Educators can integrate Minecraft Education with academic standards. They can create challenges for students to gauge students' interests and provide creativity using Minecraft. Educators will also discover that there are built in lesson plans on Minecraft Education to assist with standards.

TAKEAWAYS:
After this session, participants will be able to create lesson plans, integrate standards from multiple academic content with Minecraft Education. Educators will be able to instill enthusiasm and positive learning outcomes using Minecraft Education to teach students their core academic content.

SPEAKERS:
Veena Black

This poster shares a middle-school project where students create fictional ice cream parlors! Students design menus and merch, create a website, and build 3D models. Along the way, they’ll pick up important skills through connections to computer science, engineering, entrepreneurship, and design.

TAKEAWAYS:
The ready-to-use “Ice Cream Parlor” project offers students exciting ways to engage with important STEM concepts in an interactive, relevant, and hands on learning experience. The project inherently has many avenues for extension that can integrate it seamlessly into a variety of courses.

SPEAKERS:
Cristin Sedelmaier, David Amiel

Teach Engineering and the AspireIT Toolkit offer educators free resources to enhance K-12 STEM education through inclusivity, hands-on learning, sensemaking, and student-centered instruction. These tools empower educators to create engaging and accessible STEM learning experiences for all.

TAKEAWAYS:
This poster session introduces the Teach Engineering K-12 STEM digital library and the NCWIT AspireIT Toolkit. These tools are designed to enhance K-12 education with a strong emphasis on inclusivity and hands-on learning, addressing the need for equitable access to high-quality STEM education.

SPEAKERS:
Dua Chaker, Jennifer Kracha, Ellen Sukovich

In this lesson unit, middle school students explore interdisciplinary concepts through the book "The Wild Robot" integrating ELA, Science, and Computer Science.Transitioning to the Engineering Design Process (EDP) students embark on a project to design and build prosthetic hands inspire by the book.

TAKEAWAYS:
This lesson unit not only enriches students' comprehension of "The Wild Robot" but also provides valuable experience in engineering and AI. It connects literature with practical applications, enhancing problem-solving, critical thinking, and collaboration skills.

SPEAKERS:
Leslie Suters, Kim Alvin De Lara

A hands-on experience for understanding how to utilize Micro:bits as a tool for manually or automated data collection, analyzing data sets, introducing data science concepts, and using phenomena to evoke curiosity and connecting to a STEM project.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will explore how students can use Micro:bits to log motion data in and egg and spoon race and then improve the design of their spoons to reduce motion. Extensions to the use of the data logging function include designing earthquake proof structures and a mini house moving project.

SPEAKERS:
Eileen Koenig

Why is data science important? How can I integrate it in my classroom? The High School 2 Health Care project will share engaging data science content for teacher professional development. Join our interactive session to gain confidence to teach real-world data science and inspire your students.

TAKEAWAYS:
The High School 2 Health Care project aligns with the NSTA’s Position on Data Science that all students should have knowledge of data science and ethical use of data. Data science modules will be provided and results showing our modules increased teachers’ data science knowledge and self-efficacy.

SPEAKERS:
Simpfronia Taylor, Rebecca Reynolds

You will learn how to use MFLOW, a web-based programming platform that makes it extremely easy to play with sounds and create sound compositions while learning the basics of programming. You will gain access to an NGSS-aligned curriculum to support students with coding and sound engineering.

TAKEAWAYS:
You will learn how to use MFLOW to sound engineer and code your own sound or music composition. Also, you will learn how to engage your students with coding through engineering design challenges.

SPEAKERS:
Alec Barron

Girls Who Code (a global free non-profit) is on a mission to close the gender gap in tech and change the image of what a programmer looks like. Join us to learn about free CS resources and participate in an immersive deep dive on getting started with AI that you can adapt for your own classrooms.

TAKEAWAYS:
Join Girls Who Code and immerse yourself in an AI lesson for your elementary aged students that you can replicate in your classrooms tomorrow! We’ll reflect and make interdisciplinary connections between AI and your CS, Science, and Mathematics standards.

SPEAKERS:
Joe Ochterski, Christine Thompson

Explore how computer science (CS) can enhance students’ engineering designs and scientific sensemaking in middle school CS modules that use algorithms and simple block-based coding. Apply math and science knowledge for data collection and analysis embedded in authentic engineering design challenges!

TAKEAWAYS:
Technology, the T in STEM, can enhance 3D learning by integrating computational thinking, science, and engineering through real-world problems. This session will guide participants in using open-source materials that link algorithms and block-based coding to authentic contexts, enabling students to

SPEAKERS:
Kathryn Bateman

In this workshop, attendees will put on their student hat and become students as they learn how to code and program MicroBits. Attendees will learn how to incorporate MicroBits to support student sense making, data gathering and analysis, and project based learning.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn the various capabilities of the MicroBit, and numerous ways to use them in a core science class to support data gathering and analysis.

