The workshop focuses on best practices in which virtual reality PD program teachers will share what they learn while acting as student participants. Teachers then used the best practices learned and discussed in the PD with their own students.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will learn how to incorporate virtual reality and AI to make engaging STEM lessons.

SPEAKERS:
Nikita LaCour (Scotlandville Pre-Engineering Magnet Academy: Ventress, LA), Rochelle Darville (West St. John High School: gonzales, LA)

Physical computing allows students to design and create interactive objects that encourage inquiry investigations and 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 making them useful for both investigations and engineering projects. Participants will learn about and experience hands-on various microcontrollers & their use in inquiry investigation tasks & student sensemaking.

SPEAKERS:
G. Michael Bowen (Mount Saint Vincent University: Halifax, NS)

The AREN Project provides NASA technology tools to educators, learners, and citizen scientists who want to collect local earth science data. Lesson plans and equipment are made available to investigate phenomena like the Urban Heat Island Effect, and how land use affects flooding.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will experience various methods of using remote sensing and in-situ measurement with common scientific tools and NASA-developed educational platforms. Participants will be invited to join upcoming virtual professional learning opportunities that provide training and materials at no cost.

SPEAKERS:
Lisa Ogiemwonyi (Wayne RESA: Sterling Heights, MI)

Participants will explore the BioEd Online website’s free STEM+M (medicine) classroom learning resources created and/or curated by Baylor College of Medicine’s Center for Educational Outreach, engage in activities from a student lens, then complete a scavenger hunt to identify/organize resources.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will explore BioEd Online and leave with free STEM+M (medicine) learning resources ready to be implemented into their classroom instruction.

SPEAKERS:
Jimmie Thomas (Baylor College of Medicine: Houston, TX)

Discover how VR can transform the way you teach & your students learn. In this session, you'll explore the benefits of incorporating VR into your classroom, including: increased student engagement, improved retention of complex concepts, and opportunities for immersive experiential learning.

TAKEAWAYS:
Integrating VR into the science classroom can create immersive and engaging learning experiences that deepen students' understanding of scientific concepts and foster their creativity and curiosity. This leads to better engagement and improved performances on formal and informal assessments.

SPEAKERS:
Lakiesha Domingue (Elementary Science Teacher/ Facilitator: Addis, LA)

AI is rapidly transforming the landscape & will soon be a regular part of your students' everyday experiences. Join me to discover how to utilize AI tools to enrich your professional growth & instruction. We'll delve into the potential pitfalls of AI & how it might mislead you and your students.

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers will learn to explain the workings of AI tools like ChatGPT, leverage AI to enhance their professional expertise & incorporating it into your planning and lessons. They will also become aware of the limitations of AI tools in aspects such as safety and questioning techniques.

SPEAKERS:
Christine Anne Royce (Shippensburg University: Newburg, PA)

In this session, attendees will practice and create a lesson using one of 5 AI tech tools that empower educators to craft personalized science classrooms. Each tool will be presented along with classroom strategies tailored to maximize their potential for scientific literacy.

TAKEAWAYS:
Teachers will be able to create personalized learning experiences, enhance student engagement, and improve academic outcomes by utilizing AI tools for tailored curricula.

SPEAKERS:
Stefany Palomba (Choices High School: canton, OH)

Dr. Michael Hammond-Todd (Utah Tech University) will be presenting the (STEAM)2 - STEAM Squared model of lesson design for formal and informal K-12 educators that connects the STEM curriculum to inclusive practice by combining STEAM with NASA's Artemis 2 Program in a very interactive workshop.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants and STEM educators will be able to use the (STEAM)2 model to explore NASA's Artemis 2 program within the context of inclusive lesson design based on the contextual factors and diversity of their learners. You will also be able to explore this model within your own educational ideas.

SPEAKERS:
Michael Hammond-Todd (Utah Tech University: Nanaimo, BC)

Discover AI's power in education with seven hands-on strategies that boost learning. See how top teachers use AI for deep thinking and engagement. Leave equipped to make learning with AI memorable, meaningful, and fun!

