SHOW & TELL KICKOFF
April 8th from 4:30 - 6 PM Join inspired and inspiring educators to reflect, to connect, and to honor the persistence and the resilience of educators within our ABC CREATE community and beyond as we kickoff our series! |
SHOW & TELL(s)
April 12th - May 11th Teachers and/or our education partners have shared tech tools or pedagogical approaches that have helped them to resolve challenges that arose while teaching through a global pandemic. All sessions have been recorded and are viewable HERE. |
SHOW & TELL CELEBRATION
May 12th from 4:30 - 6 PM Celebrate the insights, the inspirations, and the impact of the ABC CREATE community in a year of many firsts! |
Sessions week of April 12th : M 12 | T 13 | W 14 | Th 15
Monday, April 12, 2021 | 4:30 - 5:45 PM
Weekly Agenda in Google Slides
Michelle Dickerson, Highlands, HS Social Studies Teacher 4:30-4:45 PM Providing an agenda in Google Slides has helped my students and I stay organized and has helped alleviate some of the confusion on their end about where to find assignments and what assignments we're working on, etc. Students start each period by going to the daily agenda slide and using that to review our essential questions and goals for the day and to see a linked list of tasks. This puts an end to "What is that assignment called?" as students click around in Google Classroom. It also makes it easy for me to incorporate JamBoard, Padlet, Quizlet, Quizizz, PearDeck, and other tools for students - it is all easily accessible on the Agenda Slides. I moved to this model in part because of my own experience as a parent trying to help my kids find their assignments, to incorporate tools from the ABC CREATE Summer Workshop, and to provide consistency for hybrid students. |
Pixel Art with Google Sheets: A Tool for Review/Assessment
David Evans, Plum, Teacher 4:45-5:30 PM For my Show & Tell session, I will show how to use Google Sheets to create Pixel Art activities across the curriculum. I currently utilize these for review or assessment of instruction. The students really enjoy seeing what picture is revealed. They shout out to each other not to spoil the picture. This is an easy assessment tool and when students submit, I can see if the picture is finished correctly or not. Pixel Art, I believe, addresses the challenge of assessment in a virtual/hybrid model and engages students with digital learning tools. @dcevans84 |
Tuesday, April 13, 2021 | 4:00 - 4:45 PM
Using Hummingbird Robots in a Virtual or Hybrid Classroom
Angel Stahl, Apollo Ridge, BCIT Teacher Melinda Spampinato, ABC CREATE, Educational Consultant 4:00-4:45 PM If you’re interested in learning how to use Hummingbird robots in your virtual or hybrid classroom, this Show & Tell session is for you! Learn how students used Hummingbird Bit kits to construct basic mechanisms and robots both in school and from home. All of the activities for this unit were documented in an ABC CREATE learning pathway, so attendees will leave with a ready-made adaptable lesson plan! @angelstahl |
Wednesday, April 14, 2021 | 6:00 - 6:45 PM
Motivate with STEAM: Hybrid Adaptations and Student Reflections
Laura Fleischer Proano, Highlands, Spanish Teacher; Josh Beck, Hannah Blythe, Austin Burchell, Haley Dixon, Maria Fabregas, Allison Love, London Salter and Robyn Schreiber, Highlands Students 6:00-6:45 PM Highlands High School students and their Spanish teacher will share how they have tried to stay motivated during hybrid learning with hands-on, collaborative and student-led STEAM projects that incorporate Hummingbird Robots, Finch 2.0 Robots, Google Tour Creator and Ricoh Theta 360 cameras. In addition to sharing examples of the final projects with videos and pictures, they will share the adaptations that address the challenges of hybrid learning and reflections of their learning during these projects. @FleischerProano |
Thursday, April 15, 2021 | 4:00 - 5:00 PM
Tips and Tools for Teaching Science in a Virtual or Blended Classroom
Courtney Barbiaux, Burrell, MS Science Teacher Melinda Spampinato, ABC CREATE, Educational Consultant 4:00-5:00 PM Teaching a hands-on class can be challenging in a virtual or hybrid classroom. This Show & Tell session will guide you through some of the tools that were used to promote student engagement and collaboration in a grade 6 science class. Learn more about Interactive Notebooks (INB's), Jamboards, and Quizizz--tools that can be used to enhance instruction in any classroom. |
