STEM Education – Greg Munno

CNY Woman is National Teacher of the Year

Posted on July 2, 2012 by Greg Munno in STEM Education

My profile on Gwen Maturo-Grasso, an extraordinary educator at Syracuse’s Lincoln Middle School and winner of this year’s National Teacher of the Year Award from SECME, appeared in the latest issue of NYSUT United Magazine.

Maturo-Grasso is an English teacher by training who has a deep love of science and an unerring belief that literacy is key to understanding scientific problems on tests and in the real world.

Here’s a quote from former Syracuse City School District Superintendent Dan Lowengard: “There are a couple of things that are really unusual about Gwen. For one, she prefers middle school students and can match their energy and passion,” he said. “For another, she has embraced and manifested a truly deep connection between English and the sciences. She uses literacy as a basis for helping students understand complex scientific problems, and she uses technology as a way to get them excited about reading and writing.”

Congrats to Gwen, and my own personal thank you to her for putting in so much extra work to help Syracuse students succeed.

Expanding the Power of STEM to All Students

Posted on August 8, 2011August 8, 2011 by Greg Munno in STEM Education

Working to ensure the success of individuals from under-represented groups in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) is not just the right thing to do. It’s also essential to the competitiveness of our country, and to the ability of the entire planet to find creative solutions to the daunting challenges we face.

As I explore in my most recent article for NYSUT United Magazine, STEM fields are expected to add 2.7 million jobs by 2018, far outpacing the rest of the economy.

The country needs an “all hands on deck” approach to filling its STEM jobs, something President Obama has recognized in speeches and backed up with Race to the Top funding to states like New York, which received the money in part because of its commitment to STEM education.

In the News: STEM Coverage and CNYSpeaks

Posted on February 14, 2011August 9, 2011 by Greg Munno in Civic Engagement, STEM Education

nysutunited1102_stem — (Photo by Lauren Long, courtesy of NYSUT United) Science teacher Jean Pounder of Westhill High School sells pies so she can take the Westhill Science Club to Arizona State University each year, where they study with scientists who work on the Mars Imaging Project. She's one of the teachers I focus on in NYSUT United Magazine's February issue.

My latest articles on science, technology, engineering and math education have come out in the February issue of NYSUT United Magazine (formerly New York Teacher Magazine.) In this month’s issue, I focus on the extraordinary effort some teachers make to bring dynamic, hands-on, STEM programs to their students. I also wrote a sidebar on a grant from Corning Inc. that will allow NYSUT to expand its SEMI High Teach U program to the Southern Tier.

Coming in the March issue, I’ll have a piece on strategies for increasing the participation of women and minorities in STEM fields.

Also, check out Sunday’s great Op-Ed piece in The Post-Standard by CNYSpeaks‘ Co-Director Tina Nabatchi on why some public meetings break down, and others remain constructive, productive and civil.

That’s the topic of the CNYSpeaks forum we have been working on with FOCUS Greater Syracuse. The free, public event is from 7:30 to 9 a.m. Friday, Feb. 18, at City Hall Commons, 201 E. Washington St., Syracuse. Please attend if you can — you do not need to register in advance. Participants will work in small groups with CNYSpeaks-trained facilitators to explore the elements required for effective public meetings.

If you can’t come, or even if you can, we’d also love to hear from you online. Join the discussion on the CNYSpeaks blog. Or, as always, comment right here!

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