IU8 STEM Trainings
2021-2022
Workshop Information
Sessions will be hands-on and explore tools to incorporate into your classrooms.
- Registration 8:50AM - 9:00AM
- Workshop 9:00AM - 3:00AM
- Lunch is on your own
- Please wear comfortable clothes as many workshops require participants to be on the floor.
- Act 48 hours will be available
Fable Robotics
What: From block-based coding to Python, to holding a phone to 3D printing a maze to attach to the top of Fable. It is a modular robotics kit for the classroom that makes it easy and fun for students to build and program their own robots. Kids can quickly prototype, test, and improve their creations while learning real-world problem-solving.
When: September 29, 2021
Where: Greater Johnstown Career & Technical Center
Cost: $50
Register Here: https://tinyurl.com/Fable-Robotics-9-29-21
Root Robot and SAM Labs
What:
Root Robot- Not just your average coding robot - Responsive to touch, obstacles, light, color, and sound, students can program the Root coding robot to drive, draw, light up, play music, and even vertically climb magnetic whiteboards or chalkboards! It reaches prereaders through graphical coding all the way up to high schoolers using text-based coding.
SAM Labs- SAM Labs take physical components with motors and lights and connects them through Bluetooth to a device which then can be controlled remotely. It is powered by free, easy-to-use software, SAM Space, which provides the platform for students to build their code, connecting with our unique, Bluetooth-enabled blocks. Guided by the STEAM lessons, students create and innovate systems that provide solutions within a real-world context.
When: October 6, 2021
Where: Altoona IU08 4500 6th Ave. Altoona, PA 16602
Cost: $50
Register Here: https://tinyurl.com/Root-Robot---SAM-10-6-21
LEGO SPIKE
What: Build, program, and test a robot using the Lego Spike Robot Kit. This session will provide participants with an opportunity to design and build programmable robots using motors, sensors, gears, wheels and axles, and other technical components.
Using the Spike program, participants will be able to test and troubleshoot their robots and revise their designs to improve robot performance.
When: October 13, 2021
Where: Altoona IU08 4500 6th Ave. Altoona, PA 16602
Cost: $50
Microbit/BrainPad/Lego WeDo
What: Looking for a great entry-level robotic tool that can also grow with students?
Micro:Bit is the choice for you. It’s an open-sourced, pocket-sized computer transforming digital skills learning. It works with MakeCode, Scratch, and Python languages. It also has the ability to work with many other devices like hummingbird and Makey Makey.
The BrainPad is an exciting STEM/STEAM mini-computer for learning and coding video games, robots, and electronics. It also has an easy entry point, but a high ceiling where kids can grow to.
Lego WeDo® 2.0 makes coding a reality for elementary students. Using LEGO® bricks, easy-to-use software, and engaging STEM projects, teachers have all they need to teach their students simple programming skills. This unique combination of building with LEGO® bricks, and then using an easy-to-use classroom app to make WeDo 2.0 come to life through engaging lesson plans for science, technology, engineering, and math classes, provides you with everything you need to teach programming in your classroom.
When: October 20, 2021
Where: Greater Johnstown Career & Technical Center
Cost: $50
Register Here: https://tinyurl.com/83h45hlq
Free Code.org CS Fundamentals
What: The CS Fundamentals units are designed to be a great introduction to CS for students of all ages, starting as young as Kindergarten. The courses blend online, self-guided and self-paced tutorials with “unplugged” activities that require no computer at all. ... Even kindergarten-aged pre-readers can participate.
When: October 22, 2021
Where: Greater Johnstown Career & Technical Center
Cost: FREE!
Bloxels
Target Audience: Teachers Grades 2-8
What: Bloxels is a hands-on platform for kids to build, collaborate, and tell stories through video game creation. Students can use colored blocks to design their characters and settings to tell their own amazing stories! The game board is scanned using the free iPad app to make the creation come to life!
When: October 27, 2021
Where: Greater Johnstown Career & Technical Center
Cost: $50
Register Here: https://tinyurl.com/BloxelsOctober21
Breakout EDU
Target Audience: Teachers Grades K-12
What: Breakout EDU is an immersive learning games platform that allows facilitators to easily create and share educational games with their students or staff. These games teach critical thinking, teamwork, and complex problem-solving. In this workshop, participants will experience a Breakout EDU game and then learn how to start creating them to be played and shared with staff and/or students with content aligned to their own disciplines.
When: November 17, 2021
Where: Altoona IU08 4500 6th Ave. Altoona, PA 16602
Cost: $50
Register Here: https://tinyurl.com/BreakouteEDUNovember21
Hummingbird Robotics
Target Audience: Teachers Grades 3-12
What: This full-day workshop will explore using the Hummingbird kit. This kit is comprised of lights, motors, and sensors that allow students to build a robot out of any materials. Developed at Carnegie Mellon's CREATE lab, the Hummingbird Robotics Kit enables open-ended and creative engineering and design projects.
When: December 1, 2021
Where: Altoona IU08 4500 6th Ave. Altoona, PA 16602
Cost: $50
Register Here:https://tinyurl.com/HummingbirdDecember21
Hue Animation, StikBots, and Story Cubes
Target Audience: Teachers Grades K-6
What: This full-day workshop will explore creating stop motion videos with Story Cubes, Hue Animation, & Stick Bots. This three-part day will include using story cubes to help with the writing process. Hue animation cameras will be used to create a stop motion video using stick bots as the subject of the videos. This workshop will teach the basics of stop motion so teachers can incorporate these videos into their classrooms.