Sessions week of April 19th : M 19 | T 20 | W 21 | Th 22
Monday, April 19, 2021 | 6:00-7:00 PM
Connect with Students using On-trend Applications: Tips + Trick from a Design Pro
Heather Mallak, PUBLIC STUD/O 6:00-7:00 PM Ever consider your smartphone to be a production suite in the palm of your hand? With the increase in quality of phone lenses, access to creative open-source software, and opportunities for sharing online - we are all now producers...and critics. This session will begin with tips on taking selfies and making gifs then share industry tricks coupled with classroom examples using the powerful platform Canva. @digisalad |
Tuesday, April 20, 2021 | 4:00 - 4:45 PM
Using Programming Cards to Teach Coding Skills for a Practical Exam and Project
Eileen Malick, Hanover County Public Schools, Computer Science Instructor 4:00-4:45 PM This Show & Tell session will present a set of programming cards (so far in Scratch and Snap!) which teach skills for a practical exam and project. I am coming from a full-time, face-to-face classroom which uses Zoom everyday to accommodate students socially distanced in the far corners of the classroom, as well as students who become remote learners in quarantine. Scratch is more for beginner levels and Snap! for the more advanced, but the structure of the practical exam (building a selected app after practicing all 10 cards) and the project (combining a pre-selected number of card techniques into one app) can be structured for absolutely all levels of coding and age groups... From Girl Scout camps to Advanced Placement. All cards can be copied to multiple formats or even printed on paper. @emalick |
Wednesday, April 21, 2021 | 6:00 - 7:00 PM
Stop Motion Animation on Chromebooks using Flipgrid
Kristy Frohliger, Baldwin Whitehall, STEAM/ Media Specialist 6:00-6:30 PM In the past, I have taught students stop motion animation using apps on iPads and by having the students work in groups to develop an idea. This year, all students use Chromebooks and no one uses iPads, plus we do not do group work. I figured out a way to use Flipgrid, to learn stop motion animation. Students were already familiar with Flipgrid, this is the way all students share the STEAM projects with each other. It is perfect for all students, whether we are in school or at home. The videos students created were amazing, and I was able to have students from grades 3-5 do stop motion animation this way! Students love to watch one another's videos and like to add kind comments through video or text. @kfrohliger |
Gimkit
Jennifer Kosior, Highlands, MS Math Teacher 6:30-7:00 PM Gimkit is a technology tool that can be used to “Gamify'' instruction. It provides a variety of game choices, from individual to teams. There are a wide variety of choices. I have even had my students create our Gimkit for our review. The student can upload questions and answers to be a part of the class game. Gimkit integrates with Google Classroom as well, and I have used it for pre-test, post-test, review, and student created games. It is the most frequently requested tool from my middle school students. @Kosior_J |
Thursday, April 22, 2021 | 4:00 - 5:00 PM
Ideas for SEL
Rachelle Dene Poth, Riverview, Spanish and STEAM Educator, Consultant 4:00-4:45 PM Fostering connectedness and SEL, this Show & Tell session will provide different tools and strategies to connect students and promote a sense of community. @Rdene915 |
Easy and Fun "Check-In" Questions to Start your Online/Hybrid Class using Desmos
Stephanie Reilly, Fox Chapel, HS teacher, Online Learning Coordinator 4:45-5:00 PM I'm using some premade check-in questions that are fun and very easy for kids (no login required) and very easy for the teacher (they are pre-made and customizable if you want). The questions allow for some easy and low-pressure social-emotional learning as well. The Desmos slides are very well done and fun. For example, today's question asked students to move the slider to show "where they were today" and the slider had all cute puppies, ranging from grumpy bulldog to sleeping puppy to adorable little dog wearing cool shades. It's anonymous and there is a space for students to add additional text if they want. @reilly1041 |
Sessions week of April 26th : M 26 | T 27 | W 28 | Th 29 | F 30
Monday, April 26, 2021 | 4:00 - 5:00 PM
Robot Relaxation - A Live Remote Robotics and Coding Class!
