STEM/STEAM

Develop skills in using problem-based inquiry learning (PBIL) to enhance conceptual understanding, critical thinking, scientific reasoning, and problem solving.

Participants will complete a hands-on PBIL lesson, analyze PBIL curriculum and resources to develop design acumen, and begin designing a PBIL unit for their classroom.

This workshop includes integrating digital resources to support PBIL in science. Participants are encouraged to bring a digital device (e.g., iPad, Chromebook, laptop, etc.) to fully participate in the hands-on session.

This course is designed for seventh through 12th grade science and technology teachers.

Enhance the instruction and integration of math to cross-curricular academic subjects in order to increase proficiency in math and the application of problem solving skills to everyday situations.

Participants are exposed to high-quality lesson ideas, integrating apps and productivity tools, math resources, and project-based units. Participants must bring a digital device (e.g., iPad, Chromebook, laptop, etc.) to fully participate in the hands-on workshop.

This session provides free vetted websites to support instruction of math addressing career and college readiness skills.

This course is designed for seventh through 12th grade math teachers.

Experience new methods to integrate STEAM throughout a curriculum. A wide variety of resources, including: Google Apps, programming ideas, integration of 3D printing, and simulations, are designed to recharge STEAM curriculum.

This hands-on session provides the background to successfully incorporate new levels of technology integration into the classroom.

After completing CORE lessons, students are equipped for STEM challenges. These multi-day experiments encourage creative problem-solving and teamwork. Students concept, engineer, and build contraptions powered by Sphero.

After showcasing their creations to the class, open-ended discussions are held to explore which factors led to some designs outperforming others.

Created with teachers in mind, most of the additional materials required can be found around the classroom. Each challenge has a teacher’s guide and a list of questions to challenge students as they work through the creative process.

Lessons include:

• Chariot Challenge: Students break into groups to build Sphero-powered chariots, racing against a pre-programmed Sphero on the last day.
• Bridge Building: Students concept and build a bridge with finite resources, making it possible for Sphero to cross a gap.
• Hydro Hypothesis: Students are challenged to build a Sphero-powered contraption that can carry weight across a pool.
• Maze Mayhem: Students break out into small groups to write a complex program that allows them to navigate their Sphero through a custom maze featuring tight corridors.

From polygons to percentages, CORE lessons explore the principals of math and science through programming. SPRK begins with MacroLab, a visual programming app.

After completing five MacroLab lessons, students are ready for advanced lessons in OrbBasic, a powerful app for text-based programming.

These lessons align with the national curriculum for third, fourth, and fifth grade. Each comes with a step-by-step teacher guide, student guide, and worksheet.

Lesson titles include: Time, Speed, and Distance, 2D Geometry, Circles and If Then, Sensors and Random, Percentages, Patterns and Colors, Go To and Variables, and Mean, Median, and Mode.

Attendees work hands-on with a traditional, inexpensive breadboard electronics lab kit. Mr. Circuit is supplemented with iCircuit, a virtual circuit design app.

Participants of this course receive iCircuit and create their own virtual circuits, along with actual circuits using a traditional breadboard lab kit with resistors, LEDs, capacitors, and diodes.

FAQ’s, along with electronics curriculum resources, are included.

This course is designed for sixth through 12th grades.

Academic researchers and child development experts have known for many years that basic literacies and an affinity for STEAM learning can be gained through dynamic construction, such as Rokenbok.

The Rokenbok Dynamic Curriculum consists of project-based technology and engineering challenges, embedded science and math concepts, design briefs with context and rationale, correlation to educational objectives and standards, and the student assessment rubric.

The Rokenbok Dynamic Curriculum focuses on the three lessons of fluency:

Level 1: System Fluency

Introduction to the Rokenbok technology and engineering, step-by-step instructions, science and math fundamentals, and single-solution challenges

Level 2: Creative Fluency

Introduction to design briefs, design briefs scaffold the creative process and require out-of-the-box thinking, and multi-science challenges

Level 3: Engineering Fluency

Advanced design briefs introduce 3D modeling, 3D printing, and multi-solution challenges

Robotics instruction and hands-on learning addresses our nation’s need for a well-prepared, creative, yet disciplined workforce, while also teaching valuable leadership and teamwork skills.

This hands-on workshop exposes teachers to inquiry-based activities they can take back to their classrooms.

Learn how to help students design, build, program, and document robots using science, engineering, technology, math, and writing skills in a hands-on project that reinforces their learning.

Work hands-on with various mobile device apps designed to help teach the concepts and fundamental functions of robotics in the integration of science concepts.

Participants receive all of the apps presented, curriculum resources, and lesson plans.