Engineering is Everywhere
The Pittsburgh Chapter of the American Concrete Institute is accepting applications for a pilot program using the Engineering is Everywhere curriculum to introduce 4th through 6th graders to engineering.  Engineering is Everywhere is an evidence-based training for upper-elementary teachers who want to teach their students about what engineering is, what engineers do, and how the math and science they learn in school is used by engineers.

The selected schools for the pilot program will receive the full curriculum, which includes:

• Three video lessons to present to the classroom
• Online training for elementary educators to facilitate lesson planning and class discussion
• A kit that supplies the materials used to teach the hands-on activities, which can be used year after year

After completion of the curriculum, ACI-Pittsburgh asks that the educator participate in a 1 hour teleconference to provide feedback on the curriculum and its implementation.​

Interested educators may apply by contacting Brian Lucarelli at Lucarelli.ACI@gmail.com.  Please provide the educator's name, contact information (email or phone), grade level, and school name.

To receive information like this and to receive notifications for PA statewide STEM Coalition meetings and resources,  register for the PA STEM Listserve. ​

PA Statewide STEM Ecosystem (PSSE) and PA STEM Coalition 
The Pennsylvania STEM Coalition was and is a collective of stakeholders that planted the seeds for: a common vision for STEM; monthly virtual statewide STEM collaboration meetings; the Pennsylvania’s computer science initiative; the expansion of STEM Ecosystems; the formation of the PAsmart[SEP4] Initiative; and the review of Pennsylvania’s Science standards.   
PDE is continuing its commitment to collective impact and stakeholder-driven change in STEM through the ongoing Pennsylvania STEM Coalition and the Pennsylvania Statewide STEM Ecosystem (PSSE). PSSE is a collaborative of formal and informal STEM Ecosystems across Pennsylvania. PSSE will support the PA STEM Coalition by coordinating meetings, events, collaboration opportunities and communicating about STEM Coalition activities, emails, and updates.

To receive notices and information about online sessions for PA STEM stakeholders, please sign up through the PA STEM Listserv Registration before November 1, 2020.

This is the link to our evolving fall calendar of meetings.
Please save the dates for:

• November 12th, 2020 Time (TBD): Standards Update
• November 19th, 2020, 4:00 PM- 5:00 PM -  Ecosystem Networks - East Coast meets West Coast
• December 10th, 2020 Time (TBD): STEM Year in Review

Anyone is welcome to attend any of our Thursday meetings. If you are not able to join us, you can access all past STEM Coalition sessions in the Google Folder.
To ensure that classroom teachers can also participate in our meetings, we will schedule some upcoming meetings in the late afternoon – stay tuned.​

Want to help kids change the world?

UNICEF and the Swedish Institute need YOUR help to facilitate online learning for our event Kids Hack the Crisis, in which we’re tapping into kids’ creativity to solve the Covid crisis. 
 
WHAT: A weekend-long hack-a-thon event in which we are tapping into kids' creativity to help solve the coronavirus crisis
WHO: 800 kids age 10-15 in Europe, Africa, and North America
WHEN: October 23-25, 2020
WHERE: On Zoom

VOLUNTEER: Volunteers should be over 18, be available in afternoon time slots in Europe or North American time zones, and have some experience with kids, online teaching, or technology. Learn more and sign up for a volunteer slot here. For helping out, you’ll receive recognition from UNICEF and the Swedish Institute as a way to say thanks.

SHARE: Plus, share the event with the kids, schools, and families you serve to encourage participation!

We need hundreds of volunteers to sign up in the next 2 weeks - so please share this with your friends - and then get ready to help Kids Hack the Crisis!​

August 2020 Hummingbird in the Virtual and Hybrid Learning Age
Date: August 12 - 13, 2020, (Optional office hours available on August 14, 2020)
Time: 8:30 - 11:30 AM each day, plus optional office hours on August 14th from 9 - 11 AM
Location: Digitally, on Zoom
Who: Up to 40 teachers, starting with CS Discoveries Cohort and expanding to others
​
Are you considering adding creative robotics to your curriculum to fill out your hands-on, STEM learning? Do you already have Hummingbirds in your classroom and find yourself wondering how you might be able to use them in a virtual or hybrid teaching experience? Join Kelsey Derringer from BirdBrain Technologies, makers of the Hummingbird Robotics Kit, along with a host of other teachers and mentors to learn the basics of coding, building, and teaching with Hummingbird in any environment or classroom Grades 4-12.