Kelsey Derringer, CodeJoy, CEO Matt Chilbert, CodeJoy, COO 4:00-5:00 PM This remote robotics approach to synchronous online learning lets participants code and control real robots in real time! It’s a tool and technique for engagement, equity, and access. This approach combines a video conferencing platform, like Zoom or Google Meet, the platform’s chat feature, and Makecode, an online coding platform. Students and teachers use the chat to share Makecode hyperlinks back and forth. @CodeJoyEdu, @KelseyConnects |
Tuesday, April 27, 2021 | 6:00 - 7:00 PM
Springdale Students Help Senior Citizens with Indoor Air Quality
Sue Mellon, Allegheny Valley, Gifted Support 6:00-7:00 PM Giving students agency over their learning is keeping them engaged, practicing future-ready skills, and producing impressive real world projects. Springdale high school students used Speck monitors to track indoor air quality with senior citizens living in an Allegheny County Housing Authority property. Students trained senior citizens on how to use the Speck monitors, built their own particulate monitors, built a computer to record smokestack emissions data, built DIY air filters and recorded data from video of smokestacks. |
Wednesday, April 28, 2021 | 6:00 - 7:00 PM
Video Morning Announcements with 4th Grade
JR Pilyih, Plum, STEM Teacher 6:00-6:45 PM We have been using Google Meet, Google Classroom, and WeVideo to create morning video announcements each morning with our 4th graders, whether we were all in-person, all at home, or even in a hybrid situation. Everyone can collaborate on the same video announcements each day. @jrpilyih |
Using Flipgrid to Connect Virtual Students with Face-to-Face Students
Lorin Ervin, New Kensington-Arnold, Gift Coordinator K-12 6:45-7:00 PM We have been participating in the Design Squad engineering program for a few years. We receive materials from the company and are challenged to design a prototype for different problem solving situations. I have been delivering the materials to the virtual students. We discuss the challenges via Teams. They complete the challenge at home. The face-to-face students complete the challenges at school with me. All of the challenges are then uploaded to Flipgrid so that we can all view each other's prototype. Then we meet again on Teams to discuss the design process of making the challenges. |
Thursday, April 29, 2021 | 4:00 - 5:00 PM
Escape Rooms with Google Forms
Brian Stevens, Plum, Librarian 4:00-5:00 PM A teacher can use Google Forms to create a digital Escape Room, where students have to answer questions to "escape" the room, which usually leads to another room that they have to escape from. It helps provide individual feedback remotely and on the student's schedule -- the teacher doesn't have to be there for it to work. So, questions from old study guides can be converted into an escape room, which students seem to enjoy more even though the questions are the same. Each question leads to one of at least two pages (right or wrong). However, I often make more than one "wrong" page -- which I call a hint page because it's more positive -- so I can address the specific mistake the student made. It's been a great method for keeping students engaged in their learning. |
Friday, April 30, 2021 | 10:00 - 11:15 AM
Teaching Virtually from Norway - Tips and Tricks on Utilizing All of your Talent in a Virtual World
Christine Nguyen, Boys & Girls Clubs of Western PA, STEM Director Katrina Selavko, Boys & Girls Clubs of Western PA, Virtual Program Manager 10:00-10:30 AM In this presentation we will talk about things we've learned as we teach STEM virtually, including being intentional about mental health check-ins, mixing in-person learning with virtual teachers to expand on capability, how to overcome the problems with volume and student engagement in this hybrid model, and slowing down to allow for content engagement. @bgcwpa_stem |
Our Asynchronous OST (Out-of-School Time) Work
Jason Hivner, STEM Coding Lab, Program Director 10:30-11:15 AM We have adapted during the pandemic from in-person classes to virtual programs and are now offering asynchronous project based programs. We have combined the use of instructional and informational videos with the online Padlet resource and designated "Office Hours". Right now we are running this program in partnership with Environmental Charter School and their 4th grade Environmental Literacy program. Each week the students are given two videos posted on their Padlet page. They watch them and complete the provided challenges on their own time. Each week we have "Office Hours" which allow any students to come into a virtual setting and ask questions, share their work, or just hang out. During this process they are learning coding skills that will be used to create a final project, based on the work that they are doing in their Environmental Literacy class. In the end, the students post their animations in one area and then are peer reviewed by their class and the teachers. @STEMcodinglab |
