Advancing Technology in STEM Classrooms

Putting the T in STEM

Marina Sprague & Jennifer Pettit | Sprague Education
Target Grades: Early Childhood (PK-2), Elementary (3-5)
Target Audience: Teachers
Wanting to implement meaningful technology in your classroom and in your design challenges? Join us as we share how to use student devices and incorporate technology daily in your elementary classroom! We will show you how to use technology to promote student voices, use learning platforms like Seesaw to dive deeper, and share how to use AI to plan and develop Engineering Design Challenges that can be integrated across all content areas!

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STEM Notebooking made simple

Marina Sprague & Jennifer Pettit | Sprague Education
Target Grades: Early Childhood (PK-2), Elementary (3-5)
Target Audience: Teachers, Informal Educators
Learn how to implement Engineering Notebooks with your students that emphasize each stage of the design process with precise communication and detailed drawings. Notebooking is a great way to get insight into a student’s culture, perspective, misconceptions and vocabulary. We will discuss guiding students to verbalize and develop drawings that are detailed and specific, analyze and observe the world around them, and document their questions and wonders using their field journals.

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A Virtual Reality (VR)-based Model to Understand the Energy and Environmental Impacts of Buildings

Dr. Manish Dixit & Kifah Alhazzaa | Texas A&M University, School of Architecture, Department of Construction Science
Target Grades: Elementary (3-5), Middle School (6-8), High School (9-12)
Target Audience: Teachers, Informal Educators, Administrators, Counselors
Buildings consume 48 percent of annual energy and 16% of water causing extensive operational and embodied environmental impacts. To better explain buildings’ environmental impacts to next generations, we must apply highly immersive visualization techniques in classroom settings. This session will discuss the operational and embodied impacts of buildings and show a unique Virtual Reality (VR)-based ThermoVR module to engage students in immersive educational experience to understand these concepts.

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Coding Fundamentals–Introduction to Coding Using the Micro:bit

Dr. Sheryl Roehl | WeTeach_CS, University of Texas
Target Grades: Elementary (3-5), Middle School (6-8), High School (9-12)
Target Audience: Teachers, Informal Educators
Coding Fundamentals introduces students to the foundational concepts of coding and cybersecurity through hands-on lessons. Depending on the student’s grade level and experience, they learn the fundamentals of coding through Microsoft’s MakeCode block-based language (k-7) and/or through Python text-based programming (8-12). We will explore one of the most powerful tools in programming—conditional statements —while familiarizing students with the micro:bit’s inputs.

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ELECTRIC INVENTION: Explore how circuits enhance creativity while making an LED Name Tag

Monica Aiello & Tyler Aiello | Eurekus – STEAM & Maker Discovery
Target Grades: Elementary (3-5), Middle School (6-8), High School (9-12)
Target Audience: Teachers, Informal Educators
Explore how simple technology can ignite effective, creative and accessible learning opportunities. Participants will gain new skills and exciting activities during this dynamic, hands-on session. Enjoy great tips and strategies to add affordable electronics to your lessons. Learn how to make circuits from scratch to activate STEAM skills and invention. From LED lights to soldering, get amazing tips, techniques and teaching tools. Plus, put concepts into action while crafting an LED Name Tag!

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Revolutionizing Learning: Unleashing AI’s Potential in K–12 Education

Dr. Matthew Cushing | Rice University, Office of STEM Engagement
Target Grades: Elementary (3-5), Middle School (6-8), High School (9-12)
Target Audience: Teachers, Informal Educators, Administrators
Discover the transformative power of AI in K-12 classrooms. This session explores practical applications of AI, including personalized learning, adaptive assessments, and real-time feedback. Learn how AI can foster creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills. Delve into ethical considerations, ensuring equitable access and data privacy. Leave equipped with strategies to integrate AI responsibly and empower students for the future. Unlock the potential of AI in K-12 education.

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Career Pathways and Skills Development in STEM

Understanding the Role of Nutrition in STEM

Lauren Coheley & Jennifer Hancock | Texas A&M University Department of Nutrition
Target Grades: Middle School (6-8), High School (9-12)
Target Audience: Teachers, Informal Educators, Administrators, Counselors
In this session, we will showcase the human health aspects of nutrition and the science behind our bodies using nutrients to fuel life.