CALL FOR MENTORS: We will also be seeking 13+ mentors. These mentors will be in breakout rooms monitoring and acting as Lead Learners as participants learn and work, and ideally will:

• Have some experience using Hummingbird
• Have some experience troubleshooting Hummingbird
• Have some experience with Hummingbird and MakeCode
• Be comfortable using Zoom tools like Screen Share
• Be available and willing to answer questions in breakout rooms
  
  

Book Studies by Rachelle Dene Poth

Unconventional Ways to Thrive in edu

• Weekly live discussions in August and September, 2020
• Twitter chat in August 2020 (#bookcamppd  - Sundays 7:30 PM EST)

ISTE book Chart a New Course

• Twitter chat in September 2020 (#bookcamppd  - Sundays 7:30 PM EST)

ABC CREATE  Local Experts Support Peers with Remote Learning

​ABC CREATE is loaded with phenomenal educators.  We have educators who are recognized as award-winners in a variety of STE(A)M communities -- nationally, regionally and locally. These teacher leaders have expertise and are willing to share their knowledge and experiences to support other educators.  One of those esteemed professionals, Rachelle Dene Poth, is kind enough to share resources and support designed for her colleagues at Riverview across the ABC CREATE Community. Below you will find weekly trainings that Rachelle will be hosting as well as written resources:

What: How to use Buncee for everything
When: Tuesdays 4:30 PM
Learn about Buncee for creating lessons, sharing videos, providing resources, having students create, making flyers, newsletters and more.
How: Register in advance

What: Using Nearpod
Learn  about Nearpod and how to use it for lessons, how to create, the virtual reality trips, and other tips for getting started quickly. Also integrates with Remind, Google Classroom, Teams, and can be assigned live or student pace
When: Fridays starting April 24th at 3:30 - 4:00 PM
How: Register in advance
 
What: ISTE Online Learning Page and ebook, Resources and Support for the Online Educator.
This free downloadable collection of excerpts from ISTE books (including a chapter from Rachelle's new  book: Chart A New Course) contains strategies, tips and insights to help you navigate a landscape of online learning. The activities and tools are designed for an online or home situation, or can be easily adapted for such environments. 

What:  Choosing the Right Tools for Remote Learning
This online article written by Rachelle Dene Poth and published by Getting Smart shares ideas for tools that educators can use and that families can have fun with, too. Included are suggested games, interactive lessons, videos, virtual reality and Live Cams around the world. 

Seeking a pool of local experts to provide ongoing informal one-on-one support ...

Might you be willing to connect via email or video chat or whatever to share your expertise and support your colleagues?

We'd like to continue to provide peers support for and from ABC CREATE educators by putting together a casual opportunity for educators within the ABC CREATE community  (partner districts + districts or others from the wider ABC CREATE communities) to support one another with the use of tech sites/apps that teachers are likely using right now.  We know that many teacher leaders, like Rachelle, are providing this support within their districts, and we want to be sure to support teachers who may be looking for an additional avenue for help with questions or navigation of the technology in a judgement free space.