When: December 8, 2021
Where: Greater Johnstown Career & Technical Center
Cost: $50
Register Here: https://tinyurl.com/HueAnimationDecember21
Vex EDR V5
Target Audience: Teachers Grades 7-12
What: VEX kits inspire students to become the problem-solving heroes of tomorrow. The VEX EDR system harnesses the excitement of building robots to immerse learners in STEM concepts. Educators can bring VEX EDR into the classroom with a custom-made curriculum or use it as a standalone teaching tool. This session will provide participants with an opportunity to design and build programmable robots using motors, sensors, gears, wheels and axles, and other technical components.
When: December 15, 2021
Where: Greater Johnstown Career & Technical Center
Cost: $50
Register Here: https://tinyurl.com/VexEDRV5December21
Dash and Dot
Target Audience: Teachers Grades K-8
What: Dash and Dot, by Wonder Workshop, are exciting, hands-on learning tools for students in grades K-8. Targeted at teaching creative problem-solving and computational thinking, Dash and Dot help students learn fundamental processes relevant for all 21st-century skills. In this workshop, learn how your students can use Dash and Dot to learn programming and coding skills, explore math concepts and develop design thinking skills by building extensions onto the robot using LEGO® Bricks. You will also learn about the Wonder League Robotics Competition and how your students can participate in future events.
When: January 12, 2022
Where: Altoona IU08 4500 6th Ave. Altoona, PA 16602
Cost: $50
Register Here: https://tinyurl.com/Dash-and-Dot-1-12-22
Sphero
Target Audience: Teachers Grades K-8
What: Teachers will be working through the lessons and challenges to gain familiarity with Sphero and learn how this robot can inspire curiosity, creativity, and invention through connected play and coding.
When: January 19, 2022
Where: Altoona IU08 4500 6th Ave. Altoona, PA 16602
Cost: $50
Register Here: https://tinyurl.com/SpheroJanuary22
Cubelets and Ozobots
Target Audience: Teachers Grades 2-7
What: This full-day workshop will explore using Ozobots & Cubelets. Ozobots is a little toy robot that blends the physical and digital worlds — and teaches kids programming. Cubelets are a fast and easy way to inspire kids to become better thinkers. They include lights, motors, and sensors which allow students to build a robot out of these cubes. These robots enable open-ended and creative engineering and design projects.
When: January 26, 2022
Where: Greater Johnstown Career & Technical Center
Cost: $50
Register Here: https://tinyurl.com/Cubelets-OzobotsJanuary22
LittleBits
Target Audience: Teachers Grades K-8
What: This full-day workshop will explore using littleBits to introduce elementary and middle school students to the engineering design process. littleBits are small electrical components, including switches, sensors, motors, and lights, that snap together like Legos. Students can combine littleBits with traditional arts and crafts materials to prototype inventions of all kinds.
When: February 2, 2022
Where: Greater Johnstown Career & Technical Center
Cost: $50
Register Here: https://tinyurl.com/LittlebitsFebruary22
Bee Bots, Botley, Osmo, and Cubettos
Target Audience: Teachers Grades K-4
What:
This workshop will explore using Bee-Bots, Botley, and Osmos in the classroom. Cubettos will also be integrated into the training.
Botley and Bee-Bot are exciting robots designed for use by young children. These friendly, easy-to-operate little robot is a perfect tool for teaching directionality, sequencing, estimation, problem-solving, and just having fun!!
Learn how the Osmo can make using iPads even more magical and meaningful. Learn how students can use Osmo to build vocabulary, number sense, cause/effect, and coding while building problem-solving and exploring their creativity.
When: February 16, 2022
Where: Altoona IU08 4500 6th Ave. Altoona, PA 16602
Cost: $50
Register Here: https://tinyurl.com/BOCBFebruary22
Makey Makey
Target Audience: Teachers Grades 2-12
What: Taught by a certified Makey Makey Training Partner, the Makey Makey Invention Literacy Workshop for Educators is a fun hands-on learning experience where you'll learn how to teach Invention Literacy, Making, and Design Thinking using the award-winning Makey Makey invention kit. We'll explore how to teach circuits and conductivity using Makey Makeys and then put our skills to use designing your own inventions! Participants learn best practices and gain access to a multimedia training website that can be used later when working with your students. Participants will become certified Makey Makey Teachers at the completion of the workshop.
When: February 23, 2022
Where: Altoona IU08 4500 6th Ave. Altoona, PA 16602
Cost: $75 (includes a Makey Makey Kit valued at $49.95)
Register Here: https://tinyurl.com/MakeyMakey-2-23-22
Piper Computers
Target Audience: Teachers Grades 4-12
What: Using the power of Piper, learn the fundamentals of computer science. Users will construct their own computer using various hardware pieces. Piper Story mode takes players on a fun and educational journey to the stars using Minecraft. Lessons include how computers can use circuits by using buttons, switches, and buzzers. Piper also offers exciting lessons coding circuits in Piper Code.
When: March 2, 2022
Where: Altoona IU08 4500 6th Ave. Altoona, PA 16602
Cost: $50
Sarah Brambley
Email: sbrambley@iu08.org
Website: iu08.org
Location: 4500 6th Avenue, Altoona, PA, USA
Phone: 814-244-5844
Twitter: @STEMgirlie