Sessions in May: M 3 | T 4 | W 5 + T 11
Monday, May 3, 2021 | 4:00 - 5:00 PM
Teaching History to Students with Disabilities
Melissa Havran, Riverview, Long term substitute - Biology 4:30-5:00 PM So often, students with disabilities, both learning and physical, are met with challenges on how to fit in. This issue has been magnified by the pandemic and many of these students are struggling to find their place in the school community. This has made the effort to promote a culturally responsive classroom, and promote an environment of both acceptance and understanding, that much more important. My project hopes to bring to light how we can all see the "ability" in one another, even if we may look or learn differently. Specifically, it will help students with disabilities thrive in STEM education by providing them access to history through symbols, visual aids, and curriculum personalized to their specific set of needs. For example, I will use Google classroom and interactive Powerpoint presentations to lead us through a unique history of educators, scientists, politicians, and activists who overcame their "disability" by choosing to tap into their unique gifts and prove that with hard work and a dream, anything is possible. Additionally, I am prepared to incorporate science experiments and living history scenarios that allow students to have a hands-on experience with the material they are learning. My project is entitled " You Can Be Anything". |
Tuesday, May 4, 2021 | 6:00 - 7:00 PM
Choice Boards for Assessments
Suzie Gardner, Riverview, MS/HS Science Teacher 6:00-6:30 PM I will show an example or two of choice boards I've made that give students the choice between several questions/problems. Students can choose the set of questions (across, down, diagonal) they want to answer. The Board is in a PowerPoint slide with hyperlinks to outside websites or other slides that I've made. The Board is more interactive than a paper/pencil/keyboard test. Plus, it helps to reduce cheating as students select different problems, and the problems include more creative answers than right/wrong responses. |
Screencastify Submit
Kimberley McBryar, Moniteau, STREAM Teacher 6:30-7:00 PM I am using Screencastify Submit as a presentation tool for students, as well as an easy way for them to submit work. I use Google Classroom and I find that students are bogged down by the multiple steps they have to complete to submit work. Screencastify Submit makes it simpler, with fewer clicks. @kmcbryar |
Wednesday, May 5, 2021 | 4:00 - 5:00 PM
Augmented / Virtual Reality Platform for Educators, Students and Other Learning Environments
John Balash, Carnegie Mellon University - Entertainment Technology Center, Director of Educational Engagement 4:00-4:45 PM CMU’s Entertainment Technology Center is collaboratively creating an augmented/virtual reality platform to address a multitude of challenges that have sprung up during the pandemic and for planning for what's beyond. This AR/VR platform will support solutions for merging remote / distanced spaces with real physical spaces, embedding technologies into learning environments more seamlessly, and also bolstering engagement through more natural interactions. |
Using Google Earth to Help Kids Get "Outside" the Classroom
Lindsey Lamm, North Allegheny School District, Instructional Technology Integrator 4:45-5:00 PM We'll talk about how to use Google Earth Projects to help kids utilize the massive resource that is Google Earth. We were able to allow kids to see all kinds of things that were unavailable at this time due to Covid. @MrsLammITI |
Tuesday, May 11, 2021 | 6:00 - 7:45 PM
Making a Remote Finch Robot
Tom Lauwers, BirdBrain Technologies, Founder and CEO 6:00-6:45 PM Remote robots are robots that can be programmed over the internet, and are viewed by the student via a webcam. They provide a way to allow robotics activities to continue in hybrid and remote classrooms, even when the students don't have robots at home. I've been developing this technology since last March, and will present how to make a Finch into a remote robot using either NetsBlox or Python. @birdbraintech |
