Blog Posts

Early Spring Updates for ABC CREATE

3/27/2020

ABC CREATE Community Survey

ABC CREATE is here to support this collaborative educational community, and we want to do what we can to help you with the shifts you are experiencing with the transitions to online/remote learning. The ABC CREATE values of collaboration, equitable access, innovative teaching and learning, and technological fluency remain highly relevant as does our mission. The focal point of classroom STEAM integrations may have shifted a bit for now, but the tenets, frameworks, and resources are in place to support our mission and you, our community.

Please use the very basic survey to share some of your successes, helpful resources, and/or tips & tricks that others within ABC CREATE might benefit from -- as well as to reach out to communicate any needs or questions you may have.

We'll review the results and use what we receive to try to take some steps to empower and strengthen you and your work. Please know that we may publish what you submit. If you would like to submit anonymously, you can. Otherwise, please include your name and email at the end of the survey.

PLEASE COMPLETE SURVEY

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.

Register for an Afterschool Session 4-8pm

Register for a Weekend Session 8am-12pm

BirdBrain Virtual Offerings

Creative Robotics at Home
BirdBrain Technologies has put forth a schedule of LIVE webinars (some that require no robotics or coding -- simply cardboard creations) to support deep and joyful learning that you want to incorporate in the learning for your students and/or for your own children.

Professional Development
Look here for a schedule of LIVE webinars (some overlap with the Creative Robotics at Home + some designed solely for educators) as well as for Self-Paced Video Courses. You will find some that require a robot and some that do not.

TransformEd Pop-Up PLNs
Location: Remote via Zoom
Date and Time: Monday - Friday , 45 minutes, 11am + 3pm

Pop-Up PLNs (Professional Learning Networks) are engaging, virtual opportunities to explore new technologies and teaching practices while connecting with other educators, all from the convenience of your living room! Sessions are 45 minutes, held at 11 AM and 3 PM EST each day, and open to all educators. Webinar link: https://paiu.zoom.us/j/638767040
Questions: Email Tyler Samstag at tyler.samstag@aiu3.net

Wonder Workshop: Best of Coding and Robotics
April 6-17, 2020
Participate in live, streamed sessions or view recordings of the sessions at your convenience.

Join Wonder Workshop for a FREE series of award-winning webinars, speakers, and workshops all available in a virtual setting that will bring together educators and parents from all around the country to learn how to engage kids in the exciting topic of coding and robotics. Dash and Dot robots are not necessary! Learn more and register here.

ABC CREATE Resource Library Temporarily Closed

Due to the increasing risk posed by the Coronavirus and the strong recommendation for all staff and students to stay off of Penn State New Kensington’s Campus, we will be unable to fulfill any resource requests at this time.

Likewise, if you have any resources checked out at this time, you needn’t worry about returning them until campus has reopened. Hopefully, this will reduce unneeded stress in this difficult time.

Early Winter Opportunities for ABC CREATE

1/13/2020

ABC CREATE STEAM SHOWCASE 2020 - March 10, 2020
REQUEST for Proposals and SAVE the DATE
Location: Penn State New Kensington
3550 7th Street Road
New Kensington, PA 15068
Date and Time: Tuesday, March 10, 2020 from 8 AM - 3 PM
RFP Overview: Educators from all grade levels and subject areas are encouraged to submit proposals for our ABC CREATE STEAM Showcase 2020. We are particularly seeking projects reflecting classroom integration of creative technologies or project-based learning that give students the opportunity to develop skills for the 21st Century while simultaneously highlighting the ABC CREATE values of equitable access, collaboration, technological fluency, and innovative teaching and learning. Please submit your proposal by January 31, 2020 (sooner if you're ready!). Presenters will be notified of the status of their proposal by February 14, 2020.

Already know it will be helpful and relevant for you? Go for it! Click the Register Now button below.

SUBMIT YOUR PROPOSAL

Creative Robotics for Elementary School with the NEW Finch 2.0 and Hummingbird Bit
Location: Penn State New Kensington, Art Gallery
3550 7th Street Road
New Kensington, PA 15068
Date and Time:
Tuesday, February 11th 8:30 AM – 3:30 PM
Overview: Join Kelsey Derringer from BirdBrain Technologies for a full day of creative robotics using the all new Finch Robot 2.0 and the innovative Hummingbird Robotics kit! Participants will use tablets to work with Finch 2.0 in the morning, beginning with icon-base programming for kindergarteners and pre-readers. Participants will then use block-based programming for 3rd-6th grade learners. In the afternoon, participants will switch to using Hummingbird Robotics Kits and build content-connected projects like Robot Poetry, Muscles and Bones, and Robot Petting Zoo. See all the new capabilities of Finch 2.0 and Hummingbird Bit, and gain experience with coding, building, and cross-curricular computer science and STEM education. No experience necessary. This workshop is appropriate for K-6 teachers in any subject interested in computer science and robotics. Tablets and robots will be provided for participants for use during the workshop. Free, eligible for ACT 48 credits, and we’ll provide lunch. Open to ABC CREATE district educators and all educators from within the region.

Creative Robotics for Middle and High School with the NEW Finch 2.0 and Hummingbird Bit
Location: Penn State New Kensington, Art Gallery
3550 7th Street Road
New Kensington, PA 15068
Date and Time:
Thursday, February 13th 8:30 AM – 3:30 PM
Overview: Join Kelsey Derringer from BirdBrain Technologies for a full day of creative robotics using the all new Finch Robot 2.0 and the innovative Hummingbird Robotics kit! Participants will use tablets to work with Finch 2.0 in the morning, using block-based programming appropriate for middle-high school learners. In the afternoon, participants will switch to using Hummingbird Robotics Kits with laptops/Chromebooks, still using block-based programming, to design and build content-connected projects like Robot Poetry, Muscles and Bones, and Robot Petting Zoo. See all the new capabilities of Finch 2.0 and Hummingbird Bit, and gain experience with coding, building, and cross-curricular computer science and STEM education. No experience necessary. This workshop is appropriate for 6th-12th teachers in any subject interested in computer science and robotics. Please bring a laptop or Chromebook with USB port for use during the afternoon. Tablets and robots will be provided for use during the morning activities. Free, eligible for ACT 48 credits, and we’ll provide lunch. Open to ABC CREATE district educators and all educators from within the region.

Learning Pathways Design/Writing Session
Location: Penn State New Kensington, Art Gallery
3550 7th Street Road
New Kensington, PA 15068
Date and Time:Wednesday, February 19th
Breakfast at 8:00 AM, Session: 8:30 AM -3:00 PM - Art Gallery
Lunch will be provided.
Overview: Might you already be doing awesome STEAM integrations in K-12? Have good ideas or a strong desire to integrate STEAM projects into your teaching and need some help getting started? Have a Learning Pathway in progress and need time to see it through to completion? Ready and willing to do some peer review to be sure all our Learning Pathways are ready for prime time?
Answer yes to any of the questions above, and you're a prime candidate for our focused ABC CREATE writing/design session. Fellow educators will serve as guides for designing and creating pathways for Coding & Computer Science, Engineering, Data Fluency, and Creative Design.
PAsmart funds will pay the cost of a substitute for educators from an ABC CREATE participating district attending this session.