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will gain a feel for how AI can be used to promote deeper and more scientific thinking.

SPEAKERS:
Ben Talsma (Van Andel Education Institute: Grand Rapids, MI)

This workshop engages participants in using AI and data tools to monitor seabird behavior and restoration. Participants will explore datasets to find trends in population growth and use AI to identify birds and their calls.

TAKEAWAYS:
Data is the bedrock of scientific investigations, but is not yet fully incorporated into the classroom. This workshop provides tools and strategies for the seamless incorporation of data and AI into the study of seabird restoration.

SPEAKERS:
Caitlin Harrigan (Teacher/District Assessment Coordinator: Portland, ME), Jacob Sagrans (Senior Research Associate: Weston, MA)

NOAA's Science on a Sphere team will demo an AI chatbot using Large Language Models to enhance access. This chatbot recommends datasets based on teachers' needs, aligns them with goals, and suggests classroom applications. Discussion will address democratizing access vs. perpetuating disparities.

TAKEAWAYS:
Large Language Models are great tools to find correlations between large pools of content, thus its use as a virtual assistant could greatly improve access to large data and visualization content and while minimizing time and effort for this task.

SPEAKERS:
Eric Hackathorn (NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory: Boulder, CO), Juan Pablo Hurtado Padilla (NOAA Office of Education: Silver Spring, MD)

This workshop walks teachers through the design, development, and construction a classwide computational quilting project targeting the middle grades. Using electronic textiles, teachers will explore a model classroom quilt and practice physical computing through paper circuits and microprocessors.

TAKEAWAYS:
Attendees will learn how to engage circuits and computing within core content science classrooms as well as how to integrate science into other content areas .

SPEAKERS:
Tyler Hansen (Project Manager: Logan, UT), Tina Yohon (Middle School Teacher: Kamuela, HI), Colby Tofel-Grehl (Utah State University: Salt Lake City, UT)

Level up your OpenSciEd materials (or any engineering design challenge) to include digital notebooks, smartphone sensors as data collectors, and computer aided design (CAD) applications to develop tech skills with students while solving engineering problems for our future!

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will walk away with resources and experiences using technologies that provide an on-ramp or will strengthen their journey of integrating powerful tech tools into their classroom as well as an increased capacity to integrate engineering design challenges within their curriculum.

SPEAKERS:
Cari Williams (OpenSciEd: Yorba Linda, CA)

Session participants will experience the immersive Half-Earth Project map to explore our planet's richness and fragility. Then, they will learn to utilize ARC-GIS Story Maps to transform scientific content and data into compelling narratives suitable for non-formal and formal environments.

TAKEAWAYS:
In this session, attendees will be introduced to RC-GIS Story Maps and learn to create simple, learner-centered resources. They will also receive materials to support the continued application of this tool and facilitate student-created content.

SPEAKERS:
Claire Lannoye-Hall (Detroit Zoological Society: Huntington Woods, MI), Jocelyn Miller (E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation: Chapel Hill, NC)

CODAP is a free and easy-to-use online data visualization and analysis platform accessible to middle school students. In this session, participants will learn how to leverage CODAP to engage their students in authentic and meaningful data analysis and interpretation.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will come away with new knowledge about how to use CODAP to bring authentic and meaningful data analysis and interpretation to their classrooms.

SPEAKERS:
David McKinney (Senior Research Associate: Albany, CA)

Video shorts (Reels, TikTok, etc.) are one of the best ways to reach today's youth. In this workshop we will share how we have used this technology to create mini-lessons and how your students can use it as a UDL multiple measures assessment. These methods can be used for middle school and up.

TAKEAWAYS:
Participants will walk away with the knowledge and confidence to create video shorts for use in instruction and assessment.

SPEAKERS:
Julia Lewis (STEM Communications Specialist: Sylva, NC), Matthew Cass (Physics and Astronomy Instructor: Sylva, NC)