Sponsoring Company: Community Training and Assistance Center (CTAC)

This session explores a unique approach to integrated STEM. The approach places curricular units that focus on engineering and computer science directly into the core curriculum for every student, PreK-12.

SPEAKERS:
Scott Reynolds

Physical computing allows students to design and create interactive objects that emphasize computational thinking skills. Participants will engage in activities designed for middle school students.

TAKEAWAYS:
Microcontrollers are small computers that come with several integrated sensors. Their functionality makes them useful for both investigations and engineering projects. Some of the basic functionality of different microcontrollers will be learned through hands-on experiences.

SPEAKERS:
Susan German, Michael Bowen

It is never too early to introduce students to robotics and coding. Learn about opportunities that are available at the elementary school level. Developing an early curiosity about how to solve problems, while working together are valuable skills that students will be able to use for a lifetime.

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers will learn about the resources that are available to begin a robotics program at the elementary school level.

SPEAKERS:
Nancy McIntyre

An integrated science+CS module about invasive species sets the stage for inclusive and culturally responsive instruction. Come to find out how we embedded inclusive approaches into our lessons, and take away hands-on, practical strategies to apply these approaches in your own classroom.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will apply an Equity-Centered Curriculum Framework to inspect and modify existing science lessons to create classroom experiences that meet the needs of all learners. The Framework synchronizes Culturally Responsive Pedagogy, Universal Design for Learning, and Project-Based Learning.

SPEAKERS:
Carla Strickland, Annmargareth Marousky, Jeanne Di Domenico

Receive practical ideas to build understanding about how to combine hands-on activities and computational thinking skills as tools to understand the nature of sound and waves and support NGSS practices: analyze/interpret data, use computational thinking, construct explanations and design solutions.

TAKEAWAYS:
Offer ideas to integrate hands-on activities and computational thinking skills as tools to build confidence in, and understanding of, NGSS PS4-Sound and Waves. Provide examples about how we may advance teaching and learning in K-8 cross-disciplinary STEM and Computation education.

SPEAKERS:
Laura Robertson, Dylan Singleton, Chelsie Pratt, Chihche Tai, Michaela Slagle

Join Girls Who Code for strategies and tools on how to a) recruit and retain girls and BIPOC students in STEM, b) design inclusive holistic programs that build life skills, c) keep your curricula relevant to the changing tech landscape, and d) access free resources for 3-12th graders of all genders.

TAKEAWAYS:
Learn strategies and tools on how to a) recruit and retain girls and BIPOC students in STEM, b) design inclusive holistic programs that build life skills, c) keep your curricula relevant to the changing tech landscape, and d) access free resources for 3-12th graders of all genders.

SPEAKERS:
Emily Ong

Learn how to help your students build upon their unique identity and funds of knowledge using a hands on STEM project. This session will provide participants a free unit that incorporates both engineering design and computational thinking patterns for students to share their identity in class!

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will work through a full engineering design process to show their identity by constructing a lantern and coding a light show for the project. Can be utilized with a variety of technology and maker platforms. Includes access to all materials needed to implement in class tomorrow!

SPEAKERS:
Erin Brabant, Jessica Noffsinger

Bring your laptop or tablet for a guided tour of the public database (NCBI) and an activity on how simple bioinformatics tools can help identify threats to our food supply.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants learn basic terms and tools (DNA barcodes, bioinformatics) used for DNA sequence analysis. A simple activity demonstrates how bioinformatics tools are used to solve problems in the real world.

SPEAKERS:
Jane Hunt, Zack Bateson

Learn how high-energy astrophysics can be brought into the classroom by engaging in real-world research data. Explore cosmic gamma radiation using fresh popcorn, not one but two frustratingly addictive games, and discover how computers and machine learning are vital in scientific research.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees work through classroom activities designed to introduce students to photon (gamma) radiation and proton (hadron) radiation so that attendees are able to engage their students in real-world astrophysics research and gain an appreciation for how computers are utilized in current research.

SPEAKERS:
Katelyn McCarthy

Participants will have the opportunity to explore a cybersecurity unit for grades 4-5 with hands-on experiences including defending a home, cryptography, and more. Participants will experience the unit from a hybrid (student & teacher) perspective.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will receive access to unit materials when they leave including the unit, reproducibles, formative assessments, etc., to help their students be aware of safety online. Door prizes will be awarded!

SPEAKERS:
Jess Blust

Computer science is integral to STEM because it enhances problem-solving capabilities, enables data-driven research, facilitates automation and innovation, and serves as a unifying element that connects and supports various STEM disciplines.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn simple, yet effective, ways to integrate computer science skills into their STEM and Science Lessons.