OPPORTUNITIES THROUGH ABC CREATE PARTNERS

STEAM Showcase X Network Assembly
Location: Nova Place, 100 South Commons, Pittsburgh, PA 15212
Date: Friday, January 17th, 9:30 AM - 6:00 PM

Overview: Join Remake Learning, Allegheny Intermediate Unit 3, and transformED for a day of hands-on STEAM exploration and a celebration of all things innovative learning. Stop by throughout the morning, afternoon, or evening to experience the region’s premier STEAM learning showcase and the latest from the Remake Learning Network. The entire day is FREE and open to the public.

LEARN MORE + REGISTER

Introduction to Hummingbird Webinar
Location: Online
Date: January 28, 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Overview: Design, build, and program your own robot using the Hummingbird Bit Robotics Kit in this 1-hour introductory webinar. This hands-on webinar is designed for any educator interested in bringing robotics, programming, and design into their district. Get helpful tips on how you can integrate robotics into any subject area while you create your own working robot. Hummingbird Robotics Kit is not required, but highly recommended. Educators from a participating ABC CREATE district can borrow kits from the ABC CREATE Resource Library.

LEARN MORE + REGISTER

Hummingbird Bit PD - NEW Free Self-Paced Video Series
Location: Online
Date: Self-pace on your own time
Overview: Ready to get started with a Hummingbird Bit Robotics Kit and MakeCode but don’t know where to begin? Access the new FREE self-paced online video course from BirdBrain to ensure success in your classroom! ABC CREATE District Educators: Borrow a Hummingbird Bit Kit from our ABC CREATE Resource Library to use while you participate in this online course. Check out the first video!

LEARN MORE + ACCESS THE VIDEOS

Gadgets to Teach Coding in the Elementary Classroom
Location: Allegheny Intermediate Unit - transformED
475 E Waterfront Drive, Homestead, PA 15120
Date: February 28, 2020 8:30 AM - 3:30 PM
Overview: Many elementary classrooms now include computational thinking skills development in their curriculum. Coding, especially, can take many forms: Code.org, Everyone Can Code, CS First, or Scratch. Teachers are discovering that when students can see or touch a physical device following the coding written in the program, they gain satisfaction and increased interest. We'll look at Sphero, Makey Makey, Puzzlets, and Dash as devices you can use in your classroom to enhance, support, and accelerate your efforts. FREE

REGISTRATION

Submit your Event for Remake Learning Days 2020
Our favorite learning festival returns to southwestern Pennsylvania and West Virginia May 7 - 17. Schools, after-school organizations, nonprofits, museums, and more are invited to submit an innovative, family-friendly learning event for inclusion in the festival. Be part of the world’s largest open house for hands-on learning! Our ABC CREATE goal is to have each ABC CREATE district on the books with at least one Remake Learning Days Event. What will yours be? Follow the link below to learn more about the event and submit your event.

LEARN MORE + SUBMIT EVENT

Fall Opportunities for ABC CREATE

10/14/2019

ABC CREATE Ambassadors
Fall 2019 application deadline: November 1, 2019
We’re looking to enhance our outreach and engagement of teachers in ABC CREATE districts. If you’re reading this (and you work in a participating ABC CREATE district), it’s likely that you’re just the kind of teacher we’re looking for. We’re building a corps of ABC CREATE Ambassadors. If you would like to be an ABC CREATE Ambassador for your building (or maybe for your district), please apply now. ABC CREATE Ambassadors will be expected to communicate about ABC CREATE workshops and activities to fellow educators in their buildings/districts. ABC CREATE Ambassadors will be sounding boards and conduits of ideas that will shape the work of ABC CREATE. At least twice a year, ABC CREATE Ambassadors will be invited to attend an after school function (a dinner or happy hour or something hopefully with a mix of work and fun!) where you will get ABC CREATE updates and share insights. Think how much fun it would be to have the opportunity to get together with your ABC CREATE peeps! Not only will you make an impact in your district and within the ABC CREATE community of learners, but you will also be rewarded with a soon to be highly coveted ABC CREATE T-shirt!

APPLY NOW

2019 ABC CREATE Survey for educators and administrators in ABC CREATE Participating Districts
We know you're working hard everyday to engage students in relevant and innovative learning. In collaboration with ABC CREATE and other districts in the Alle-Kiski Valley, we want to learn how to better support you and your students. Specifically, we want to understand what support you need to integrate essential skill-sets that our students will need to succeed in the ever-changing digital economy and job market.

Please take 10 minutes to respond to this survey by Friday, 11/1 to inform opportunities for educator professional learning and support. Your voice and perspectives are essential to shaping future opportunities for educators, like you, in our region. As a bonus, the district with the highest response rate will be treated to donuts or some other tasty treat! Thank you for participating.

SURVEY LINK

Hummingbird Bit & the Digital Age
Location: Penn State New Kensington
3550 7th Street Road
New Kensington, PA 15068
Date and Time: Thursday, November 7th 8:30 AM – 3:30 PM
Overview: Hummingbird Bit Training (Appropriate for teachers of grades 3-12 of any subject, administrators, STEM and STEAM teachers, CS teachers, or any educator interested in creative robotics. No prior experience or knowledge necessary.)
Why teach robotics and computer science? This workshop will touch on many important reasons for teaching robotics and CS, K-12, including equity, joy, and the future of work. Using the radio function of Hummingbird Robotics Kit, participants will design and build a working model of a Smart Home in which devices in different rooms "talk" to and control one another. This innovative session will take participants through the basics of robotics, coding, and building, through a few more advanced features like radio. We'll also be answering the question, "What can students do with data?"
Please bring a laptop or Chromebook with a USB port. (If you do not have one, we can provide one for you.)
Free, eligible for ACT 48 credits, and we’ll provide lunch. Open to ABC CREATE district educators and all educators from within the region.

Learning Pathways Design/Writing Sessions
Location: Penn State New Kensington, Art Gallery
3550 7th Street Road
New Kensington, PA 15068
Dates and Times:
Tuesday, November 12th Arrival: 8:00am Session: 8:30 AM -3:00 PM
Tuesday, December 3rd Arrival: 8:00am Session: 8:30 AM -3:00 PM
Lunch will be provided.
Overview: Might you already be doing awesome STEAM integrations in K-12? Have good ideas or a strong desire to integrate STEAM projects in to your teaching and need some help getting started? Have a Learning Pathway in progress and need time to see it through to completion? Ready and willing to do some peer review to be sure all our Learning Pathways are ready for prime time?
Answer yes to any of the questions above, and you're a prime candidate for our focused ABC CREATE writing/design session. Fellow educators will serve as guides for designing and creating pathways for Coding & Computer Science, Engineering, Data Fluency, and Creative Design.