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Exploration and Discovery in Space

Design Challenges for Everyday Phenomena

Greg Brown & Cathy LeJeune | Hand2Mind
Target Grades: Elementary (3-5)
Target Audience: Teachers, Informal Educators
The best way to learn about outer space is to become an astronaut. The next-best way is to jump into hands-on design challenge projects focused on satellites, stars, and coded messages from alien civilizations! In this fast-paced session, we will survey three space-based engineering projects from the Hand2Mind “Investigating Everyday Phenomena” collection. For one project, we will review all of its handy lesson plans, and check out real examples of design solutions your students can create.

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To Mars and Beyond! Mars Rover Celebration STEM Program for 3rd-8th Grade Students

Dr. Heather Domjan, Dr. Lionnel Ronduen & Emma Johnson | University of Houston STEM Center
Target Grades: Elementary (3-5)
Target Audience: Teachers, Informal Educators, Administrators
The Space Race is Real! Inspire the Artemis generation of students to engage in building a Mars Rover or habitation with a team of their peers in the Mars Rover Celebration program.  Elementary and middle school students engineer and conduct research on Mars integrating general science, earth science, solar system astronomy, and robotics within their work.  Free curriculum is provided to educators!

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How to Launch Space Club at Your Elementary or Middle School Campus

Natasha Wilkerson & Rachelle Pedersen | Cosmic Leap Foundation
Target Grades: Elementary (3-5), Middle School (6-8)
Target Audience: Teachers, Informal Educators, Administrators
Launch your students on a mission to the Moon or Mars! In this session, you will get access to the curriculum and resources to implement a STEM enrichment program at your campus. Already in over 500 schools around the country, Space Club is a turnkey and low-prep program to get your students excited about STEM and space.

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NASA STEAMakers: Ignite Out-Of-This-World Learning, Inventing & Connecting

Monica Aiello & Tyler Aiello | Eurekus – STEAM & Maker Discovery
Target Grades: Elementary (3-5), Middle School (6-8), High School (9-12)
Target Audience: Teachers, Informal Educators
Celebrate space exploration with an exciting collection of NASA activities! Join project designers to launch holistic learning across content areas, ages and settings. Investigate our solar system and mission design with 4 customizable lessons to ignite stellar invention. STEM topics are enlivened through hands-on making, arts-integration and technology. Plus, programs offer delightful pathways to activate the humanities. Gain tremendous tools to spark academic growth, SEL & 21st century skills.

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Level Up Your Makerspace with 3D Printing

Andy De La Cruz & Trisha Jordan | Texas A&M Engineering Spark! PK-12 Engineering Education Outreach
Target Grades: Middle School (6-8), High School (9-12)
Target Audience:  Teachers, Informal Educators, Administrators
Are you new to 3D Printing and don’t know where to begin? Join this session to learn about how to dive into the world of 3D printing, so you can help your students bring their ideas to life. Participants will receive digital resources to help them begin their journeys.

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Space Teams Academy

Dr. Gregory Chamitoff, Elise Koock & Fernando Arias | Space Teams Academy
Target Grades: Middle School (6-8), High School (9-12)
Target Audience: Teachers, Informal Educators, Administrators, Counselors
Presented by former Astronaut and Professor Greg Chamitoff, this session describes Space Teams Academy (STA) — a new STEM platform for virtual space mission design and simulation, which is also used for real-world NASA and industry applications. STA immerses students in the engineering design process to build and conduct an end-to-end space mission. Through teamwork, design iteration, AI guidance and high-fidelity visualization, students learn about and experience space like never before.

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Innovative Teaching and Learning in STEM

Cultivating a STEM Culture in Elementary

Tosha Hoefert | Hand2Mind
Target Grades: Early Childhood (PK-2), Elementary (3-5)
Target Audience: Teachers, Informal Educators, Administrators, Counselors
During this session, participants will learn how to foster a STEM culture in the elementary setting by offering choices, engaging students in the design process and promoting the 4C’s. There will be awesome door prizes at the end of the session!

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Growing STEM Through Garden Based Learning

Randy Seagraves, Lisa Whittlesey & Caren Walton | Junior Master Gardener & Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service
Target Grades: Elementary (3-5)
Target Audience: Teachers, Informal Educators, Administrators
This spring you can GROW garden-based STEM learning in your classroom with popular & proven Junior Master Gardener thematic curriculum units! High-interest options include everything from creating a teacher-friendly/thriving vegetable garden, to merging plant science/literature connections, to having students cultivate wildlife habitats (& more)! In this session, you’ll explore teacher-favorites & see how your elementary students can earn certifications while strengthening STEM process skills.

