TED Global STEM Conference Brings Together Educators from 16 Countries, 18 U.S. States

by Rhett Oldham, Ed.D, moderator of the Transatlantic Educators Dialogue (TED) program

One of my favorite aspects of being the moderator of the Transatlantic Educators Dialogue (TED) program is how many talented educators I get to interact with during each cohort. Each teacher brings a growth mindset and incredible curiosity to the group, so it was no surprise when Sara Leisten brought up an idea that needed to be explored. Sara, a biology teacher from Connecticut and TED 2023 alum, noticed that most of the collaborations between American and European teachers revolved around social studies and language topics. So she suggested that TED create a platform for STEM educators to meet, discuss global collaboration possibilities, and bring in keynote speakers to provide in-depth analysis of topics in STEM. The TED Global STEM Conference was born!

On November 5, 2023, STEM educators from 16 countries and 18 U.S. states signed up to come together and discuss best practices in STEM education and ways to collaborate globally. The lineup of keynote speakers was simply outstanding:

• Thomas Leisten has worked as a mathematics teacher in Glastonbury, Connecticut for more than 15 years and is a 2023 state finalist for the Presidential Award for Excellence in Math and Science Teaching. Thomas is a doctoral candidate at the American College of Education, focusing on curriculum and instruction with a specialty in instructional leadership. His professional interests include developing authentic and engaging collaborative activities that challenge students to apply critical thinking skills in diverse and interdisciplinary situations
• Nuria Muñoz is a physics and chemistry teacher and the headmistress in a school in Algeciras, Cádiz, Spain. She is on the board of a STEM teacher association called DIVERCIENCIA that organizes an international science fair and many other STEM activities every school year. She is also on the board of a specialized group of didactics and history of physics and chemistry. She belongs to the Spanish Royal Society of Chemistry and serves as the Spanish ambassador for Science on Stage. 
  
  
• Marco Nicolini teaches mathematics and physics at Liceo Scientifico Statale "A.Tassoni" in Modena, Italy, and he teaches astronomy at the Planetario di Modena. He also works with Science on Stage, an organization in Europe focusing on forming collaborations between students in different countries.
• Dr. Michael Tissenbaum is an associate professor of curriculum and instruction and educational psychology at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. He studies how digital games, simulations, and augmented and mobile technologies can transform physical spaces into immersive, engaging, and embodied learning environments. This work has shown how the interplay between physical space, technology, and data representations can provide learners with unique opportunities to set their own learning goals and collaborate with peers. These findings have had important implications for understanding open-ended exploratory collaboration. Mike uses this data to develop new forms of real-time support for both teachers and learners.
• Dr. Janice Gobert is a professor of learning sciences and educational psychology in the Graduate School of Education at Rutgers University. Her work focuses on developing technology for learning that makes use of AI, including data mining and eye tracking. She is an esteemed science education expert with over 25 years of experience who has executed over $25 million in federal research funding. She has spearheaded and oversees the research and development of Inq-ITS.

What made this conference so unique was the format. After the keynote speakers presented, conference attendees went to one of five breakout rooms led by the keynote speakers to participate in a deeper dive of the topics presented. That process was then repeated. During the final rotation, participants moved to a breakout room based on the ages of the students they teach for further discussion. 

Overall, the TED Global STEM Conference was a great time with outstanding collaboration from participants and keynote speakers alike. It would not have been possible without the hard work and vision of Sara Leisten and the global vision of the Transatlantic Educator Dialogue.