PAsmart funds will pay the cost of a substitute for educators from an ABC CREATE participating distric t attending these sessions.

Fall Convening 2019
Location: Penn State New Kensington
3550 7th Street Road
New Kensington, PA 15068
Date and Time: Tuesday, November 26, 2019 8:30 AM - 3:30 PM
This year’s convening will focus on the alignment of CS and Coding from K-12 with an opportunity for hands-on exploration of a variety of tech tools. More details and registration coming soon. If you’re an educator or administrator in an ABC CREATE participating district who is integrating coding/CS in to your classroom, library, or curricula, please save the date and begin to clear your path to attend.

ABC CREATE Finch 2.0 Preview
Location: TBD
Date and Time: Thursday, December 12, 2019 4 - 7 PM
Finch 2.0 Preview -- HAPPY HOUR
Be among the first educators to try out the Finch Robot 2.0! Finch 2 includes revolutionary updates to the original Finch robot, while maintaining the mission of Finch: to inspire and delight students learning computer science from Kindergarten to college.

Finch 2 will launch in March 2020 with built-in support for tablets and laptops, and icon-, block-, and text- based programming, including Python and Java. It is wireless, with a battery that lasts for an entire classroom day, multiple programmable LEDs, buzzer, light/line sensors, and a pen mount for drawing.

2020 Plan Ahead/Save the Date(s)
February 11, 2020 Birdbrain Workshop: Finch 2.0 and Hummingbird Bit - Elementary
February 13, 2020 Birdbrain Workshop: Finch 2.0 and Hummingbird Bit - Secondary
March 10, 2020 ABC CREATE STEAM Showcase - Penn State New Kensington

OPPORTUNITIES THROUGH ABC CREATE PARTNERS

Lunch & Learn: ABC CREATE and Pre-service Ed
Location:
Carlow University
3333 Fifth Ave
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
Date and Time:
Tuesday, October 29th 12 PM - 1:30 PM
Lunch will be provided.
Overview:
ABC CREATE and Pre-service EdAs the scope of what is possible in PK-12 schools rapidly deepens, the expectations of what our soon to be educators are capable of doing is also expanding. In this session, we will explore things higher education institutions are doing to immerse pre-service teachers in different ways of thinking and teaching that parallels the work happening in K-12 institutions.

LEARN MORE + REGISTER

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.

Digital Bridge Conference
Date: Thursday, October 31 8:30 – 3:30 PM
Location: DoubleTree Hilton Pittsburgh-Cranberry
1 Bigelow Sq, Pittsburgh, PA 15219

Overview:The Digital Bridge 2019, Pittsburgh’s Industry 4.0 Conference will bring together leading manufacturers in western PA to learn about Industry 4.0. While this is billed as a manufacturer’s conference, it could be a great opportunity for educators and K-12 administrators to get insights into what is happening in the work world and how the STEAM-based and 21st Century Skills we’re teaching students are valued -- like an educator in the workplace experience – except with wider scope. Members of ABC CREATE Ecosystem (Steve Leonard, Joe Cuiffi, and Mike Holtkamp) will be part of the Panel Discussion.

(If you’d like to attend and you are from a participating ABC CREATE district, contact Colleen Smith at cms64@psu.edu to see if you can take advantage of a free registration).

NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing
High School Award:
Deadline November 5, 2019
MORE INFO

Educator Award:
Deadline December 2, 2019 with endorsement of High School Applicant by November 12th
MORE INFO

PSNK STEAM Outreach Club
Location: Students come to you
Date and Time: Currently seeking
Overview: If you’d like college students (near peers) who are building STEAM skills at Penn State New Kensington (typically engineering, computing, and/or science students) to visit your school to share their insights and experiences (and likely a hands-on activity and some kind of icebreaker with your students), please get in touch with Sedona Rogers, the Penn State New Kensington STEAM Outreach Club President to discuss possible activities and schedules.

CMU CREATE Lab is seeking RESEARCH VOLUNTEERS
Location: Remote
Eligibility: Teach a Kindergartenl cass in a public or charter school
Date and Time: Currently seeking
Overview: The CMU CREATE Lab is conducting a research study to determine what and how technology is used in kindergarten classrooms. Lauren Zito is seeking volunteers to allow me to interview them about kindergarten technology use. The interview should take less than an hour. It could be by phone or in person on campus.

Lauren is seeking volunteers to allow me to observe their classroom. Classroom observation time and duration can be set by the classroom teacher and will be no longer than three hours. The observation requires no time from the classroom teachers. The interview and observation would not include any teacher compensation.

Please let Lauren know if you or any of your fellow educators would be interested in talking with me or allowing me to observe. I greatly appreciate the opportunity to learn from you. Any educator with experience in kindergarten can volunteer.

For more information or to volunteer, please email Lauren Zito.

Summer Opportunities for ABC CREATE

7/29/2019

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

APPLY NOW

Spring Opportunities for ABC CREATE

4/23/2019

ABC CREATE@Burrell STEAM Teachers’ Camp
Date: Wednesday, June 19 - Friday, June 21 from 8:30 AM - 3 PM
Location: Burrell School District (6/19 and 6/20) and Penn State New Kensington (6/21)
Open to ALL teachers – ABC CREATE districts and others, any grade level – any subject area. Designed for educators who want to feel more comfortable integrating STEAM in to their classrooms. No experience required! Guided and supported by fellow teachers who are excited by this work! Hands-on opportunities to play around with technologies and ideas. Wonderful networking opportunities. Explore
STEAM teaching and learning concepts, strategies, and resources.

LEARN MORE + REGISTER

PAsmart Advancing Grant Opportunities

Learning Pathways - Paid Summer 2019 Opportunity
A goal of ABC CREATE's PAsmart Advancing Grant is to have 6-10 Learning Pathways within each strand developed by June 2020. To start this effort, we are reaching out to teachers for paid opportunities this summer. If you started a Pathway you'd like to polish or have one in mind you'd like to create, please complete this application.

Invitations to participate will be issued based on the following criteria:

Original and engaging STEAM proposal that meets ABC CREATE goals
Fills a gap in the strands/levels needed

Although we will continue to accept and to review applications until we have maxed out the available funding for this, early applications will receive early consideration.

PAsmart Grant Project Facilitator - Seeking independent contractor
The ABC CREATE Connects (PAsmart grant) is seeking an independent contractor to manage tasks and responsibilities of the Grant Project Facilitator including assisting the ongoing collaborative (ABC CREATE) initiatives and taking the lead on the targeted outcomes of the PAsmart ABC CREATE Connects grant. This person will help to push forward the new initiatives without interrupting the work already started within the member school districts. Please share this posting and help us to find someone great for ABC CREATE.

Happy Hour: Bots and Bevs Part of Remake Learning Days!
Location: The Pub at 333
333 Allegheny Avenue Oakmont, PA 15139
Date and Time: Tuesday, May 14, 2019 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM
It's Remake Learning Days! Join ABC CREATE teachers and BirdBrain for our Educator MeetUp! Kick back, relax, and create some robots with educators from the Pittsburgh area! Talk with peers about edtech, bring curriculum ideas and questions, or just use a Hummingbird Robotics Kit to make your own robot. No programming/robotics experience required! Technology and craft materials will be provided if you want to build your own bot. Brews and other beverages are available for purchase at the bar.