SPEAKERS:
Brandon McKinney, Kristin Luthi

Come have fun collecting real data to investigate the relationship between altitude and pressure using a micro:bit and a Grove sensor. We will walk through the Python code, collect the data, and investigate the relationship through the mathematical models, squeezing as much as we can out of our work.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will experience the marriage of science and mathematics by using the micro:bit and a Grove sensor to collect real pressure data to analyze. We will spend time creating and using mathematical models so that we can better understand the relationship between altitude and pressure.

SPEAKERS:
Adam Pennell

Sponsoring Company: Imagine Learning

Discuss strategies to support STEM classroom experiences that position all students as thinkers and problem-solvers, reflect on peer experiences as you consider your own implementation of ideas that ensure the inclusion of all learners in authentic STEM focused tasks, and identify success criteria.

SPEAKERS:
Kristen Biadasz

Are heatwaves happening more often? Or does it just feel that way? Using lessons from Heatwave Visualizations, available for free from the Museum of Science Boston and MathWorks, explore visualizations of heatwave data and discuss how an individual’s perspective may have unintentionally biased them.

TAKEAWAYS:
Navigate data visualizations generated from weather station data and learn how to help your students understand that a data visualization is produced by an algorithm written by a human, subjecting it to possible bias. Learn how to access the free materials needed to implement these lessons.

SPEAKERS:
Darshita Shah

A crosswalk of how to use and embed computer science to teach the three-dimensional standards in high school Earth & Life Sciences.

TAKEAWAYS:
There are 7 standards that specifically call out mathematics and computational thinking in high school Earth and Life sciences; participants will be able to use computer modelling (as referenced in 7 HS standards) to embody all parts of the science standards.

SPEAKERS:
Megan Hurley, Rachel Nolan, Kathryn Yelenick

How do scientists identify harmful algal blooms and other aquatic microbes? Bring your laptop or tablet for an introductory lesson and discussion on DNA analysis using free web-based tools.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants learn basic terms and tools (DNA barcodes, BLAST) used for sequence analysis. The activity explores the public database (NCBI) used by educators and scientists around the world.

SPEAKERS:
Jane Hunt, Zack Bateson

Receive practical ideas to integrate computational thinking (CT) into K-5 science, mathematics, and English Language Arts curriculum.

TAKEAWAYS:
Learn examples about how to integrate STEM, Literacy, and Computational Thinking into everyday lessons. Different technological tools available for educators.

SPEAKERS:
Chelsie Pratt, Michaela Slagle, Dylan Singleton, Chihche Tai

Sponsoring Company: Community Training and Assistance Center (CTAC)

This session explores a unique approach to integrated STEM. The approach places curricular units that focus on engineering and computer science directly into the core curriculum for every student, PreK-12.

SPEAKERS:
Scott Reynolds

Participants will engage in computational thinking practices to identify trustworthy scientific sources in the media. This session includes classroom-ready activities focused on disciplinary core ideas to enhance media literacy through science and engineering practices.

TAKEAWAYS:
Computational thinking (CT) is an iterative process useful for identifying trustworthy scientific sources in the media. Through inquiry, CT enables students to disaggregate media content, recognize patterns, focus on important information, and develop systematic processes to improve media literacy.

SPEAKERS:
Missie Olson, Dennis Liu, Jocelyn Miller

Our innovative approach to science and STEM engages students through hands-on and minds-on physical computing curricular units. Through this approach you can enable students to leverage computational thinking to investigate, develop models, and ultimately enact local and global change.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn how to effectively bring computational thinking and programming into the middle school classroom, based on curriculum units developed by Schoolwide Labs at the University of Colorado, Boulder. Our place-based focus is a powerful promoter of equity for all students.

SPEAKERS:
Quentin Biddy, Greg Benedis-Grab

Engaging STEM activities that can be done in any science content class in 45 minutes or less.

TAKEAWAYS:
Expose your students to STEM skills through short, easy, and engaging STEM activities that can be completed in a single class period.

SPEAKERS:
Brad Posnanski, Jessica Kohout

Sponsoring Company: KidWind Project

In this workshop you will explore some activities which combine Microbits with wind, solar and hydropower.

SPEAKERS:
Michael Arquin

Come try out the Digital Molecule Maker, a platform created by the Molecule Maker Lab Institute at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Supported by AI research, learners can explore the world of molecular synthesis and create novel molecules alongside complimentary hands-on activities.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how novel AI techniques in chemistry have allowed researchers to create a system that enables learners to combine different molecular building-blocks and get feedback on predicted molecular properties. They will also get examples of complimentary hands-on activities.

SPEAKERS:
Sabrina Abdulla, James Planey

Learn to use Explicit Instruction (EI) to teach Python programming as part of a science course or a standalone course. EI can help reach ESL, lower socio-economic backgrounds, and special education students. It can also keep ALL students engaged in the lessons as it involves hands-on practice.