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STEM Career Prep in 2050

Randy Brooks | Texas A&M Engineering
Target Grades: High School (9-12)
Target Audience: Teachers
We will spend some time pondering what work might look like in 2050, and specifically STEM-related activities, and then dive into how to prepare students for those roles. Next, we dive into some applications that might apply, and bring in thoughts and guidance from education industry visionaries. Finally, we depart with many, many new ideas to explore and test in our classrooms.

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Near Peer Mentoring to Promote One Health & Middle School Science

Torri Whitaker | Texas A&M University School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, PEER Program
Target Grades: Middle School (6-8)
Target Audience: Teachers, Informal Educators, Administrators
Increase middle school students’ interest, confidence, and competence in One Health and STEM concepts through the use of our FREE TEKS-aligned One Health curriculum and case studies. Students engage more deeply in science topics as they research and develop responses to real-world human, veterinary, and environmental issues. Each case study is couched in middle school science standards answering the age-old question, “Why do I need to know this?”

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Google Classroom for Cybersecurity: Activities to Engage Students

Dr. Sandra Nite, Mr. Richard Lawrence & Dr. Lisa Perez | Texas A&M University High Performance Research Computing
Target Grades: Middle School (6-8), High School (9-12)
Target Audience: Teachers, Informal Educators
High Performance Research Computing has developed a Google Classroom that teachers can access and use in their teaching. Activities include simple Python programming activities that illustrate real life applications of cybersecurity. These activities have been used successfully with grades 8-12 students, with or without programming experience, in the Summer Computing Academy. They have also been used in teacher professional development in Colorado at the SuperComputing Conference.

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Spark! Student Research from Idea to Competition

Alaina Garza | Clear Brook High School, Clear Creek ISD
Target Grades:  Middle School (6-8), High School (9-12)
Target Audience: Teachers, Informal Educators, Administrators
Uncover strategies to inspire students in crafting original research ideas, manage projects effectively, and prepare winning presentations for competitions. From idea inception to competitive brilliance, gain insights and practical tools to guide students through every phase of their scientific research journey.

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Augmented Reality and Robots in Remote Alaska

Katie Rosdorff & Bill Morris, Ed.S. | Math Department, Ket’acik & Aapalluk Memorial School, Lower Kuskokwim School District
Target Grades: Elementary (3-5), Middle School (6-8)
Target Audience:  Teachers, Informal Educators, Administrators, Counselors
Ket’acik & Aapalluk Memorial School is located in remote Alaska. The school’s mission is to provide students with a 21st-century education while preserving and promoting the students’ indigenous culture. In this session, educators will learn about the impact our robotics program and augmented reality implementation has had on our students and the school’s stated mission. We hope to help other educators leverage the power of technology to add authentic learning experiences to classrooms.

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Exploring TinkerCad: A Gateway to Engaging Classroom Experiences in Electronics and Arduino

Gabe Valdez | Texas A&M Engineering Spark! PK-12 Engineering Education Outreach
Target Grades: Middle School (6-8), High School (9-12)
Target Audience:  Teachers, Informal Educators, Administrators
Embark on an interactive journey to transform your classroom with TinkerCad! This workshop unveils how educators can instantly integrate TinkerCad to introduce students to electronics, breadboarding, and Arduino programming. Explore practical applications aligning with your curriculum, demystify electronics through live demonstrations, and foster creativity. Whether you’re a seasoned educator or new to teaching electronics, this session equips you to implement TinkerCad immediately.

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Design Thinking Unleashed: Igniting Creativity & Innovation in STEAM Education

Jennifer Easterling | Texas A&M Engineering Spark! PK-12 Engineering Education Outreach
Target Grades:  Early Childhood (PK-2), Elementary (3-5), Middle School (6-8), High School (9-12)
Target Audience:  Teachers, Informal Educators, Administrators, Counselors
Join us for an enlightening presentation on STEAM Education, where we delve into the dynamic fusion of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics. Discover how this innovative approach is shaping the future of learning by seamlessly integrating diverse disciplines and fostering a holistic understanding of the world.

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STEM in Texas and Beyond

Hosting a STEM Family Night

Natasha Wilkerson | Vivify STEM
Target Grades: Early Childhood (PK-2), Elementary (3-5), Middle School (6-8)
Target Audience: Teachers, Informal Educators, Administrators
Participants in this session will gain all the information needed to host a school-wide STEM Family event! This session will cover station ideas, budgeting, and how to host the event. We have hundreds of STEM nights worth of experience to share to make sure your STEM night is a success.

