The University of Jamestown’s newly installed SmartLab is bringing STEM education into the mix of their Teacher Education Department. As a required course, future teachers become fully certified STEM lab facilitators, something they can boast on their resume after graduation. In an interview with Dr. Leann Nelson, the Teacher Education Department chair, says that none of these future teachers will “teach” in the STEM lab, they allow the students to take responsibility of their next generation learning. Nelson says, “the SmartLab is where students explore STEM and media arts through applied technology and project-based learning”. Nelson further explains how the students can develop something in a fully integrated learning environment that includes furniture, technology, curriculum and assessment to support hands on and minds on learning with up to date technology. Nelson says there is a growing need for technology education.

Creative Learning Systems is partnering with the North Dakota Center for Distance Education to develop a SmartLab program to support blended learning for the state's rural communities. Dr. Alan Peterson, Director of ND CDE, is the visionary behind this this innovative initiative. Dr. Peterson recently shared his thinking behind integrating SmartLabs in the North Dakota educational mission on his blog.