she helps teachers navigate the best practices, strategies and tools out there.

She truly believes that any teacher out there can learn how to use STEM & Technology in their classrooms effectively. She can’t wait to connect with you and be your guide!

More About The Elementary STEM Coach Podcast

Are you tired of scrolling online for your next great STEM lesson? Do you feel like there is no time to plan, research and test meaningful STEM lessons, so you throw together a hands-on activity and hope that it works? What systems and routines should you set in place to help students be creative, critically think, and collaborate? 

The Elementary STEM Coach is a podcast for K-5 STEM teachers, classroom teachers, GT specialists, and homeschool parents looking for actionable STEM solutions. Each week, Naomi Meredith will share tools, resources and lesson ideas that are actionable in your classroom and create highly engaging experiences with your students. You’ll learn systems and routines that will create control in the chaos and that will keep you organized all year long. 

Your mindless scrolling days are over! Your new STEM-best friend is now here in your ear buds!