Dive Brief:
- MIT has entered an agreement with Atlantis Charter School to provide professional development and other resources in the regular use of its free "Blended Learning Open Source Science or Math Studies" (BLOSSOMS) program, Campus Technology reports.
- The BLOSSOMS website features over 200 science and math videos, with lessons tying into real-world scenarios such as temperature's impact on air pressure in the New England Patriots' "Deflategate" controversy, and the human digestive system's production of energy in a marathoner.
- Created in 2008, the site features lessons from educators and scientists worldwide in a dozen languages, with subtitles and voiceovers available.
Dive Insight:
Recent years have seen a greater deal of attention brought to how cooperation between higher ed and K-12 can lift both. While that cooperation has taken varying forms — such as programs focusing on at-risk youth between Staten Island's Wagner College and Port Richmond High School, or between Rutgers University and the city of Camden, NJ — they can also be as simple as professional development or curriculum assistance provided by colleges and universities.
MIT is no stranger to providing resources to K-12 either, as the edX MOOC platform, produced by scientists from the school and peers at Harvard, has also worked to scale AP access to underserved high school students.
It's also worth noting that BLOSSOMS' tying of lessons to real-world scenarios is particularly beneficial to students who may not always immediately make the connection on their own — especially in STEM subjects. Seeing how science played a role in getting to the bottom of something like the NFL's "Deflategate" issue, for example, opens a student's eyes to applicable possibilities they never previously considered, and opportunities to do just that are what education as a field strives for.