BirdBrain Technologies: Seeking Math Coaches for Summer Residency!

BirdBrain Technologies is looking for math teachers to help to design a new product! BirdBrain Technologies is collaborating with the CREATE Lab at Carnegie Mellon University to develop a new educational technology focused on elementary math.

To be eligible to participate you must:

Teach math at the K-5 level.
Be able to participate at CMU for the entire residency period.

Preference will be given to individuals who have expertise with multiple grades and/or serve as math coaches for their school or district!
Participants will receive a stipend of $150/day. (Total payment up to $1500.) You will be responsible for transportation and parking costs.

LEARN MORE

Educating Young Innovators: PDMA Pittsburgh Panel Discussion
Location: CMU, Integrated Innovation Institute, 4612 Forbes Ave., Pittsburgh
Date and Time: Wednesday, May 15, 6 - 8 PM
Overview: Join PDMA (Product Development Marketing Association) on May 15th for an engaging panel discussion (featuring two from ABC CREATE) to learn how to unlock the potential of young innovators. We have gathered the area’s top educators to discuss how innovation is being engaged at all age levels. Our panelists will discuss best practices to help you cultivate innovation and creativity to prepare students to become successful innovators for the products and services of tomorrow.

LEARN MORE

Business Partner: Sherri McCleary, Kennametal + Education Partner: Laura Fleischer Proano, Highlands
Location: The Corner, 701 Fifth Avenue, New Kensington Corridor of Innovation
Date and Time: Thursday, May 16th, 6-8pm
Highlighting direct connections between ABC CREATE STEAM classroom projects and 21st Century workforce applications. High school students, teachers, and business representatives will demonstrate the links between classroom STEAM projects, the 21st Century skills students are learning, and the ways these skills are utilized in today’s work places. Open to the Public: All are welcome to join this FREE learning event with demos, door prizes and refreshments. Contact: Colleen Smith, STE(A)M Outreach Coordinator

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PDE Seeking teachers of all levels
to help with a NGSS and PA Standards Crosswalk

I am sharing this on behalf of Dave Bauman, Science Advisor for PDE. Please feel free to pass this on to anyone who may be interested. PDE is looking for several elementary, middle and high school teachers.
PDE is planning on completing a crosswalk of NGSS and the PA Standards. The committee will convene on May 20 and 21 at PaTTAN Harrisburg. It is intended that this document will help districts in moving towards NGSS and developing curricula that is aligned to both NGSS and expectations for the PSSA and Keystone Exams. We are looking for teachers at all levels to help with this project.

If you are interested in participating, please complete this FORM

You will be notified by email if you are selected to participate in this important project.

Seeking video highlights of #STEMinPA
From: Judd Pittman, Special Consultant to the Secretary of Education for STEM Department of Education
To: STEM Ecosystems (that includes ABC CREATE!):

Greetings STEM Ecosystems,
Are you interested in highlighting your students, educators, partners, and ecosystem in front of an international audience? Then keep reading this email! Have you heard? Secretary Pedro Rivera will provide the opening keynote at the ISTE EdTech Conference this year, and his keynote will include a brief video highlighting #STEMinPA.

Interested in being a part of the video? Awesome! We will need iPhone/iPad/Android video from you that feels and looks authentic – shot by students (or their advisors/teachers). The content could include:

students working on STEM-themed projects and activities individually, in groups, classroom-wide, or community-wide
brief interviews of students, educators, and partners on their experiences learning about/teaching STEM, the impact of the ecosystem on STEM learning opportunities, etc

What’s the timeline look like? We need the video content from you by Friday, May 17, 2019.

Important: we do not want you to edit the video in any way/use professional video cameras to film this – our goal is to create an authentic video that truly depicts STEM, shared with the world straight from the hands of our future leaders and their mentors.

Let us know if you are interested in participating in this opportunity – we’ll work together to craft a storyboard/more detailed plan surrounding the above, and, the best possible way to get the video from your devices to ours.

Thanks for your support!
Judd R. Pittman | Special Consultant to the Secretary of Education for STEM Department of Education
Phone: 717.991.7264 | Cell: 717.991.7264
c-jpittman@pa.gov

If you decide to follow up with Judd on this opportunity, please be sure to identify yourself as part of ABC CREATE!

OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS

ABC CREATE@Burrell STEAM Camp for Middle Schoolers
Date: Monday, June 17 - Wednesday, June 19 from 8:30 AM - 3 PM
Location: Charles Huston Middle School, Lower Burrell, PA
Open to ALL Middle Schoolers – Rising 6th, 7th and 8th graders – ABC CREATE districts and others. Youth who want to get their hands on cool tech at an informal learning pace. Time to tinker with tools, program robots and build virtual worlds. No experience required! Guided and supported by teachers who are excited by this work. $25 fee includes lunch each day.

LEARN MORE + REGISTER

SUMMER STE(A)M CAMPS for Kids

Introducing a new page on our website -- under Special Projects.

http://www.abccreate.org/steam-summer-camps.html

Do you have a camp you want to share here or connect your students to? If so, submit to heather.abccreate@gmail.com.
Check out other great summer opportunities through regional partners that could be a great fit for your students (or your own kids!)

Check back often as we'll be adding submissions as we receive them.

March Opportunities for ABC CREATE

3/20/2019

Business Partner: Mike Holtkamp, Siemens + Education Partner: Sue Mellon, Allegheny Valley
Location: The Corner, 701 Fifth Avenue, New Kensington Corridor of Innovation
Date and Time: Monday March 25th, 6-8pm
Highlighting direct connections between ABC CREATE STEAM classroom projects and 21st Century workforce applications. High school students, teachers, and business representatives will demonstrate the links between classroom STEAM projects, the 21st Century skills students are learning, and the ways these skills are utilized in today’s work places. Open to the Public: All are welcome to join this FREE learning event with demos, door prizes and refreshments. Contact: Colleen Smith, STE(A)M Outreach Coordinator

Business Partner: Sherri McCleary, Kennametal + Education Partner: Laura Fleischer Proano, Highlands
Location: The Corner, 701 Fifth Avenue, New Kensington Corridor of Innovation
Date and Time: Thursday, May 16th, 6-8pm
Highlighting direct connections between ABC CREATE STEAM classroom projects and 21st Century workforce applications. High school students, teachers, and business representatives will demonstrate the links between classroom STEAM projects, the 21st Century skills students are learning, and the ways these skills are utilized in today’s work places. Open to the Public: All are welcome to join this FREE learning event with demos, door prizes and refreshments. Contact: Colleen Smith, STE(A)M Outreach Coordinator

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Ignite Grants
Applications accepted March 18 – April 8.
It only takes one spark to ignite big change! How would $1,000 spark innovation in your classroom or learning space? This spring, Remake Learning will award 100 Ignite Grants of $1,000 to support innovative learning practices, projects, and environments. Funding will support equitable learning experiences and projects that work alongside, uplift, and support learners impacted by poverty, learners of color, learners in rural areas, girls in STEM, and learners with exceptionalities.