Physical Robots You Can Code from Home
Eric Fogle, Seneca Valley School District, Librarian/CIRC (Creativity, Innovation, Research Center) 6:45-7:45 PM I will share my remote robot project where my students can code a robot from home or in school using a live streaming camera and a block-based coding website. I was able to create twelve robots using the Hummingbird Bit robotics kits by Birdbrain Technologies. These robots connect to computers in the school via Bluetooth. Students use the website, Netsblox, to connect to the robot and code its movements. They can watch the robot in real time using a Microsoft Teams live stream. All coding can be done remotely. @fogleem |
Sessions week of April 12th : M 12 | T 13 | W 14 | Th 15
Monday, April 12, 2021 | 4:30 - 5:45 PM
Weekly Agenda in Google Slides
Michelle Dickerson, Highlands, HS Social Studies Teacher 4:30-4:45 PM Providing an agenda in Google Slides has helped my students and I stay organized and has helped alleviate some of the confusion on their end about where to find assignments and what assignments we're working on, etc. Students start each period by going to the daily agenda slide and using that to review our essential questions and goals for the day and to see a linked list of tasks. This puts an end to "What is that assignment called?" as students click around in Google Classroom. It also makes it easy for me to incorporate JamBoard, Padlet, Quizlet, Quizizz, PearDeck, and other tools for students - it is all easily accessible on the Agenda Slides. I moved to this model in part because of my own experience as a parent trying to help my kids find their assignments, to incorporate tools from the ABC CREATE Summer Workshop, and to provide consistency for hybrid students. |
Pixel Art with Google Sheets: A Tool for Review/Assessment
David Evans, Plum, Teacher 4:45-5:30 PM For my Show & Tell session, I will show how to use Google Sheets to create Pixel Art activities across the curriculum. I currently utilize these for review or assessment of instruction. The students really enjoy seeing what picture is revealed. They shout out to each other not to spoil the picture. This is an easy assessment tool and when students submit, I can see if the picture is finished correctly or not. Pixel Art, I believe, addresses the challenge of assessment in a virtual/hybrid model and engages students with digital learning tools. @dcevans84 |
Tuesday, April 13, 2021 | 4:00 - 4:45 PM
Using Hummingbird Robots in a Virtual or Hybrid Classroom
Angel Stahl, Apollo Ridge, BCIT Teacher Melinda Spampinato, ABC CREATE, Educational Consultant 4:00-4:45 PM If you’re interested in learning how to use Hummingbird robots in your virtual or hybrid classroom, this Show & Tell session is for you! Learn how students used Hummingbird Bit kits to construct basic mechanisms and robots both in school and from home. All of the activities for this unit were documented in an ABC CREATE learning pathway, so attendees will leave with a ready-made adaptable lesson plan! @angelstahl |
Wednesday, April 14, 2021 | 6:00 - 6:45 PM
Motivate with STEAM: Hybrid Adaptations and Student Reflections
Laura Fleischer Proano, Highlands, Spanish Teacher Josh Beck, Hannah Blythe, Austin Burchell, Haley Dixon, Maria Fabregas, Allison Love, London Salter and Robyn Schreiber, Highlands Students 6:00-6:45 PM Highlands High School students and their Spanish teacher will share how they have tried to stay motivated during hybrid learning with hands-on, collaborative and student-led STEAM projects that incorporate Hummingbird Robots, Finch 2.0 Robots, Google Tour Creator and Ricoh Theta 360 cameras. In addition to sharing examples of the final projects with videos and pictures, they will share the adaptations that address the challenges of hybrid learning and reflections of their learning during these projects. @FleischerProano |
Thursday, April 15, 2021 | 4:00 - 5:00 PM
Tips and Tools for Teaching Science in a Virtual or Blended Classroom
Courtney Barbiaux, Burrell, MS Science Teacher Melinda Spampinato, ABC CREATE, Educational Consultant 4:00-5:00 PM Teaching a hands-on class can be challenging in a virtual or hybrid classroom. This Show & Tell session will guide you through some of the tools that were used to promote student engagement and collaboration in a grade 6 science class. Learn more about Interactive Notebooks (INB's), Jamboards, and Quizizz--tools that can be used to enhance instruction in any classroom. |
