STEM 4 Innovation Conference for K-12 Education at Texas A&M University

@ Texas A&M University

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Breakout Sessions

2021 Breakout Sessions

Elementary Sessions

Middle/High School Sessions

All Grade Level Sessions

Developing Computer Literacy Skills through Offline Coding

hand2mind
Targeted Grades: PK-5
Your young coders can develop early STEM concepts through offline coding. Spend some time with us as we introduce you to hand2mind’s offline coding solutions that teach fundamental coding skills using our offline coding robots. We’ll also explore how students can progress from offline coding activities to online using our Artie 3000, an artistic robot.

The Quarantined Engineer

Lewisville ISD – Learning & Teaching Department
Targeted Grades: PK-5
Sheltering in place and remote learning won’t stop STEM! Learn how to create lessons grounded in the engineering design process for virtual classrooms. Walk away with three lessons ready to implement! We will offer tried and true ideas for overcoming the challenges created by at-home learning and produce innovative products, not just crafty projects.

Rolling On with Makerspace Carts

hand2mind
Targeted Grades: PK-8
You can create engaging investigations in science and STEM while teaching face-to-face, in a hybrid model, or remotely. We’ll explore how to use Makerspace solutions to engage students in the design process while being in a remote or blended learning environment.

Bringing the Great Outdoors Indoors through Virtual Field Trips

Dallas ISD – STEM Environmental Education Center
Targeted Grades: PK-12
Join the Dallas ISD STEM Environmental Education Center to learn how our facility has transitioned to virtual learning. Join us as we talk about our successes and pitfalls and how we have overcome some of the challenges of virtual learning. Learn about the video platforms used, engagement activities, modifications for virtual labs and animal meet and greets, and how we still manage to use the great outdoors. Participants will also learn how to access our free virtual lessons.

STEM Landscape in Texas and the Vision for the Future

Texas Education Agency
Targeted Grades: PK-12
The STEM Coordinator from the Texas Education Agency will share information collected during a listening tour in the state to identify needs around high-quality PK-12 STEM education. This presentation will provide the context for the need for STEM education in Texas, the connection between the Texas Work Force Commission data and the vision of how to expand STEM instructional practices to all students through embedding the STEM integrated approach to prepare students for future careers.

Energized! A Focus on Energy Transformations

University of Houston – STEM Center
Targeted Grades: 3-5
Experience interactive physical science investigations through Jamboard focused on the exploration and transformation of energy that exists in and outside the classroom environment. Teachers explore online strategies for teaching science that address various levels of learning from guided to full inquiry that is TEKS aligned.

Keep Your Kids Growing In-Person and/or Virtually with Award-Winning, Junior Master Gardener Teacher-Created Resources!

National Junior Master Gardener Program – Texas A&M AgriLife Extension
Targeted Grades: 3-8
Whether you’re teaching in person, virtually or BOTH, this session will empower you to keep your students GROWING with garden-based learning! Session will overview different teacher-developed, themed resources of the National Junior Master Gardener program with focus on the popular & evidence-based “Learn, Grow, Eat & GO!” (LGEG) curriculum. Attendees will be introduced to the new, engaging Virtual LGEG Classroom & receive FREE access to the full video-based curricula for their entire class!

Texas A&M Engineering Academies

Engineering Academies
Targeted Grades: 9-12
Unlike traditional transfer programs, students admitted into an Academy are admitted to Texas A&M University and begin earning Texas A&M credit from semester one. Students enroll in math, science and core curriculum courses through one of the partner colleges and have the unique opportunity to enroll in Texas A&M engineering courses taught by Texas A&M faculty face-to-face on the partner community college campus.

COVID-19: 5 Best Assignments to Boost Student Morale

Rubin Education
Targeted Grades: 6-12
Are you concerned about your students’ mental health and sense of optimism during the COVID era? Join Danny Rubin, founder of Rubin (leader in online curriculum for business communication), as he walks you through five simple exercises to help students feel motivated about their future.

More than just a Conduit – What Plant Roots can do

Soil and Crop Sciences – Texas A&M University
Targeted Grades: 6-12
It is a common knowledge that the roots of a plant acquire water and mineral nutrients that are essential for plant growth. But it is now also known that plant roots sometimes do more than taking things from the soil; they also add things that changes the soil. In most cases what’s coming out of the plant root are invisible (for example, sugars), but in some cases they can be easily observed! In this session, we will learn about how root secreted chemicals can help sustainable agriculture.

One Health & Middle School Science

PEER Program – Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences
Targeted Grades: 6-12
The PEER program has developed an online curriculum connecting TEKS-aligned middle school life science & biology to one health (the interconnectedness of humans, animals, & the environment). The curriculum promotes remote, blended, or face-to-face instruction and includes pre/post-tests, concepts slides w/ note-taking guides, science adventure stories, modified research articles, scientist bios & videos, & interactive activities.