Any organization that is active in the Remake Learning network and mission is invited to apply starting Monday, March 18. Organizations can join the network online at remakelearning.org/join.
Support for Ignite Grants is generously provided by The Grable Foundation.

LEARN MORE + APPLY

Hummingbird Bit Professional Development
Location: transformED WEST @ Montour HS
223 Clever Rd., McKees Rocks, PA 15136
Date and Time: Friday, March 29, 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM EST
FREE. Design, build, and program with the new Hummingbird Bit Robotics Kit in this hands-on professional development. This 6-hour introductory workshop is designed for any teacher interested in bringing robotics, programming, and design into their classrooms. We will provide helpful tips on how you can integrate robotics into any subject area while you create your own working robot.
Please note: when you register, you have the option to choose a free workshop seat along with options for discounted kits along with your free registration.

Pittsburgh Regional STE(A)M Ecosystem Updates
The Pittsburgh Regional STE(A)M Ecosystem cultivates diverse and equitable high quality STEM and STEAM learning opportunities, addressing real world challenges, for all students in our region with an eye toward building a scientifically-informed citizenry, and creative, prosperous, and resilient population.

ACCESS UPDATES

Rethinking How Math is Taught
Free ASSET Professional Development
Location: ASSET STEM Education 2403 Sidney Street #800 Pittsburgh, PA 15203
Date and Time: Friday, May 10! Two sessions - 9:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. (two-hours)

Middle School math teachers are invited to ASSET's Remake Learning Days event, “Rethinking How Math is Taught" to be held on Friday, May 10, 2019. The event is a FREE professional development course to explore how inquiry-based teaching and learning can be an effective tool in math classrooms. Participants will be immersed in inquiry-based, hands-on mathematical experiences where they will walk away understanding the importance of embedding authentic and critical problem-solving skills into their instruction. Learn more about the course here.

Sevenzo's Try a Practice
Sevenzo has collaborated with experts to identify actionable practices that will help educators build a more caring classroom for students. Each practice is easy to try using a toolkit that includes a mix of self-reflection, classroom activities, and ways to share how the practice made a difference for students. Practices focus on relationships, learning environments, and student ownership. Try one today!

Select a practice & download a toolkit

PAsmart: Keep an eye out for a special edition with updates on our first steps to implement the PAsmart Advancing grant initiatives.

Summer 2019 STEAM Camps - ABC CREATE@ Burrell
Save the Dates -
Kids’ STEAM Camp - June 17 - 19, 2019 |
Teachers’ STEAM Camp - June 19 - 21, 2019 (Note: Change in dates)
Registration will follow. For more information, contact Colleen Smith

Seeking K-12 Educators for Focus Group
Location: The Corner, 701 Fifth Avenue, New Kensington Corridor of Innovation
Date and Time: Tuesday, April 2 at 6 pm

As part of a class project, Penn State New Kensington’s PSYCH 424 (Applied Social Psychology) students are conducting a series of focus groups exploring perceptions of The Corner in New Kensington. One of the groups will be conducted among K-12 teachers. The students are looking for K-12 teachers who incorporate entrepreneurial activities in their lessons to participate in a Teacher Focus Group to be held on April 2 at 6 pm at The Corner. Interested participants are to complete the registration form that can be found at http://nk.psu.edu/groups. Participants will receive $25 for their involvement.

February Opportunities for ABC CREATE

2/14/2019

ABC CREATE Awarded PAsmart Advancing Grant
WooHoo! Governor Wolf announced the PAsmart Advancing Grant Awards – including one for ABC CREATE! ABC CREATE will receive $328,944.

Put these on your radar for Summer 2019:
PAsmart: Learning Pathways
Planning to pay stipends for three teachers in each ABC CREATE district to work on the Learning Pathways created by the ABC CREATE collaborative. Expected to be 2 days in June 2019 and 1 day in August 2019.
PAsmart: CS Opportunities
Providing professional development for four teachers (and paying a stipend for attendance) from each member district to participate in a training for code.org’s CS Discoveries curriculum to help develop skills and confidence for our teachers in CS. Our further goal is to expose all ABC CREATE district students to the 6 CS Discoveries units by the end of 8th grade. This will prepare them for a more advanced coding language course and will move forward from simple drag and drop platforms. Expected to be 5 days of training during Summer 2019.

More to come...focusing on equity and an workforce + education task force ....

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ABC CREATE STEAM Showcase 2019:
Skills for Today and Tomorrow - Register Now!
Location: Penn State New Kensington,
3550 7th Street Road, New Kensington, PA 15068
Date and Time: Wednesday, March 6, 2019
Arrival: 8 AM Showcase Ends: 3 PM
Overview: The ABC CREATE Showcase 2019: Skills for Today and Tomorrow is taking shape! With his presentation, “Industry 4.0 – Technologies Shaping Modern Business, Education, and Society”, our featured speaker, Dr. Joseph Cuiffi from Penn State New Kensington’s Electro-Mechanical Engineering Technology program will frame the day by creating a better understanding of how the Digital Revolution is shifting approaches to teaching, learning, living, and working.

We have a wonderful mix of showcase presentations from which to choose highlighting technologies in the classroom, project-based learning, and building relevant skills for our students. You can expect sessions that include AR/VR/AI, Desmos, the Hummingbird Bit, entrepreneurship, social justice + the technology classroom, global competencies, STEAM/CS + Students with special needs, cross-curricular projects, School Retool, and more!

Free. Open to educators (including pre-service students) in ABC CREATE and the local region.
Lunch provided. ACT 48 eligible.

Summer 2019 STEAM Camps - ABC CREATE@ Burrell
Potential opportunity for 2 - 5 ABC CREATE content experts (enthusiasts, like you, who are using technologies/project-based learning in your classrooms) for peer-led instruction for each of the three-day camps. Stipend available.
Preference will be given to teachers who can commit to both weeks of camps.
For more information, contact Colleen Smith

Save the Dates
Kids’ STEAM Camp - June 17 - 19, 2019 | Teachers’ STEAM Camp - June 24 - 26, 2019
Registration will follow.

Click to learn more about recent report by Sevenzo

Sevenzo Professional Learning Project - A few district spots still available
With support from the Grable Foundation, up to seven (7) districts within the ABC CREATE collaborative have an opportunity to examine and strengthen their district professional development systems. As of today, there are a few district spots remaining. Districts that choose to participate will have the opportunity to investigate and strengthen their own professional learning systems, with the longer term goal being that we share, build upon, and spread models that support collaboration and learning across the entire collaborative.