Seeking local educators with sufficient expertise in tech applications for remote teaching/learning to be able to provide support to educators with less experience with technologies. Must be willing to field some calls/emails.  Must lead with kindness and create a safe space for learning. 😀

​If you’re willing to make yourself available, please complete this brief form.  We’ll share the information out in future ABC CREATE Updates. ​

A Message and an Offer of Support from the CREATE Lab
Wednesdays from 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM
Fridays from 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Zoom Meeting https://us04web.zoom.us/j/218545006

We hope that you all are safe, healthy, and well. As we continue to grapple with the transition to socially distanced learning, our CMU team from the CREATE Lab, the ETC, the Simon Initiative, and the School of Computer Science will continue holding office hours to stay connected with you and to keep learning about how we can help.  While we do have a theme that we discuss below, as always, we’ll respond to whatever comes up. In this rapidly changing landscape, we are committed to supporting educators through uncertainty and the sudden uptake of technology-based learning approaches. We will continue to host two sessions per week: one on Wednesdays from 12:30 - 1:30p and one on Fridays from 11a - 12p. Please feel free to drop in or out at any time during those hours. These are meant to be helpful and flexible first and foremost. 
 
This week, we’ll loosely focus on a theme: Planning for “Indefinitely” while Launching Distance Learning, to facilitate discussion about: how you’re planning for indefinite remote learning, where there are gaps and needs at your school or district, and what we can do to help. These office hours also hold space for you to connect with educator colleagues from other organizations as well as our team at CMU. Bringing everyone together across communities will help us activate resources and apply them where they are most needed. In these unprecedented circumstances, we think it’s most important to stay connected with each other and learn together about how to develop a new normal that will support schools and communities in uncertain times.
 
To join the meeting, please use the link below: 
https://us04web.zoom.us/j/218545006

Learning Pathways Design and Writing Sessions - Remote Style - Stipends Available

Location: Remote via Zoom
Date and Time: Designated Afterschool (4 - 8 PM) and Saturday sessions (8 AM - 12 PM)
See full schedule below.
Overview: With support from our PAsmart grant, ABC CREATE is continuing to develop Learning Pathways (learning unit modules focusing on integrating K-12 STEAM technologies and project-based learning). We are looking for educators who are interested in designing something new, capturing an existing classroom project, or completing a learning pathway already in progress. Best practices for remote delivery of instruction may also be considered.

Stipends: PAsmart funds will pay a $160 stipend per afterschool or Saturday session for your participation. Satisfactory progress will be monitored by the Learning Pathways Leaders. Stipends are available first to educators from an ABC CREATE participating district; other educators who are interested in participating should contact Colleen Smith and will be considered.

Remote Format: 
For Newbies (those engaging in a Learning Pathway session for the first time): 

• You will be required to participate in an initial full session. A Learning Pathways Leader will connect with you and any others via Zoom to lay the foundation, to explain the purpose and current status of our Learning Pathways, to introduce you to the template, and to guide you as you begin to develop your pathway. 
• After your introduction/orientation, you will begin working on your Learning Pathway; the Learning Pathways Leader will be available via phone or video conference to answer any questions or to talk through the development of your pathway.  
• You will connect again via Zoom for a mid-point check-in, and then you will have time to continue to develop your pathway. The Learning Pathways Leader will again only be a phone call or Zoom Chat away if you need help.
• Near the end of the session, there will be a Closing Check-In where you can report on your progress, ask questions, and define next steps. 
  
  

For Experienced Pathway Writers (those who have previously attended at least one Learning Pathways Writing/Design Session):

• You will register for at least one of the assigned times.
• You will have the option of tuning in to the introduction and connecting with the group via Zoom at the beginning of the session, although this is not required after your first session.
• You will connect with a Learning Pathways Leader at some point during the session for which you have registered to provide updates, share progress, exchange insights and perspectives, and define next steps toward completion of your pathway.  The Learning Pathways Leader will reach out to you to set a scheduled time and to establish the mode for connecting during the session for which you have registered.
• You may register for subsequent Learning Pathways as long as you are making demonstrated progress on your pathway.  

School Tours

• October 28, 2019 -- Elizabeth Forward 
• November 18, 2019 -- Quaker Valley
• December 12, 2019 -- Duquesne
  

Are you interested in learning more about what’s happening in local schools? Join administrators and educators to visit area districts, and experience firsthand their approaches to teaching and learning that aims to be more relevant, engaging, and responsive to their students. Between late October and mid-May, you and your colleagues are invited to tour the following school districts: Elizabeth Forward, Quaker Valley, Duquesne, New Castle, Avonworth, South Fayette, Baldwin-Whitehall, and Hampton. Each half-day tour will begin around 9am and conclude by about noon. Space for each tour will be limited to the first 50 registrants. Registration for the three 2019 dates is now available. There is no cost to participate.

