December Online STEM PD
Funded by:
Overview Information
IU8 received a PAsmart Grant in 2021 to help reduce the barriers of access to STEM resources. To tackle this barrier we will offer a pilot of our online courses through Canvas for FREE throughout October, November, December. Each course takes 2-5 hours to complete and participants will have 3 weeks to complete the grant-funded course. Participation is limited to 10 registrants per tool per month. Each person will receive a piece of equipment to gain hands-on learning while taking the course. At the culmination of the course, there will be a feedback form for everyone to fill out to enhance and improve our courses. When participants have successfully completed the course they will be able to borrow that equipment from IU8’s Lending Center. Act 48 hours will be provided for people that complete the courses and provide a lesson plan.
Cubelets
Target Audience: Teachers Grades 2-6
What: This course will explore using Cubelets. 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.
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 course, 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.
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.
Hummingbird Robotics
Target Audience: Teachers Grades 3-12
What: This course 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.
Lego Spike Robot
Target Audience: Teachers Grades 4-8
This course focuses on learning how to program the LEGO® Education SPIKE™ Prime robot using the Scratch-based programming software.
This course is best suited for teachers and/or coaches with little or no programming experience who would like to learn both the fundamentals of robot programming and pedagogy associated with the accompanying STEM concepts.
The goal of this course is to help you feel more comfortable in working with this device and providing a hands-on learning experience in your classroom. We hope that you are inspired to either help out with your local FLL Jr. team or even start a team of your own!
Lego WeDo
What: Looking for a great entry-level robotic tool that can also grow with students?
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.
LittleBits
Target Audience: Teachers Grades K-8
What: This course 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.
Makey Makey
Target Audience: Teachers Grades 2-12
What: The Makey Makey course 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 course.
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.
Sphero
Target Audience: Teachers Grades K-8
What: Teachers will be working through the lessons and challenges to gain familiarity with Sphero Bolt and learn how this robot can inspire curiosity, creativity, and invention through connected play and coding.
Sarah Brambley
Email: sbrambley@iu08.org
Website: iu08.org
Location: 4500 6th Avenue, Altoona, PA, USA
Phone: 814-244-5844
Twitter: @STEMgirlie