Districts that choose to participate will:

Engage a small team in independently taking an online PD assessment to gather multiple perspectives
Convene the team for a 2-3 hour meeting to review the PD assessment results and discuss priorities, with the support of a Sevenzo facilitator
Be invited to attend a half-day convening late in the spring with other participating districts and ABC CREATE to exchange ideas and support one another in planning a few specific PD system changes
Identify a few concrete and realistic action steps to strengthen teacher peer-led learning experiences and address other essential gaps

If you would like to learn more or are ready to sign up to participate, please contact Meredith Bortz at meredith@sevenzo.org.

Connecting Classrooms Highlighting direct connections between ABC CREATE STEAM classroom projects and 21st Century workforce applications with three Expos and a Saturday Robotics Build.

Kennametal and Highlands: Preparing Students for Industry 4.0 - May 16th - 6 - 8 PM
Siemens and Allegheny Valley: Preparing Students for Industry 4.0 - Date TBA
Eye-Bots + District Player(s) To be named soon: Preparing Students for Industry 4.0 - Date TBA
Saturday Robotics Build - Date TBA

OPPORTUNITY:

Seeking HS (or maybe MS) teacher and students who have been working with drones
Seeking skilled Hummingbird Robotics instructor to lead a Saturday Robotics build for MS students and their parents

For more information, contact Colleen Smith.

Burrell’s Elementary STEAM Night
Location: 1021 Puckety Church Road
Lower Burrell, PA 15068
Date and Time: March 28, 2019
Food Trucks 5pm - 8pm (open to the public)
STEAM Activities 6pm - 8pm (3rd grade Burrell students)
5th Grade Food Truck Entrepreneurship Showcase 6pm - 8pm
(open to the public)
Overview: STEAM Night is an open to the public event designed for 3rd grade students to visit Stewart Elementary School and immerse themselves in the opportunity to preview what they will experience in 4th grade. New to STEAM Night this year is the 5th grade entrepreneurship food truck showcase. To celebrate the food truck projects, actual food trucks have been invited to setup at Stewart Elementary to kick-off the event. All are invited to patron the food trucks at 5pm and stick around to gallery-walk the food truck projects beginning at 6pm. 3rd grade STEAM Night activities will also begin at 6pm.

STEAM Night Flyer
File Size:	921 kb
File Type:	pdf

Download File

Penn State New Kensington Seeking Summer Camp Instructors
The Continuing Education Department at Penn State New Kensington is recruiting instructors for their Kids in College Summer Camp Program. We are looking for individuals who enjoy working with children, have special talents or hobbies and can coordinate hands-on activities. Camp topics can be anything creative, educational or unique that would be appropriate for youth ranging in grades 1-12.
Bachelor’s degree or certification in related field is preferred for these paid positions.
Summer camp programs are scheduled for the weeks of July 8, 2019, July 15, 2019 and July 22, 2019 with morning (9:00-11:30 a.m.) and afternoon (Noon-2:30 p.m.) sessions.

Please feel free to contact Megan Krachanko, Youth Coordinator, to discuss your ideas!

Grant Opportunity for Educators
DUE: Applications are due by March 22, 2019

The NoVo Foundation and their partners, Education First and Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, recently released the 2019-20 application for Innovation in Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) grantees. Educators can apply for up to $5,000 and districts can apply for up to $25,000 in support of SEL projects with a focus on elevating belonging, well-being, non-violence, inclusion, and equity. There are some prioritized student populations, including immigrant and English learner students, LGBTQIA+ students, girls of color, and students with learning disabilities.
If you or your schools is trying to do more from an equity perspective, perhaps this grant opportunity could help.

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New Year's Opportunities for ABC CREATE

1/9/2019

ABC CREATE@Riverview littleBits Workshop
Location: Riverview School District
901 Pennsylvania Ave, Oakmont, PA 15139
Date and Time: February 6, 8:30 AM – 3 PM
Overview: This littleBits training session will introduce classroom teachers to this versatile tool designed to introduce coding into any classroom. This easy to teach and easy to learn resource engages students through making and game design and is available for classroom use through the ABC CREATE Lending Library. This session is designed for teachers of grades 3–12 (all subject areas) although all teachers are welcome to come and experience the possibilities. While easy to use with younger students, littleBits are versatile enough to be integrated into older grades as well. Presented by teacher and ABC CREATE Fellow Cathy Favo, this workshop will offer hands on experience with the littleBits coding kits and connect teachers across local districts to collaborate in planning and implementing lessons.

Questions: Contact Cathy Favo, cfavo@RSD.K12.PA.US

LittleBits Workshop Flyer
File Size:	789 kb
File Type:	pdf

Download File

Host An Event for Remake Learning Days 2019

Each ABC CREATE District is encouraged to host at lease one event during Remake Learning Days! What will yours be?

Location: Our Region and Spanning Across America
Due: Submit event by February 1st
Date and Time: May 9 - 19, 2019
Overview: Your Remake Learning Days (RLD) event should offer youth the opportunity to participate in a 21st century future-forward hands-on learning experience utilizing one or more RLD themes: arts, maker, outdoor learning, science, technology, and youth voice.

Let Colleen Smith know what you'll be hosting!

LEARN MORE + SUBMIT

ABC CREATE STEAM SHOWCASE 2019
Location: Penn State New Kensington
3550 7th Street Road
New Kensington, PA 15068
Date and Time: March 6th from 8 AM - 3 PM
Overview: SAVE THE DATE. More details to come.

ABC CREATE@Highlands
Learning Pathways Writing Session
Location: Higlands School District
500 Pacific Avenue, Natrona Heights, PA 15065
Date and Time: February 13, 8:30 AM – 3 PM
Overview: Represent your District in ABC CREATE’s next Learning Pathways Writing session. While educators who attended the Learning Pathways session at the Fall Convening 2018 in December will automatically be invited to attend (if that’s you, keep an eye out for an email coming soon), we welcome others who are ready to get involved with writing an ABC CREATE Learning Pathway. If this interests you, you could partner with others on a developing pathway or you could propose a new pathway.

Pathways currently in development:
Creative Design: AR/Cospaces Pathway | Veterans Website | littleBits | Makey/Makey-Hummingbird

Engineering: Tram Building | Engineering Design Process | Structural Design/Forces |
Bridge Construction/Mobile/Snap Circuits | Bike Generator

Data Fluency: Ethics in Data | Human Rights | Speck | VR/Google Expeditions/Bee-Bots

Coding & Computer Science: Dash & Dot | Code n Go/Puzzlets | Hummingbird | Scratch/Arduino/Hummingbird | Cospaces/ALICE | Finch | Drones | Vex

Get in touch with Stacie Isenberg, Laura Fleischer Proano, or Colleen Smith for more information.

TransformED
Winter Workshops

Overview: Attend one - or more - of these FREE workshops to expand your expertise in computer science, STEAM, robotics, coding, and more. Open to classroom teachers, school administrators, out-of-school instructors, and all other educators.