SPEAKERS:
Allison Bogart

Atom is an AI-powered assistant trained on NSTA's extensive content, products, services, and educational programs. As our most educated team member, Atom can quickly and efficiently address all your association-related inquiries—whether you need help with membership, tracking orders, want suggestions for NSTA lesson plans, or more!

TAKEAWAYS:
In this session, you’ll discover how Atom, NSTA’s AI-powered assistant, is transforming the way science educators access information and resources. You’ll learn how Atom can streamline your interactions with NSTA, providing instant support for membership inquiries, order tracking, etc.

SPEAKERS:
Tia Embke, Chip Flater

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:
Greg Benedis-Grab

Discover strategies for integrating data analysis, AI concepts, and cybersecurity literacy into K-12 core subjects. This session provides practical, cross-disciplinary approaches to empower students with essential 21st-century skills while meeting curriculum standards across various content areas.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will gain ready-to-implement techniques for integrating data, AI, and cyber literacy into their existing curricula. They'll leave with resources and strategies to enhance student engagement and prepare them for an increasingly digital world.

SPEAKERS:
Charles Wang

In this workshop you will experience our innovative unit: Self Driving Cars. Incorporate AI, computer science, and a compelling social issue into science and STEM classrooms. During the workshop you will participate in hands-on unit activities as well as review this freely available curriculum.

TAKEAWAYS:
You will leave ready to implement our high quality unit with your students engaging student interest and using powerful storylining teaching routines. You will also have authentic student assessments to accompany the unit.

SPEAKERS:
Greg Benedis-Grab

To design for learning in a makerspace, teachers can weave together existing high-quality materials and approaches from multiple disciplines—including pairing science storylines with creative storytelling, coding with science modeling, and invention education with historical primary sources.

TAKEAWAYS:
Rather than designing projects from scratch or relying on a single curriculum for a makerspace, teachers can and should dig deep into disciplinary approaches to identify opportunities for cross-disciplinary learning that gets the most out of blending disciplines together.

SPEAKERS:
Trey Smith

Attendees will hear from the PIs of an NSF-funded project about their experiences working with several HS teachers to embed CT skills in their courses. The PI team will provide attendees with specific examples. Additionally, attendees will have the opportunity to discuss their vision for how they could more intentionally incorporate CT skills within their own courses.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will leave with a better understanding of what computational thinking skills are and the various ways these can be integrated into course content to reinforce and enrich a student's learning experiences.

SPEAKERS:
Lisa Frye, George Sirrakos

Artificial Intelligence is a concept making big waves within the science community. This presentation describes the creation and implementation of AI curricula that can coincide with the secondary life science classroom. Resources to help introduce AI in your classroom will also be presented.

TAKEAWAYS:
Implementing AI concepts in life science can be challenging for many educators. The goal of this presentation is to introduce secondary life science teachers to resources and curricula that can help improve their efficacy and allow them to bring artificial intelligence concepts to their students.

SPEAKERS:
Amber Simpson

High schoolers can learn data science, and effectively so. We will share experience from a new course at the Dana Hall School in Wellesley, MA. Learn about the principles of the course, its interdisciplinary origin, and see examples of student work. We will share both our mistakes and our triumphs.

TAKEAWAYS:
Students can learn data science effectively and it will improve their learning across other disciplines. Students do not need a special background to enter the field, and it appeals to a wide variety of learners, not just ones that identify themselves as math or science fans.

SPEAKERS:
Alla Baranovsky

Ignite curiosity and energize your classroom in this hands-on workshop. Explore real-world projects that combine coding and scientific data collection using the Micro:bit’s powerful sensors. Dive into activities like sound pollution mapping, earthquake detection, and environmental monitoring!

TAKEAWAYS:
Bring science to life with the affordable Micro:bit, a seamless data collection tool that boosts student confidence and understanding. Perfect for all ages and skill levels, this session equips you with ideas to transform your classroom into a hub of exploration and discovery.

SPEAKERS:
Allison Bogart, Theresa Goltermann

Starting from the ground up, we will share strategies to empower educators and students to find a place in computer science with a tool called the micro:bit. In this hands-on workshop, we will write custom code, learn how to incorporate this tool, and set ourselves and our students up for success.

TAKEAWAYS:
You will leave this workshop with resources, tools, and inspiration to bring the micro:bit into the classroom. You will learn how to use the micro:bit, see student projects, and understand how to set students and educators up for success with the goal of forming an identity as a coder and maker.

SPEAKERS:
Scott Sieke