Your hosts at each school tour site – along with leaders from each school district – will be Dr. Bille Rondinelli and Dr. Bart Rocco, fellows at The Grable Foundation: “We know that tours of schools can have a powerful impact on educators and students. They provide examples of how districts are teaching children in innovative and exciting ways, and these tours help educators build relationships with other educators to share best practices that enhance learning for all students across our region. They also give children a chance to share their experiences about their learning. We hope you'll join us for these wonderful opportunities!”

Femininity, Girls & STEM: The impact of internalized gender norms on engagement in STEM
Date and Time: Wednesday, October 30, 2019 from 11:30 AM – 3 PM
Location: Pittsburgh YWCA
305 Wood St, Pittsburgh, PA 15222

Overview: Workshop conducted by TrueChild. Special opportunity made available to ABC CREATE through Grable Funding in partnership with the Pittsburgh YWCA and Assemble. The STEM field has done an amazing job of addressing a host of external barriers to girls’ participation: like lack of role models, teacher bias, etc. But what about internal barriers, like girls’ own attitudes?

For instance, in one focus group, when asked if girls couldn't be smart, feminine, AND popular with boys, they looked at one another and burst out laughing, explaining: "Yes, but not in junior high!" Because that’s when they had to "dumb it down" and focus on appearance. They described an attractive classmate whom "no one sees as a pretty girl because she is so smart she's like a nerd."

As one principal in East San Jose has noted: "We're making progress, yet our upper level classes are still all boys. Gender norms feel like an overlooked but crucial part of the solution."

Join this open, interactive presentation on the impact of rigid feminine norms on girls and STEM achievement. Part I is an overview of gender and STEM, Part II is a training for educators and facilitators on TrueChild’s model FaST (Feminine And STem) curriculum. As the outcome graphic from SUNY Stony Brook below shows, the results of this curriculum can be pretty robust.

Hummingbird Bit Workshop

Date: Tuesday, August 13, 2019 from 8:30 AM - 3:30 PM
Location: Penn State New Kensington

BirdBrain Technologies’ new Hummingbird Bits allow for untethered robot creations and have tremendous capabilities for supporting learning of at least coding and computer science and engineering for beginner learners to the advanced.  Cramming in a last bit of summer fun, we invite educators to join us for professional development and to bring along their children (grades 4 – 12; adult children also welcome J).  Educators without children in attendance are of course, also welcome. 
Kelsey Derringer, from BirdBrain Technologies will conduct this session and is well prepared to guide newbies and the experienced to gaining skill and confidence with integrating robotics lessons in to learning spaces.
This PD is free for educators and their kids and will include lunch (and some morning eats). Please register right away, so we can prepare to have fun with you!

Calling K-2 Educators

ABC CREATE is designing a training for K-2 to highlight STEAM integration to be held in Fall 2019.  This training will include Puzzlets with and without Dash & Dots.  What might we include to make a full-day STEAM/PBL training for K-2 educators in ABC CREATE? What other creative technologies or project based learning are you implementing or would you like to learn more about for your classrooms or districts in K-2? Please help guide ABC CREATE to make this meaningful by sending a quick email to Colleen Smith by August 5th with your insights and suggestions.

Learning Pathways Writing
Date: August 14th and August 15th from 8:30 AM - 3:30 PM each day
Location: Penn State New Kensington

Already doing awesome STEAM integrations in K-2?  In other grade levels? Have good ideas or a strong desire to integrate STEAM projects in to your teaching and need some help getting started?

Please share your work or come to develop your thoughts and ideas and GET PAID to do Learning Pathways Writing.  Our last Summer 2019 Learning Pathways Writing Session is coming up in August:

• $40/hour with funding from ABC CREATE’s PAsmart’s Advancing Grant
• Morning nibbles, coffee, and lunch provided