TransformED
at Allegheny Intermediate Unit
475 E. Waterfront Dr.
Homestead, PA 15120

TransformED WEST
at Montour High School
223 Clever Rd.
McKees Rocks, PA 15136

WINTER WORKSHOPS

HundrED Spotlight on Pittsburgh
Shining a global spotlight on the education innovations forged in the Pittsburgh region.
Location: Various Workshops in January + February
Deadline to submit: March 6, 2019
Overview: In 2019, HundrED is shining a spotlight on the educators and innovators who are doing extraordinary things to help students in southwestern Pennsylvania and northern West Virginia flourish. The HundrED Spotlight Pittsburgh will identify ten inspiring innovations from the Pittsburgh region and share them with the world. Learn more by attending one of the workshops being held in the region.

Let's see ABC CREATE in this spotlight! Submit your educational innovation!

Learn More

Free Speck Air Quality Monitors - Read on for details
Location: Carnegie Mellon University
Overview: Airviz would like to donate the remainder of their Speck inventory and are taking nominations for potential recipients. The Specks in inventory are a few years old. Many of them have a dead battery. Those receiving these free specks will be responsible for their own maintenance such as any quality control issues, purchasing and replacing batteries. Recipients will need to be comfortable enough to replace batteries on their own (here are the instructions).

Specks will be donated with no warranty. They have a letter outlining the no warranty policy and the recipient must sign this letter in order to receive a donation.
Recipients will receive donations in boxes of 12. The minimum amount of Specks that they can receive is 12, and they may request additional Specks in increments of 12.
Recipients must have a 501c3 number.
Airviz will not be paying for shipping. Recipients can pick Specks up from Airviz at an agreed upon time or pay for shipping themselves.

Sound a little scary? But hey, they're free!
Interested? Contact Sara Longo sara.r.longo@gmail.com and mention you are from ABC CREATE!

CMU CREATE Lab is seeking RESEARCH VOLUNTEERS
Location: Carnegie Mellon University
Eligibility: Teach a Kindergarten through 5th grade class in a public or charter school
Date and Time: Currently seeking for Spring 2019 semester
Overview: The CMU CREATE Lab is conducting a research study of our new educational technology for Kindergarten through 5th grade, called Flutter. They are seeking research volunteers to pilot Flutter curriculum in their math classrooms during the Spring 2019 semester.

If you participate in the study, you will receive 8 hours of professional development. Refreshments will be provided. Following PD teachers will implement two math units with their class in spring 2019 (an estimated 4-6 days). Teachers will also be interviewed for approximately 1 hour.

To be eligible to volunteer for the research study you must:

Teach a Kindergarten through 5th grade class in a public or charter school
Use a math curriculum that has not changed in the past year and is not expected to change in the coming school year
Be available to attend professional development at CMU
Be able to implement curriculum in spring 2019.

Participants will receive a stipend of $100 for professional development, $10/session to compensate for parking expenses while attending PD, and $100 for completing curriculum and interview. (Total payment up to $220.)

If interested, please email Lauren Zito at lcz@andrew.cmu.edu to find out more.

CMU CREATE Lab is seeking PARTNERS
Overview: A friend of the CREATE Lab, who has worked with them on a number of humanitarian projects, is interested in fostering a letter writing and cultural exchange program with her local schools in Uganda.
If interested, please email Jordan Mroziak at jordan.createlab@gmail.com to discuss partnership.

Advocate Grant Program
Application Deadline: March 5, 2019
Overview: Apply for the Society for Science & the Public's Advocate Grant Program, which provides a $3,000 stipend and training to an individual (teacher, scientist, counselor, or mentor) who agrees to serve as an advocate for 3-5 underserved students to transition them from conducting scientific or engineering research projects to completing applications to scientific competitions.

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Carnegie Mellon Launches HS CS Curriculum
Announcement: Carnegie Mellon University, world-renowned for computer science and artificial intelligence, has launched a free, online curriculum for high school students that helps instructors teach programming skills using engaging graphics and animations.
The curriculum fills a gap between introductory computer science educational materials available for grades K-8 and the rigorous Advanced Placement courses that the most advanced students might take later in high school.

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November's Opportunities for ABC CREATE

11/14/2018

ABC CREATE Fall Convening
Location: Penn State New Kensington
3550 7th Street Road
New Kensington, PA 15068
Date and Time: December 12th from 8 AM - 3 PM
Overview: Our ABC CREATE Fall Convening 2018 will combine morning ABC CREATE work sessions with a mid-day opportunity to join industry and educational leaders for an introductory discussion about how the digital industrial age, known as Industry 4.0, is changing the way companies, education providers and partners are interacting, doing business and preparing for the future. The afternoon will conclude with a sharing out of action steps from the morning work sessions and with a debrief about how the digital revolution is impacting education.

Morning sessions (choose one): Learning Pathways, Equity and Access, PAsmart Advancing Grant.

Keynote Speaker: Illah Nourbakhsh from Carnegie Mellon's Robotics Institute and CREATE Lab
Panelists: Regional experts from industry and education including Kennametal, Penn State University, Arconic, Carnegie Mellon University, and the Clean Energy Smart Manufacturing Innovation Institute (CESMII)

Closing session: Work session action items and debrief

A complimentary lunch will be included. Eligible for ACT 48 hours.

Remake Learning Network Assembly
Location: CCAC Allegheny Campus
Student Center
808 Ridge Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15212
Date and Time: Friday, December 7 from 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Overview: Network members from across southwestern Pennsylvania and northern West Virginia will gather at the CCAC Northside Campus for the annual Remake Learning Network Assembly.

UPCOMING TEACHER PD
Hummingbird with Arduino + Open Lab
Led by Matt Chilbert from Birdbrain Technologies
Location: ABC CREATE@Plum High School
900 Elicker Road, Plum, PA 15239
Date and Time: Thursday, November 29th from 8:30 AM – 3 PM
Overview: This Hummingbird session will focus on Ardublock and Arduino languages in the morning -- giving participants an opportunity to bridge the transition from block-based to text-based programming. The afternoon will include Open Lab time to explore classroom integration and application, to share ideas, to play with more complex builds, and to enhance participants' understanding of and confidence in using Hummingbirds. Attendees should have some previous experience with Hummingbirds -- using any programming language.
Lunch will be included. Eligible for ACT 48 hours.

Finch Robots + Hummingbird with Micro:bit
Led by Kelsey Derringer from Birdbrain Technologies
Location: ABC CREATE@Leechburg
??NEED ADDRESS - 215 First Street Leechburg, PA 15656
Date and Time: Wednesday, December 5th from 8:30 AM – 3 PM
Overview: Spend the morning learning about Finch Robots and the afternoon exploring Hummingbirds with Micro:bits. This workshop will have built in time for sharing of ideas, for exploring or developing classroom applications, and for potential cross-district collaborations. Suitable for all: new or experienced users of Finch and/or Hummingbirds. All skill levels, grade levels, and subject areas are welcome. Designed to introduce or build upon existing skills. Interaction between new and experienced users is encouraged as we build a greater understanding of the tiers of learning for both educators and their students.
Lunch will be included. Eligible for ACT 48 credits.

