PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT |
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT |
ABC CREATE promotes a culture of sharing among teachers in its 14 participating school districts, business partners and in the community.
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ABC CREATE promotes a culture of sharing and collaboration among its teachers, school districts and educational partners. By facilitating multi-district professional development, showcases and strategic planning sessions, ABC CREATE helps educators develop a network of peers with which to exchange best practices, co-author Learning Pathways and share resources. Educators find support for ongoing exploration and implementation of innovative ideas from peers, thought leaders and STEAM experts. These unique collaborations and partnerships, fostered by ABC CREATE, help educators to develop regional STEAM-fluent students who are empowered to learn, create, lead, and succeed in the 21st Century.
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Every fall, ABC CREATE draws educators together along with supportive partners for full day work sessions designed to address issues pertinent to the implementation of ABC CREATE’s mission.
In 2021, ABC CREATE educators focused on advancing two key areas of STEAM integration: computational thinking at the elementary level and shaping the future for K-12 education at the Digital Foundry at New Kensington for middle and high school educators and students. Dr. Tom Lauwers, co-founder and CEO of BirdBrain Technologies, led and participated in the elementary work sessions creating a vision for practicing computational thinking in elementary classrooms. Middle and high school educators worked with Sherri McCleary, Executive Director and Steve Leonard, Operations and Program Manager of the Digital Foundry at New Kensington to learn about current and upcoming opportunities and to prioritize potential offerings for teacher professional development and student field trips to the Digital Foundry. |
ABC CREATE STEAM Showcases
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Each spring, ABC CREATE educators and other educational partners convene to share the STEAM activities and relevant pedagogy they've successfully implemented during the school year at the ABC CREATE STEAM Showcase.
In 2021, the ABC CREATE STEAM Showcase took the form of a Show & Tell – converted to online in an extended series of casual STEAM sessions led by teachers and/or our education partners. Sharing tech tools and pedagogical approaches that helped them to resolve challenges that arose while teaching through a global pandemic, educators were inspired and re-invigorated. Learn more about each session at our ABC CREATE STEAM Showcase 2021 Show & Tell webpage or view recordings of all Show & Tell sessions HERE. |
ABC CREATE Trainings and Workshops
Throughout the school year, ABC CREATE invites educators to both in-person and virtual trainings and workshops. Educational partners, such as BirdBrain Technologies and CodeJoy, teach educators how to integrate STEAM into their classroom instruction using Hummingbird Kits, Finch Robots and Micro:bits. In 2020, ABC CREATE helped teachers improve virtual learning by offering workshops on teaching hands-on learning in virtual/hybrid learning environments, teaching with Hummingbird robots in the virtual/hybrid learning age and using the split screen, share screen, and seamless video integration features of OBS Studio to improve their virtual/hybrid teaching. |
ABC CREATE Equity Initiatives
ABC CREATE aims to center equitable access in all its professional development and continues to work with thought partners and regional resources to guide ongoing exploration and learning of various forms of equitable access ranging from economic, gender, and racial disparities.
With support from Bortz Consulting and Erika Gold Kestenberg, a dozen white teachers and administrators came together to form a racial equity learning group. Focusing on discussing White Fragility by Robin Diangelo and on applying learnings to their school contexts, educators developed action plans including steps such as auditing the curriculum, initiating conversations that “break the silence,” and hosting similar book studies for staff and families. |
Each summer, ABC CREATE educators co-design our Teachers’ Summer STEAM Camp. During this multi-day professional development, attending teachers share relevant and engaging STEAM integration ideas, explore hands-on lessons and resources, and connect with their peers. With support from collaborative partners like the Consortium for Public Education and Better Questions, educators have real conversations about their current teaching experiences and look forward to what the future of education may hold.
In 2021, our ABC CREATE teachers’ summer camp experience focused on supporting teachers as they reflected upon their experiences teaching through the challenges of the past year+, as they refreshed understandings of the changes in work, education, and society, and as they designed pathways for STEAM integration and the teaching of future ready skills. Click HERE to learn more about our past summer STEAM camps. |
Teachers from Fox Chapel and Leechburg explore Puzzlets with Ed Tech professionals from Birdbrain Technologies, Kid Spark Education (formerly Rokenblok) and CREATE Lab member.
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Culture of Sharing
Knowledge: Providing professional development, shared curriculum, and trainings Creative Technologies: Lending educational tools through the ABC CREATE Resource Library Feedback: Helping developers test and improve emerging technologies Learning Pathways: Designing a progression of K-12 STREAM-focused learning sequences of tech fluency Convenings: Hosting peer-led, multi-district showcases and strategic planning sessions Support: Developing a platform for best practices, cross-network collaborations Connections: Accessing thought leaders, innovation experts, funding and opportunities Training: Equipping pre-service teachers to thrive in the classrooms of tomorrow Equity: Encouraging approaches that are inclusive to female and students of low socio-economic status |