Sessions week of April 19th : M 19 | T 20 | W 21 | Th 22
Monday, April 19, 2021 | 6:00 - 7:00 PM
Connect with Students using On-trend Applications: Tips + Trick from a Design Pro
Heather Mallak, PUBLIC STUD/O 6:00-7:00 PM Ever consider your smartphone to be a production suite in the palm of your hand? With the increase in quality of phone lenses, access to creative open-source software, and opportunities for sharing online - we are all now producers...and critics. This session will begin with tips on taking selfies and making gifs then share industry tricks coupled with classroom examples using the powerful platform Canva. @digisalad |
Tuesday, April 20, 2021 | 4:00 - 4:45 PM
Using Programming Cards to Teach Coding Skills for a Practical Exam and Project
Eileen Malick, Hanover County Public Schools, Computer Science Instructor 4:00-4:45 PM This Show & Tell session will present a set of programming cards (so far in Scratch and Snap!) which teach skills for a practical exam and project. I am coming from a full-time, face-to-face classroom which uses Zoom everyday to accommodate students socially distanced in the far corners of the classroom, as well as students who become remote learners in quarantine. Scratch is more for beginner levels and Snap! for the more advanced, but the structure of the practical exam (building a selected app after practicing all 10 cards) and the project (combining a pre-selected number of card techniques into one app) can be structured for absolutely all levels of coding and age groups... From Girl Scout camps to Advanced Placement. All cards can be copied to multiple formats or even printed on paper. @emalick |
Wednesday, April 21, 2021 | 6:00 - 7:00 PM
Stop Motion Animation on Chromebooks using Flipgrid
Kristy Frohliger, Baldwin Whitehall, STEAM/ Media Specialist 6:00-6:30 PM In the past, I have taught students stop motion animation using apps on iPads and by having the students work in groups to develop an idea. This year, all students use Chromebooks and no one uses iPads, plus we do not do group work. I figured out a way to use Flipgrid, to learn stop motion animation. Students were already familiar with Flipgrid, this is the way all students share the STEAM projects with each other. It is perfect for all students, whether we are in school or at home. The videos students created were amazing, and I was able to have students from grades 3-5 do stop motion animation this way! Students love to watch one another's videos and like to add kind comments through video or text. @kfrohliger |
Gimkit
Jennifer Kosior, Highlands, MS Math Teacher 6:30-7:00 PM Gimkit is a technology tool that can be used to “Gamify'' instruction. It provides a variety of game choices, from individual to teams. There are a wide variety of choices. I have even had my students create our Gimkit for our review. The student can upload questions and answers to be a part of the class game. Gimkit integrates with Google Classroom as well, and I have used it for pre-test, post-test, review, and student created games. It is the most frequently requested tool from my middle school students. @Kosior_J |
Thursday, April 22, 2021 | 4:00 - 5:00 PM
Ideas for SEL
Rachelle Dene Poth, Riverview, Spanish and STEAM Educator, Consultant 4:00-4:45 PM Fostering connectedness and SEL, this Show & Tell session will provide different tools and strategies to connect students and promote a sense of community. @Rdene915 |
Easy and Fun "Check-In" Questions to Start your Online/Hybrid Class using Desmos
Stephanie Reilly, Fox Chapel, HS teacher, Online Learning Coordinator 4:45-5:00 PM I'm using some premade check-in questions that are fun and very easy for kids (no login required) and very easy for the teacher (they are pre-made and customizable if you want). The questions allow for some easy and low-pressure social-emotional learning as well. The Desmos slides are very well done and fun. For example, today's question asked students to move the slider to show "where they were today" and the slider had all cute puppies, ranging from grumpy bulldog to sleeping puppy to adorable little dog wearing cool shades. It's anonymous and there is a space for students to add additional text if they want. @reilly1041 |
Sessions week of April 26th : M 26 | T 27 | W 28 | Th 29 | F 30
Monday, April 26, 2021 | 4:00 - 5:00 PM
Robot Relaxation - A Live Remote Robotics and Coding Class!