Dancing Our Way Through STEM Instructor: Joanna Abel
Location: Trust Arts Education Center
807 Liberty Avenue Pittsburgh PA 15222
Date and Time: Saturday, December 8, 9 AM - 12 PM, $14
Overview: Intended for Early Childhood Educators
During this interactive workshop, educators will participate in a variety of dance-focused strategies that will deepen understanding in science, math, ingenuity, and other fundamental STEM concepts.

PROJECT-BASED LEARNING INSTITUTE
Location: ASSET STEM Education
2403 Sidney Street, Suite 800 Pittsburgh, PA 15203
Date and Time: January 3-4, March 28, May 22 (deadline to sign up: 12/20)
Overview: K-12 educators in Southwestern Pennsylvania
Create a student-focused culture for learning through this innovative program, aimed to transform teaching practice, create equitable learning opportunity classrooms, and prepare students for workforce challenges. Program includes professional development on PBL, an externship with a STEM-industry mentor, and participation in a Professional Learning Community. Funded by Heinz Endowments

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CLIMATE LEADERSHIP: FROM CLASSROOM TO COMMUNITY
Location: ASSET STEM Education
2403 Sidney Street, Suite 800 Pittsburgh, PA 15203
Date and Time: January 24-25, May 20 (deadline to sign up: 1/10)
Overview: K-12 educators in Southwestern Pennsylvania
Explore the Nature of Science through air quality with this 2.5-day program, providing middle-grade (6-8) science educators with the strategies, skills, and equipment needed to empower students to employ the processes used by environmental scientists. Funded by Alcoa Foundation

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ABC CREATE featured in recent Learners First Publication developed by Remake Learning.
Download it here. Physical copies available at ABC CREATE Fall Convening on December 12th.
See excerpts below

October's Opportunities for ABC CREATE

10/16/2018

TALK BACK:
TEACHER REFLECTS ON ABC CREATE TRAINING + LENDING LIBRARY

"What I like most about the Hummingbird kits that I borrow from ABC CREATE is that they make robotics and coding engaging for students of so many skill levels and interests. I am always looking for ways to teach my students 21st Century skills that involve collaboration, interdependence and real-world problem-solving."

What I learned from giving the Hummingbird kits a try was that it is okay to learn together and that because I didn't know everything, it gave my students a chance to come up with their own unique solutions and to seek out experts among themselves - students who could become robotics mentors. It was truly amazing!
Cyndy Lindahl, Science 7
Armstrong Junior Senior High School

Check out the ABC CREATE Lending Library!
Exclusive to ABC CREATE district partners, the page is password protected. Password: collaborative

UPCOMING TEACHER PD

transformED Fall 2018 Calendar
The Fall 2018 TransformED calendar features over 30 professional learning opportunities for educators. As always, workshops are open to all educators—classroom teachers, out-of-school time providers, pre-service teachers, etc. For more information, visit www.centerforcreativity.net.

The Warhol: Annual Teacher Open House
Location: The Andy Warhol Museum
117 Sandusky Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15212
Date and Time: Thursday, October 25, 2018 4:30 - 8:30 PM
Overview: This annual event includes lite bites, drinks (cash bar), preview of the current exhibition, lectures, gallery talks, art making activities, and classroom resources. Teachers in attendance may receive Act 48 credit hours and information about school partnership and scholarship opportunities.

An Introduction to Apple Swift Playgrounds
Location: Allegheny Intermediate Unit - transformED
475 E Waterfront Drive
Homestead, PA 15120
Date and Time: Monday, October 29, 2018 8:30 AM - 3:30 PM
Overview: We know coding is an essential skill that teaches problem-solving, develops teamwork, and inspires creativity. This 1-day professional Apple learning workshop will introduce teachers to coding with iPad and free Everyone Can Code curriculum. With your interest in teaching with this curriculum, the workshop will be a great way to get started. You’ll get hands-on experience with the Everyone Can Code teacher guides and with iPad coding apps for students in grades K–8. This session will be facilitated by AIU Apple Education Trainers.

State of Maker Learning in SW PA and Beyond
Location: CoLab18
100 South Commons, Suite 100
Pittsburgh, PA 15212
Date and Time: Thursday, November 15, 2018 8:30 AM – 1:00 PM
Overview: Join education practitioners in a discussion of the State of Maker Learning in SW PA and Beyond. This event, through lightning talks and group discussion, will serve as a catalyst to better understand the maker space landscape in Pittsburgh, obtain ideas from national makers, and generate new ideas for all.

Light breakfast and lunch provided.

STUDENT OPPORTUNITIES

COMETS
Location: Penn State New Kensington
Date and Time: 2018 - 2019 COMETS begins with Meet-n-Greet Reception for students, parents and STEM Professionals on October 29, 2018.
Overview: The COMETS program is designed to develop middle school girls' interest in the Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math (STEAM) fields. Students participate in special events, field trips, and six monthly workshops on Saturday mornings.

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Culture Jam 2018: Allies in Action
Location: The Ellis School
6425 Fifth Ave.
Pittsburgh, PA 15206
Date and Time: November 16, 2018 8 AM - 3 PM
Overview: Culture Jam is an annual student-led and produced conference focused on diversity. It is designed to empower students to have courageous conversations alongside their peers. Culture Jam offers a safe, inclusive space for high school students to discuss equity-related issues that are present in schools, the Pittsburgh region, and the global community.

RECOGNIZE AND/OR ACTIVATE YOUR LEARNING COMMUNITY

Nominations Sought: Remake Learning STEM Spotlight
Who are the champions of STEM?
Timeframe: Nominations currently being accepted.
Overview: Who is bringing science, technology, engineering, and math alive for learners in the Pittsburgh region? Who is charting new paths of access and equity in STEM education and careers? Who are the champions of STEM?There are remarkable people in our community shaping the future of STEM in their professional lives as scientists, technologists, engineers, and mathematicians, and in service to young people as teachers, mentors, and coaches.
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Play for Change Unconference
Location: the Carnegie Museum of Art and Schenley Plaza
REGISTER a team NOW
Date and Time: Tuesday, October 30, 2018, 8:00 AM - 5:30 PM
Overview: In partnership with Philadelphia Playful Learning Landscapes, join us on Tuesday, October 30, at the Carnegie Museum of Art in the Oakland community of Pittsburgh, in a day-long event to think critically about play. We will have keynote speakers, lightning talks, hands-on activities and action plan time.
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NOMINATE

ABC CREATE INSIGHTS

Reflections on Summer Robotics Workshops with ABC CREATE
Posted on CREATE Lab Satellite network blog
by: Colleen Smith
Penn State New Kensington
What do teachers do on the last days of summer? Sign up for a robotics workshop - with their own kids! Teachers with kids often cherish the time in the summer with their families and are hesitant to pursue professional development opportunities as they don't want to lose that precious time. At ABC CREATE, we invite the kids to join in! It's a win-win...
...The moments of discovery, collaboration, creativity, pride …. Not bad for a professional development in August. And not a bad way to spend some time with your kids before summer’s over, either!

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