Dena Bassett, math teacher, STEMinist, and 2024-25 Xplorlabs Educator Fellow in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, shares her story about bringing Xplorlabs into her classroom.
October 7, 2025
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OKAY, PICTURE THIS: me, freshfaced and bushy-tailed (well, maybe not fresh faced after grading a bunch of statistics quizzes, but you get the gist), ready to set the world of math education ablaze!
I had this burning desire (pun intended, obviously) to bring my engineering background into my urban high school classroom. I envisioned my students — a diverse group of brilliant minds — finally seeing math as the key to unlocking the mysteries of the universe, or at least, a high-paying, meaningful career. I wanted to be the “anti-gatekeeper” for my students, opening doors to all things STEM.
But let me tell you, reality hit me harder than my featherweight champion grandfather did in his last title fight win. Action-oriented pedagogy? More like action-packed chaos! You see, the student-driven learning activities that are the hallmark of this pedagogy can sometimes take on a mind of their own in the classroom — definitely not a great fit for my world of rigid lesson planning and pacing. And because assessing the learning (yes, it always comes down to grading) goes beyond the paper and pencil tests I had become accustomed to, I needed to be skilled at facilitating progress and managing time effectively — without stifling student exploration. There was so much I didn’t know.
To top it off, finding the best way to be creative in my class using relevant, engaging STEM curriculum felt like searching for a kittycorn riding a skateboard (thanks to my granddaughter I am practically a kittycorn connoisseur). And the time constraints? Don’t even get me started. For the last 10 years I found myself drowning in standards, benchmarks, and pacing guides, leaving practically zero room for, you know, actual learning. I was constantly battling “locked gates” with no “keys” in sight, desperately seeking to ignite my students’ passion for STEM, but facing an uphill struggle worthy of Sisyphus himself.
Then, like a phoenix rising from the ashes of my previous lackluster attempts at STEM integration in my math classes, came the Xplorlabs Educator Fellowship. Suddenly, I was surrounded by likeminded educators, armed with high-quality resources, and encouraged to embrace my own creative spirit and the power of action-oriented pedagogy. And that’s when the magic happened!
Okay, so full disclosure, my STEM awakening wasn’t a sudden “aha!” moment, it was more like a slow burn. It took a while to sink in, but engaging with some of the most impactful activities, speakers, readings, and modeling by Xplorlabs’ education experts from ULRI’s Institute for Research Experiences & Education, Arizona State University faculty, and a host of conference presenters sparked little “aha” moments that grew into a full-on realization. My math teacher brain finally connected with my old engineering self to create my Xplorlabs learning experience — finally bringing more STEM into my math classroom.
The students and I dove headfirst into the Science of Fire Safety, exploring the chemistry and physics of fire and analyzing our city of Philadelphia’s proposal to mandate sprinkler installations. My students became city officials and property owners, armed with data and quantitative displays, debating the merits of fire sprinklers like seasoned pros. It was amazing!
Sure, I may have had a panic attack worrying about triggering the fire alarm (and ironically enough, the sprinklers) during a particularly enthusiastic demonstration of the fire triangle (rest assured, no actual arson was involved!) but at least the students would’ve learned about the importance of fire safety devices firsthand. And as for the future, well, I envision partnering with science teachers for hands-on investigations and inviting real-world stakeholders to provide a richer perspective for my students. Who knows, maybe one day, one of my students will be the one designing the next generation of fire safety technology. Now, wouldn’t that be a truly lit ending to my story?
So, you’ve read about my slightly chaotic, yet ultimately rewarding journey into the world of action-oriented STEM education using Xplorlabs. Maybe you’re a teacher facing similar challenge or maybe you’ve yet to get started. Wherever you are in your journey — I implore you to take action! Don’t let time constraints, budget limitations, or lack of resources extinguish the flames of curiosity.
Learn more about the high-quality resources from Xplorlabs that are steeped in safety science and backed by a sea of researcher-driven and practical knowledge from UL Research Institutes. My class used a combination of interactives, videos, and documents from both the Science of Fire Forensics and Science of Fire Safety pathways, as well as local news articles, government reports, and other data.
Whether leveraging what’s new in cutting-edge educational research on AOP or real-world ways scientists and engineers are working to make our world safer, make connections that will bring learning alive for your students. Prioritize hands-on learning to make education impactful. Equip students to become safety champions, and inspire them to give back by building safer communities.
Let’s work together to create a world where every student, regardless of circumstance, can explore, discover, and innovate. If we want to ensure a better, safer future, we must transform classrooms into hubs of creativity, critical thinking, and real-world problem-solving.
The future of STEM depends on it, and the future of our students depends on STEM. Will you answer the call? Let’s light this fire together!