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TEA: Statewide STEM Programming and STEM Toolkit Resources

Michelle Sedberry | Texas Education Agency
Target Grades: Early Childhood (PK-2), Elementary (3-5), Middle School (6-8), High School (9-12)
Target Audience: Teachers, Informal Educators, Administrators, Counselors
Participants will learn about the K-12 STEM Programming in Texas, the data that supports STEM education, and engage with the STEM Toolkit resource that supports the implementation of the new science and technology applications standards. Participants will receive access to the STEM Toolkit and resources to develop a high-quality STEM program.

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Unleashing the Potential of STEM Education: A Guide to Funding, Resources and Programs

Dr. Michael Odell | UT Tyler School of Education and Texas STEM Coalition
Target Grades: Early Childhood (PK-2),Elementary (3-5),Middle School (6-8),High School (9-12)
Target Audience: Teachers,Administrators
In today’s dynamic world, science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STE) education play a pivotal role in preparing students for the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century. However, nurturing a strong STE pipeline requires access to adequate funding, resources, and programs. This session aims to equip educators, administrators, and stakeholders with a comprehensive understanding of the funding landscape, free resources, and program opportunities available to support STEM.

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Education for Impact: Opportunities to turn Environmental Learning into Environmental Doing!

Dr. Kelly Albus & Pam Simmons-Brooks | Texas Water Resources Institute, Texas A&M AgriLife Research Extension
Target Grades: Middle School (6-8), High School (9-12)
Target Audience: Teachers
Explore environmental education opportunities for Texas educators and students by Texas A&M AgriLife’s Texas Water Resources Institute, supported by the National Geographic Society. Designed for 7-12 grade educators, these opportunities offer impactful projects, hands-on strategies for the new science TEKS, tools for future careers, and local expert connections. Topics: human impacts, water quality, conservation, data collection, scientific tools, technology, model limitations, research design.

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GEARS Girls: Recruiting and Retaining Females in PLTW Pathways

Tanya Snook & Jenna Bridges | Keller Center for Advanced Learning, Keller ISD
Target Grades: Middle School (6-8),High School (9-12)
Target Audience: Teachers, Administrators, Counselors
Learn how to engage your female students while offering support to them leading to increased recruitment and retention. You will learn how to establish an SWENext chapter at your school with activities that will enrich the female student experience.

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Texas A&M Engineering Academies: A New and Innovative Pathway into the College of Engineering

Anna Gutierrez | Texas A&M Engineering Academies, Texas A&M College of Engineering
Target Grades: Middle School (6-8), High School (9-12)
Target Audience: Teachers, Informal Educators, Administrators, Counselors
The Texas A&M Engineering Academy program is the first engineering transition program of its kind in the U.S. Unlike traditional transfer programs, students admitted into an Academy are admitted to Texas A&M and begin earning Texas A&M credit from semester one. Students enroll in math, science, and core curriculum courses through one of nine partner colleges across the state.

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UT Southwestern STARS No-Cost Programs and Resources for Secondary Science Teachers and Students

Dr. James Collins | STARS Program, UT Southwestern Medical Center
Target Grades: Middle School (6-8), High School (9-12)
Target Audience: Teachers, Administrators, Counselors
The Science Teacher Access to Resources at Southwestern (STARS) program is dedicated to maintaining a robust educational partnership between UTSW and secondary school teachers and providing STEM engagement programs for secondary school students by leveraging the expertise within the institution and making the vast educational resources available to both teachers and students. STARS offers teacher professional development services and student STEM engagement programs, all FREE of charge!

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Enrichment Experiences in Engineering (E3)

Morgan Krauss | Texas A&M Engineering Spark! PK-12 Engineering Education Outreach
Target Grades: Middle School (6-8), High School (9-12)
Target Audience: Teachers
Attention Texas teachers! Are you looking for a unique and exciting opportunity to enhance your teaching skills and inspire your students? Consider applying for the Enrichment Experiences in Engineering (E3) program! By participating in E3, you’ll gain valuable knowledge and skills that you can bring back to your classroom, and inspire your students to pursue STEM careers. Don’t miss this chance to enrich your own education and inspire the next generation of innovators.

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Sparking the Interest with Spark!

Shelly Tornquist | Texas A&M Engineering Spark! PK-12 Engineering Education Outreach
Target Grades:  Elementary (3-5), Middle School (6-8), High School (9-12)
Target Audience: Teachers, Informal Educators, Administrators, Counselors
Situated at the core of Texas A&M Engineering, the pervasive presence of Spark! outreach is undeniable. Be part of an enlightening session as we introduce the Spark! pk-12 Engineering Education Outreach Office. Explore our diverse student programs, customized professional developments designed for educators, and acquire invaluable insights on how to engage and connect with our team.