Tien-Yi Lee

Case Study: Pyne Arts, Lowell, MA

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Pyne Arts is a K-8 school serving 503 students in Lowell Public Schools. 75% of students are identified as high needs, 60.6% of students are identified as low-income, 22.5% are identified as new English Language Learners, and 25% of students are identified as having a disability. Hypothesis: Wendy Crocker-Roberge, principal of the Pyne Arts School … Read more

Meeting the need for health and wellness: AceraEI and One Brave Idea team up to track wellness in schools

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While most people wouldn’t connect kids with cardiovascular research, a Boston-based partnership is working to change that. One Brave Idea™(OBI) is an $85M research and innovation initiative co-founded by the American Heart Association and Verily, with significant support from AstraZeneca and Quest Diagnostics. OBI was established to pursue unconventional scientific approaches in order to make … Read more

“Teaching By Tinkering” takes off in Lowell…catalyzing innovation in public education

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The gymnasium was buzzing with the sounds of conversation and laughter as teachers proudly showed off their creations to their peers. Across a series of tables, dozens of “hacked” toys were on display: stuffed animals sported new flashing lights in their ears or bellies, and plastic flowers glowed with LEDs powered through miniature circuits. At … Read more

AceraEI brings Whole School STEAM projects to Pyne Arts

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The Pyne Arts first grader wasn’t satisfied with the results of her first experiment. “I added a big water and a big glue the first time, and I did three small Borax,” she noted, having written her first “recipe” down on her clipboard. “But it was slippery and hard and too bouncy. I realized that … Read more

Bringing CRISPR and the Microbiome to more classrooms

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It was June, and although school had recently ended, the learning continued. Leonardo Medina, a teacher at Humanities & Leadership Development High School in Lawrence, was captivated by AceraEI’s professional development workshops in gene editing and microbiomics, and felt his students will be excited about the new units next school year. “The activity and discussion … Read more

Measuring What Matters

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What makes a school successful? One of the challenges with education is that we are not measuring the things that matter the most. The decades-long standardized testing movement has failed to close the equity gap in education, which was its entire intent.  So, where does that leave us?  We have an opportunity to redefine the … Read more