STEM teachers bring labs to life using innovation and technology

“Every day that we leave them in the incubator, they keep growing,” Stephanie Kirchens said while holding up a petri dish into a hand-held camera.  

Kirchens is teaching Medical Microbiology at North East ISD’s Stem Academy and has taken her labs virtual.

“Look at these colonies on the end there,” she explained to her class while pointing at a magnified image of bacteria on her laptop.  

It’s through in-depth learning like this that Kirchens has coupled innovation with technology-bringing science to students.  

“Since they can’t be here, I went ahead and made the cultures for the students. I let them see what I started growing on Friday,” she explained.

This is Kirchens’ fourth year in NEISD and her twentieth year in education.

Previously, she taught in three states and was also previously a medical assistant.

In the day’s lesson, Kirchen’s presents students with mystery bacteria cultures that have been separated into various petri dishes while students learning virtually study and identify the lab data.

“This is E. coli just after a few hour,” she said while showing her students the image through the screen.

Kirchens said it was important to continue offering students hands-on learning opportunities and to not just present labs, but to also get kids involved by sending home science supply kits.

“They got little petri dishes, inoculating loop and marker so they can still practice labeling their petri dish. They can still make a video showing me that they know how to swipe the inoculum or the bacteria onto the culture. Even though there is not really one there because I can’t actually send bacteria home, they can still show me that they know the techniques,” She explained.

“We do a lot with bacteria; we do a lot with just general science.” 15-year-old Mercedes Roesler said.

Roesler is a sophomore at the Stem Academy at LEE who has her sights set on a career in forensics and is learning everything she can now.

“I think it’s an amazing program. I really would like to go as far as I possibly can into college and into my career. I’m just trying to get as far as I can as soon as possible,” she added.

Students also breakout into small groups to work on procedures, controls and variables and setting up data tables.

With her background in the medical field and her time of nearly two decades in education, she said The Stem Academy is the perfect place to bring the two together.

“I love it; I love doing the pathophysiology and microbiology. It’s letting kids make connections with their own body and what’s going on with the world around them,” Kirchens said.

What brings her back year after year are her students and their continued passion to learn- from wherever they are. 

“I’ve always had a passion for helping kids and you know, what make me come back? I live all the way in New Braunfels and I drive all the way to San Antonio every day. These kids want to learn and I feel like this is the place I need to be!”

To learn more about North East ISD’s Stem Academy at LEE High School, click here: https://www.neisd.net/Page/21704

Because #NEISDcares!