How Kids Learn Conference: CSAS Presentation

Coalition Director Carol Tang recently presented at the How Kids Learn Conference in Berkeley, CA.  She talked about why STEM and after school make such a great pair.  One of her central points is that both STEM learning and after school learning principles celebrate process, discovery, creativity and self-direction over product.  They also both rely on teamwork and mentoring relationships.

If you are an out-of-school time science educator, you will especially appreciate Carol's presentation of the best predictor of which students will become scientists.  And if you are an after school educator with little or no science background, hear about why you might actually be better at leading science learning than someone with a formal science background!

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Part 2:

Another presenter at the conference was Erik Peterson, the  Policy Director at the Afterschool Alliance.  His presentation offered perspectives that parents, policy makers and educators have about after school learning.  He also talked about the tension between the importance of unstructured play and the pressure to map after school activities back to improved school performance and test scores.