Virtually Wild! Texas: Bringing Nature and Wild Places to Students Virtually

Conservation Education – Texas A&M Forest Service
Targeted Grades: 3-8
Virtually Wild! Texas brings nature to students via Zoom Webinar. VWT TEKS-aligned programs feature natural resource professionals, wildlife, and different ecosystems in the greater Houston-Galveston region. Students also learn about careers. This free program is reaching thousands of students across Texas thanks to the partnership of The Nature Conservancy in Texas, Region 4 Education Service Center, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Texas A&M Forest Service, and Katy Prairie Conservancy.

Jobs Of the Future – Exploring STEM Careers in Natural Resources with Project Learning Tree’s Green Jobs Guide

Texas A&M Forest Service & Texas Project Learning Tree
Targeted Grades: 6-12
Introducing the new Project Learning Tree Green Jobs guide for educators, full of STEM activities, lesson plans, and resources to help your students explore sustainable jobs in forests and natural resources. Join us as we dive into this new guide and gain the skills you’ll need to prepare your students for the careers of the future.

How to Rebrand Your Campus as a STEM Campus of Choice

Roy Johnson STEM Academy at Everman ISD
Targeted Grades: 6-8
In this session, participants will learn how to transform their existing campus into a new STEM campus and to brand their learning imprint in an established community. Participants will learn how to support this new district initiative so it is innovative and different from current Middle School settings.

Multi-modal Instruction (in-person/remote) Methodologies

Engineering Academies – Texas A&M University College of Engineering
Targeted Grades: 9-12
Though the spring caught most by surprise, those instructors already dabbling in the online instruction world adapted well and provided some needed leadership and guidance. The summer gave us some time to evaluate design opportunities, and one of the strongest offerings was the ‘hyflex’ model, or mixed-modality course design. Let’s explore some model deployments, flipped classroom elements to incorporate, and establish a foundation for driving innovative course redesign thinking.

High School Aerospace Scholars (HAS)

NASA and Oklahoma State University
Targeted Grades: 9-12
NASA wants today’s students to become the engineers, scientists, researchers and innovators of tomorrow. High School Aerospace Scholars offers a one-of-a-kind experience for Texas high school students to explore the possibilities of a science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) related major or career. The adventure starts this fall with an online course. Highest achieving students earn the opportunity to participate in a gamified NASA summer experience!

Critical Pre-College STEM Knowledge

Engineering Academies – Texas A&M University College of Engineering
Targeted Grades: 9-12
Many first-year college student are quickly overwhelmed by the enormity of tasks they must manage, and the pace at which courses move along. Many colleges are deploying first-year experience courses to help deliver coping mechanisms, yet for some students, that guidance comes too late. Many do recover, yet the impact of that ‘bad’ semester lingers. Let’s have a conversation about how we can enhance high school experiences to prepare them for a road ahead, and discuss support along on the way.

Galveston Bay Digital Experiences: K-5

Galveston Bay Foundation
Targeted Grades: PK-5
Let Galveston Bay Foundation engage your students via synchronous and asynchronous digital experiences. Participants will explore K-5 lessons and activities available to schools across the state, such as GBF-led virtual workshops, At Home with the Bay video series, and the Science of Galveston Bay curriculum.

Distance Learning STEM: Mission to the Moon

Vivify STEM
Targeted Grades: 3-8
Are you struggling with engaging students during distance learning? With a live leaderboard, weekly raffle prizes, and career chats with NASA engineers, we invite your class to join our virtual Mission to the Moon program that connects schools across the country! Our session will also cover strategies for teaching STEM virtually including using digital platforms like Flipgrid, Goosechase, and Google Slides.

STEM Challenges using Sphero Robotics

Vivify STEM
Targeted Grades: 3-8
Are you ready to expand your STEM program with Sphero robots? Learn the basics of Sphero robotics plus strategies for use in the elementary or middle school classroom. This session covers introductory Sphero activities along with more advanced engineering design challenges involving programming.

UT Southwestern STARS Free Programs and Resources for Teachers

UT Southwestern Medical Center
Targeted Grades: 6-12
Attendees will learn about STARS (Science Teacher Access to Resources at Southwestern) a no-cost teacher professional development program, student STEM enrichment opportunities, as well as many free resources for use in the classroom. Educators will also learn how to incorporate the vast resources available at UT Southwestern to elevate/enrich student learning, encourage an appreciation of STEM related career fields, and provide early STEM career exposure.

Space Future and Developments

Hanna ECHS with PLTW Engineering & Computer Science
Targeted Grades: 9-12
Space is a very fast growing field especially since it has now been opened up to private companies. The need for talented people in various fields required in the space industry is growing at an incredibly fast rate. Todays students are obviously the future of what is to come yet a big problem exists in that not much is often understood or known in what is presently going on in the space field. We will be discussing some of the current programs taking place in the space industry.

Texas A&M Chemistry Road Show: A Science Outreach Program of Texas A&M University

Department of Chemistry at Texas A&M University
Targeted Grades: 3-12
Space is a very fast growing field especially since it has now been opened up to private companies. The need for talented people in various fields required in the space industry is growing at an incredibly fast rate. Todays students are obviously the future of what is to come yet a big problem exists in that not much is often understood or known in what is presently going on in the space field. We will be discussing some of the current programs taking place in the space industry.

