MPS teachers back from NASA training at Kennedy Space Center

MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- Educators in the Milwaukee Public School District have said many students learn better through hands on, problem-solving opportunities.  Now, the district is taking part in a program that will help them teach those opportunities.

Stephanie Jones and Kim O'Brien are two of the 10 Milwaukee Public School educators that just got back from NASA's Kennedy Space Center.

“It was very challenging for me, and I was able to see what it was like for our students to be exposed to a real world vigorous interdisciplinary curriculum,” Stephanie Jones, a middle school science teacher at 53rd Street Community School in Milwaukee said.

They trained with NASA engineers to learn ways to integrate science, technology, engineering, and math -- or "STEM” into the classroom.

“I believe a lot of students are intimidated by books, but if they were just given an opportunity for trial an error, and understand it’s okay to make mistakes, but what are you going to do next?” Jones said.

It wasn't just lectures and meetings, but rather a hands on experience. A prime example of that was when they made robots out of Legos.

“To construct this robot to make a topographical map of Mars was just empowering for me and I wanted to keep going with my problem-solving skills and that's what I want to bring to the kids. They'll think we'll be playing with toys, but we will be doing science,” Kim O’Brien, academic math coach at Victory School said.

It was a week of their own personal time, but both O’Brien and Jones say it was time well spent.

“In our school we are definitely expecting growth, and not just school wide but district wide. We are expecting growth with this program,” Jones said.

“It’s really problem-solving, and in a job market, problem-solving and teamwork is where everything is going,” O’Brien said.

They will begin implementing the lessons immediately this coming school year.