Kelsey Derringer, CodeJoy, CEO Matt Chilbert, CodeJoy, COO 4:00-5:00 PM This remote robotics approach to synchronous online learning lets participants code and control real robots in real time! It’s a tool and technique for engagement, equity, and access. This approach combines a video conferencing platform, like Zoom or Google Meet, the platform’s chat feature, and Makecode, an online coding platform. Students and teachers use the chat to share Makecode hyperlinks back and forth. @CodeJoyEdu, @KelseyConnects |
Tuesday, April 27, 2021 | 6:00 - 7:00 PM
Springdale Students Help Senior Citizens with Indoor Air Quality
Sue Mellon, Allegheny Valley, Gifted Support 6:00-7:00 PM Giving students agency over their learning is keeping them engaged, practicing future-ready skills, and producing impressive real world projects. Springdale high school students used Speck monitors to track indoor air quality with senior citizens living in an Allegheny County Housing Authority property. Students trained senior citizens on how to use the Speck monitors, built their own particulate monitors, built a computer to record smokestack emissions data, built DIY air filters and recorded data from video of smokestacks. |
Wednesday, April 28, 2021 | 6:00 - 7:00 PM
Video Morning Announcements with 4th Grade
JR Pilyih, Plum, STEM Teacher 6:00-6:45 PM We have been using Google Meet, Google Classroom, and WeVideo to create morning video announcements each morning with our 4th graders, whether we were all in-person, all at home, or even in a hybrid situation. Everyone can collaborate on the same video announcements each day. @jrpilyih |
Using Flipgrid to Connect Virtual Students with Face-to-Face Students
Lorin Ervin, New Kensington-Arnold, Gift Coordinator K-12 6:45-7:00 PM We have been participating in the Design Squad engineering program for a few years. We receive materials from the company and are challenged to design a prototype for different problem solving situations. I have been delivering the materials to the virtual students. We discuss the challenges via Teams. They complete the challenge at home. The face-to-face students complete the challenges at school with me. All of the challenges are then uploaded to Flipgrid so that we can all view each other's prototype. Then we meet again on Teams to discuss the design process of making the challenges. |
Thursday, April 29, 2021 | 4:00 - 5:00 PM
Escape Rooms with Google Forms
Brian Stevens, Plum, Librarian 4:00-5:00 PM A teacher can use Google Forms to create a digital Escape Room, where students have to answer questions to "escape" the room, which usually leads to another room that they have to escape from. It helps provide individual feedback remotely and on the student's schedule -- the teacher doesn't have to be there for it to work. So, questions from old study guides can be converted into an escape room, which students seem to enjoy more even though the questions are the same. Each question leads to one of at least two pages (right or wrong). However, I often make more than one "wrong" page -- which I call a hint page because it's more positive -- so I can address the specific mistake the student made. It's been a great method for keeping students engaged in their learning. |
Friday, April 30, 2021 | 10:00 - 11:15 AM
Teaching Virtually from Norway - Tips and Tricks on Utilizing All of your Talent in a Virtual World
Christine Nguyen, Boys & Girls Clubs of Western PA, STEM Director Katrina Selavko, Boys & Girls Clubs of Western PA, Virtual Program Manager 10:00-10:30 AM In this presentation we will talk about things we've learned as we teach STEM virtually, including being intentional about mental health check-ins, mixing in-person learning with virtual teachers to expand on capability, how to overcome the problems with volume and student engagement in this hybrid model, and slowing down to allow for content engagement. @bgcwpa_stem |
Our Asynchronous OST (Out-of-School Time) Work
Jason Hivner, STEM Coding Lab, Program Director 10:30-11:15 AM We have adapted during the pandemic from in-person classes to virtual programs and are now offering asynchronous project based programs. We have combined the use of instructional and informational videos with the online Padlet resource and designated "Office Hours". Right now we are running this program in partnership with Environmental Charter School and their 4th grade Environmental Literacy program. Each week the students are given two videos posted on their Padlet page. They watch them and complete the provided challenges on their own time. Each week we have "Office Hours" which allow any students to come into a virtual setting and ask questions, share their work, or just hang out. During this process they are learning coding skills that will be used to create a final project, based on the work that they are doing in their Environmental Literacy class. In the end, the students post their animations in one area and then are peer reviewed by their class and the teachers. @STEMcodinglab |