TAKEAWAYS:
Develop an Explicit Instruction (EI) lesson for Python ‘if statements’ and have the knowledge to develop a full EI curriculum in Python programming to reach all students, including underserved students.

SPEAKERS:
Gargi Adhikari, Mary O'Donnell

Sponsoring Company: Vernier Science Education

Take motion studies to the next level! Use updated Vernier Video Analysis® tools to capture position, velocity, and acceleration data on student devices. Foster a deeper understanding of physics through learner-driven experiments using data from sample and student-recorded videos.

SPEAKERS:
Josh Ence, David Carter

How do we purposefully increase student interest and connection with computer science and the online world? This session will share the personal experience and curriculum developed following a biology teacher's foray into a computer science-centric research experience for teachers.

TAKEAWAYS:
From research, to writing curriculum, to implementation, this session will share the reflections and curriculum developed from participating in a National Science Foundation Research Experience for Teachers. Attendees will receive access to the curriculum and ideas for finding similar experiences.

SPEAKERS:
Steve Gewinner, Tara Bonebrake

Join us as we explore how to introduce coding concepts with online (plugged), offline (unplugged), and hybrid coding activities into the STEM experience. We will investigate several free resources available to you online. You will leave this workshop ready to code with your students. (BYOD)

TAKEAWAYS:
Whether it happens online, offline, or in a hybrid teaching environment, coding is a game-changer. It’s also tons of fun.

SPEAKERS:
John Hutchens, Amber Dobbs

We’ll share a free collection of lessons and a tool for culturally-relevant lessons in CS. A VA Department of Education grant supporting 3 school districts led by VCU School of Ed in collaboration with Capital One, Bank of America, and Carmax have students share solutions to authentic CS challenges.

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers gain awareness and access to OER support curriculum and a culturally responsive eval tool in CS. They will learn how local corporate partnerships enhance learning with student examples to PBL authentic challenges. Effort includes hundreds of students from seven schools across central VA.

SPEAKERS:
Al Byers

This session will be an immersive look at how our five year EIR grant has developed processes for professional development, delivery of Project Based Units, supporting student STE{A}M Labs and tethering students to the fields of STEM and Computer Science.

TAKEAWAYS:
Build your own pathway to develop techies {thinkers} and tinkerers in your space.

SPEAKERS:
Ch'Loris Clemons, Karan Johnstone, Katherine Mathias

A periodic table battle ship game that I created with Google Sheets allows students to play a game that enables students to use the periodic table as a playing field. Students communicate with each other, building their understanding, fluency, sportsmanship, and positive classroom community.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn the benefits of the game and be able to participate in game play with another attendee. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1RhRi_x4IAZwGNfor-JkiU-B5kisb1Wqm7OXtTQTsoRQ/edit?usp=sharing

SPEAKERS:
Peter Kelly

Join Girls Who Code to learn how to build inclusive programs– equipping students with the confidence and skills they need to make a positive impact on their community and career. You’ll walk away with tangible tips and tools for how to incorporate coding, community-building activities, and more.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how to implement coding activities that encourage positive social-emotional development and engage learners from historically underrepresented groups in tech. Attendees will leave the session with best practices and guidance for building inclusive coding programs in their communities.

SPEAKERS:
Kibret Yebetit

This session will share the results from a 15-week study that explored how an innovative STEM methods course impacted teacher candidates’ personal and professional growth as future STEM educators.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will leave the session with a framework for developing innovative STEM methods courses to prepare future teachers to effectively integrate inquiry-based STEM instruction in their classrooms.

SPEAKERS:
Amanda Cramer, Jennifer Ponder

Getting up to speed on the new standards and related NGSS is a challenge. The solution we have been implementing is to see how different professionals with different skill sets see information from a variety of lenses. This approach produced fun activities, while developing social emotional skills.

TAKEAWAYS:
This poster will give attendees the tools to create a dynamic team to execute a sustainable project. It will specify ways individuals can use data to assess the community’s needs and to plan meaningful activities that are engaging and fun. It will highlight how we can pay attention to new standards.

SPEAKERS:
Vicky Condello, Michelle Memoli, Aimee Ferguson

This poster will share connections between cybersecurity research and student leadership and was developed from an NSF Research Experience for Teachers. The premise empowers student leadership by cultivating cybersecurity awareness and digital citizenship for ethical engagement in the digital era.

TAKEAWAYS:
This session will share and provide resources from a curriculum developed during an NSF summer Research Experience for Teachers. A QR code linking to the curriculum website will provide lesson ideas and support for potential implementation.

SPEAKERS:
Steve Gewinner, Tara Bonebrake