Pathways to Texas A&M Engineering

Texas A&M University – College of Engineering Recruitment
Targeted Grades: 9-12
You’re invited to an informational session covering the College of Engineering, the application and admission process, and the various pathways to an engineering degree at Texas A&M University. A question and answer session will follow the presentation in order to address the unique needs of your students or campus.

Sea Camp in a Virtual World!

Texas A&M University at Galveston – Educational Outreach: Sea Camp
Targeted Grades: 3-12
Join us as we explain how we turned our Summer Camp into a virtual platform to encourage STEM education through informal learning. Let’s play a few games and be in the shoes of the students for once as we enjoy technology that we have all relied on this past year. We’ll share what we learned, update you on virtual opportunities to bring Marine Biology Field Trips to your students, and explain ways you can gain professional development hours in summer 2021 through our Educator Internship!

STEM Notebooking Made Simple

Grapevine Colleyville ISD – Cannon Elementary
Targeted Grades: PK-2
Learn how to implement Engineering Notebooks with your students emphasizing each stage in the design process using precise communication and detailed drawings. We will discuss guiding students to verbalize and develop drawings that are detailed and specific while they analyze and observe the world around them and document their questions and wonders using their field journals. We will provide strategies you can utilize in your classroom tomorrow.

Engaging Students Virtually in Math

Arlington ISD – Short Elementary
Targeted Grades: 3-5
Are you concerned about teaching students math virtually? Having trouble keeping them engaged? In this session, we will discuss some activities and resources that you can take back and implement in your classroom with your students.

Blended Learning in STEM

Grapevine Colleyville ISD – Cannon Elementary
Targeted Grades: PK-2
Learn how to adapt Engineering Design Challenges for remote learners with limited resources! We will discuss how we modify our constraints to better meet the needs of virtual learners while providing the same rigor. We will provide examples of how we implemented the challenges while being equitable to remote and in person learners.

Computational Thinking with Blockly Coding and the //code.Node

PASCO Scientific
Targeted Grades: 3-12
In this session, local PASCO rep Scott Fields and PASCO’s STEM Curriculum Supervisor Heidi Brennan will demonstrate how our award-winning SPARKvue software now supports coding through Blockly with the use of our own wireless sensors, or the onboard sensors built into your mobile device! Additionally, see examples of how to infuse computational thinking and science with the use of the new //code.Node.

Does Your Google Suite Spark Joy?

Humble ISD – Summer Creek High School
Targeted Grades: PK-12
oOoOoh AaaaAh! Ask yourself, does your Google Suite Spark Joy? If not, it will! Join Darryl for a quick 1-hour, rapid-dash of our favorite Google Suite features for fun, productivity, design, and joy. Learn some hidden and not so hidden tricks to elevate your G-Suite workflow! This session is sure to increase your Zen!

Posheetively Fasheetnating

Humble ISD – Summer Creek High School
Targeted Grades: 6-12
You can do what with a Google Sheet? In this fast-paced Google Sheet session learn what I believe are the essential features, tools, and add-ons to elevate your Google Sheet game! Learn how to make certificates on the fly, create a quick app, and other features to take your Google Sheet use to the next level!

Design Sprints in 45: I Saw De-Sign and it Opened Up My Eyes

Humble ISD – Summer Creek High School
Targeted Grades: 6-12
In this fast paced, virtual Post-It note haste session! We will empathize, define, and ideate our way through a problem worth finding a solution to! In 45 min we will go through the design thinking process using strategies inspired by Sprint: how to Solve Big Problems and Test New Ideas in Just Five Days. Walk away with design thinking strategies you can use in the classroom or through remote learning and a Google Slide template you can use with your students.

Project Lead The Way: A PK-12 Transformative STEM Experience

Project Lead The Way
Targeted Grades: PK-12
Project Lead The Way (PLTW) provides a transformative STEM learning experience for PreK-12 students and teachers through pathways in computer science, engineering, and biomedical science. PLTW inspires and empowers PreK-12 students to build and demonstrate in-demand transportable skills by applying problem-solving strategies to complex, real-world challenges. The core of PLTW’s STEM curriculum and teacher training is the Activity-, Project-, Problem-based (APB) instructional model. Come join us to learn more about Project Lead The Way!

Project Lead The Way: Your PK-12 STEM Solution Wherever Learning Takes Place

Project Lead The Way
Targeted Grades: PK-12
Project Lead The Way (PLTW) has added a full suite of distance learning resources that schools can utilize to enhance their distance learning needs. This includes online learning guides, embedded curriculum enhancements, caretaker resources, webinars, and much more. In addition, PLTW has added unit maps to guide teachers and students through the curriculum for different classroom environments, including remote, blended, and face-to-face class settings. Come join us to learn more about PLTW’s distance learning resources!

STEM 4 Innovation

Conference for K-12 Education

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