Sessions in May: M 3 | T 4 | W 5 + T 11
Teaching History to Students with Disabilities
Melissa Havran, Riverview, Long term substitute - Biology 4:30-5:00 PM So often, students with disabilities, both learning and physical, are met with challenges on how to fit in. This issue has been magnified by the pandemic and many of these students are struggling to find their place in the school community. This has made the effort to promote a culturally responsive classroom, and promote an environment of both acceptance and understanding, that much more important. My project hopes to bring to light how we can all see the "ability" in one another, even if we may look or learn differently. Specifically, it will help students with disabilities thrive in STEM education by providing them access to history through symbols, visual aids, and curriculum personalized to their specific set of needs. For example, I will use Google classroom and interactive Powerpoint presentations to lead us through a unique history of educators, scientists, politicians, and activists who overcame their "disability" by choosing to tap into their unique gifts and prove that with hard work and a dream, anything is possible. Additionally, I am prepared to incorporate science experiments and living history scenarios that allow students to have a hands-on experience with the material they are learning. My project is entitled " You Can Be Anything". |
Tuesday, May 4, 2021 | 6:00 - 7:00 PM
Choice Boards for Assessments
Suzie Gardner, Riverview, MS/HS Science Teacher 6:00-6:30 PM I will show an example or two of choice boards I've made that give students the choice between several questions/problems. Students can choose the set of questions (across, down, diagonal) they want to answer. The Board is in a PowerPoint slide with hyperlinks to outside websites or other slides that I've made. The Board is more interactive than a paper/pencil/keyboard test. Plus, it helps to reduce cheating as students select different problems, and the problems include more creative answers than right/wrong responses. |
Screencastify Submit
Kimberley McBryar, Moniteau, STREAM Teacher 6:30-7:00 PM I am using Screencastify Submit as a presentation tool for students, as well as an easy way for them to submit work. I use Google Classroom and I find that students are bogged down by the multiple steps they have to complete to submit work. Screencastify Submit makes it simpler, with fewer clicks. @kmcbryar |
Wednesday, May 5, 2021 | 4:00 - 5:00 PM
Augmented / Virtual Reality Platform for Educators, Students and Other Learning Environments
John Balash, Carnegie Mellon University - Entertainment Technology Center, Director of Educational Engagement 4:00-4:45 PM CMU’s Entertainment Technology Center is collaboratively creating an augmented/virtual reality platform to address a multitude of challenges that have sprung up during the pandemic and for planning for what's beyond. This AR/VR platform will support solutions for merging remote / distanced spaces with real physical spaces, embedding technologies into learning environments more seamlessly, and also bolstering engagement through more natural interactions. |
Using Google Earth to Help Kids Get "Outside" the Classroom
Lindsey Lamm, North Allegheny School District, Instructional Technology Integrator 4:45-5:00 PM We'll talk about how to use Google Earth Projects to help kids utilize the massive resource that is Google Earth. We were able to allow kids to see all kinds of things that were unavailable at this time due to Covid. @MrsLammITI |
Tuesday, May 11, 2021 | 6:00 - 7:45 PM
Making a Remote Finch Robot
Tom Lauwers, BirdBrain Technologies, Founder and CEO 6:00-6:45 PM Remote robots are robots that can be programmed over the internet, and are viewed by the student via a webcam. They provide a way to allow robotics activities to continue in hybrid and remote classrooms, even when the students don't have robots at home. I've been developing this technology since last March, and will present how to make a Finch into a remote robot using either NetsBlox or Python. @birdbraintech |
Physical Robots You Can Code from Home
Eric Fogle, Seneca Valley School District, Librarian/CIRC (Creativity, Innovation, Research Center) 6:45-7:45 PM I will share my remote robot project where my students can code a robot from home or in school using a live streaming camera and a block-based coding website. I was able to create twelve robots using the Hummingbird Bit robotics kits by Birdbrain Technologies. These robots connect to computers in the school via Bluetooth. Students use the website, Netsblox, to connect to the robot and code its movements. They can watch the robot in real time using a Microsoft Teams live stream. All coding can be done remotely. @fogleem |
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