Lori Randall

Osage, IA | K-6, Mathematics, 2022

What motivates you to contribute to excellence in STEM teaching?

What motivates me to continue STEM education with young children is their natural curiosity. Early learners are enthusiastic, eager, and driven to explore the world around them. Every question they ask becomes an opportunity to build understanding and inspire wonder. STEM gives them the tools to create, problem-solve, communicate, collaborate, and discover. I feel honored to be part of those early moments when they realize just how much they’re learning, while having fun along the way!

What has been the most transformative moment that affirmed your impact on STEM education?

What has transformed my STEM education the most is witnessing its impact on our youngest learners. Their curious questions and thought-provoking thinking reminded me that STEM is about exploration and not perfection. This realization shifted my teaching approach from delivering core content to creating hands-on, joyful experiences that spark genuine learning. As a result, I’ve seen improvements not only in student engagement, but also in academic performance, problem-solving abilities, and collaboration skills. It’s clear that even the youngest learners can grasp big concepts when they’re given the chance to explore and create. This type of education if very motivating to all levels of learners.

Using your platform as a Presidential Awardee, how do you hope to advance our nation in STEM?

I want to continue promoting STEM education and computer science by creating meaningful, hands-on learning experiences that spark curiosity and creativity in young children. My goal is to show both educators and legislators that even our youngest learners are capable of exploring complex concepts when given the right support. I plan to continue modeling lessons and providing professional development that empowers teachers to integrate STEM and computer science across all areas of the curriculum.

Biography

Lori Randall has been an educator for more than 34 years. She began her career teaching preschool special education and then spent 32 years teaching second grade in Osage, Iowa, retiring in May 2024. Lori is passionate about fostering collaboration, communication, creativity, and critical thinking in young learners. She is a strong advocate for making computer science accessible at all grade levels, and continues to lead efforts to integrate it meaningfully into early education. Through professional development and lesson modeling, Lori helps educators create classrooms where all students feel valued and confident. Lori’s students have shared their learning beyond the classroom, presenting to the school board, participating in the school's STEAM Festival, and leading demonstrations for teachers across Iowa. Her goal is to nurture curiosity and excitement for computer science through engaging, real-world experiences that build stronger problem-solving skills and creative thinking. With a growth mindset, she continuously looks for new ways to integrate computer science into all subject areas. Her work as a Building Technology Coach further fueled her mission to support and inspire fellow educators to bring CS into everyday teaching. Lori’s impact has reached well beyond her own classroom. She served as Building Technology Coach, participated in her district’s Strategic CSforALL Resource & Implementation Planning Tool (SCRIPT) team, and continues to co-facilitate NewBoCo’s “Tiny Techies” workshops. She is also a Code.org Fundamentals Facilitator and has presented at conferences including FETC, CSforMinnesota, and CSTA. Lori holds a B.A. in Elementary Education and an M.A. in Early Childhood Education from the University of Northern Iowa.

High-resolution version of the teacher profile photograph

The views expressed in awardee profiles are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of NSF or the PAEMST program.