More than 200 educators from 27 states are now meeting at Neumann University for a three-day conference sponsored by the National Catholic Education Association.

Entitled STREAM 2.0 Symposium, the conference was designed to familiarize Catholic school educators with best practices in STREAM education and introduce them to experts in the field. STREAM – an expansion of the popular emphasis on STEM education – stands for science, technology, religion, engineering, arts, and mathematics.

Topics at keynote addresses and break-out sessions during the gathering include Learning about the Brain through Puzzles, Illusions, and Hands-On Activities; Learning outside the Classroom with Google Apps; iCatholic: Where Theology Meets Technology; Building STREAM Partnerships in Your Community; and Engineering Solutions to Global Challenges.

Keynote speakers are Greg Dhuyvetter, superintendent of Catholic schools in Orange County, California; Michael DiSpezio, author and educator; and Sr. Angela Ann Zukowski, MHSH, director of the Institute for Pastoral Initiatives at the University of Dayton.

In his presentation yesterday, DiSpezio, co-author of Science Fusion, explained how to maintain a brain-friendly classroom environment. He also shared the latest brain research through mind-twisting puzzles and eye-opening illusions.