FREE EXPERIENCES FOR EDUCATORS & EDUCATION STUDENTS

HOUR OF CODE AND BEYOND:
Prepare to host HOUR OF CODE at your location!​

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 28TH
5:00 PM - 8:00 PM

​Workshop will support educators in celebrating Computer Science Education Week. In addition to tools for hosting an HOUR OF CODE event, participants will explore computer coding skills and unplugged activities designed to demystify ‘code’, to show that anybody can learn the basics, and to broaden participation in the field of computer science.   
​Workshop includes dinner!!  Come and nourish your brain and body!!  

Coding Unplugged:
​A Focus on Computational Thinking

1 SESSION, 9:30 AM - 11:00 AM

TUESDAY NOVEMBER 20TH

Coding and computational thinking does not always mean screen time.  Workshop will explore resources to introduce coding skills and organization without ever turning on the computer.  Vocabulary and concepts will include algorithm design, binary language, programming and more. Get students up and moving around while teaching them important computational concepts and coding language.   Teachers will take-away resources they can use in the classroom.​

Global Expeditions:
​Virtual Field Trips

ONE SESSION

Take your students anywhere in the world, or even out of this world!!  Communication technology and Internet have connected our world like never before.  Virtual Field trips bridge the gap into today's classroom and all disciplines and age groups can benefit.  Classes can explore the human body, virtually holding human organs in their hands, take a walk on the moon, or even visit landmarks worldwide in a historical time period. Today's learners can interact with concepts once only accessible via textbook! Through an immersive experience students are empowered in an explorative manner which further increases levels of engagement.  Come on an expeditions and explore the possibilities. ​

​- CLICK ON DATE TO REGISTER -

Future City Mentors

MULTIPLE SESSIONS, 3:30 PM - 5:30 PM
​THURSDAYS, AUGUST 30TH - JANUARY

Future City is a project-based learning program where students in 6th, 7th, and 8th grades imagine, research, design, and build cities of the future. Keeping the engineering design process and project management front and center, students work in teams to ask and answer an authentic, real-world question: How can we make the world a better place? Students involved in the Future City Competition spend approximately four months creating cities that could exist at least 100 years in the future. Each city must incorporate a solution to a design challenge that changes each year. This year’s challenge, Powering Our Future, asks students to design a resilient power grid that can withstand and quickly recover from the impacts of a natural disaster. Experience will include time to work with students individually and as a larger group.  There will be various activities going on and specific tasks will vary from week to week.​

Crazy 8's Math Club Mentors

MULTIPLE SESSIONS, 3:30 PM - 4:30 PM

What is Crazy 8's?  It's not your usual math club. Crazy 8's is a recreational after-school math club that helps kids enjoy the math behind their favorite activities!  With Crazy 8's kids will build glow-in-the-dark structures, crack secret spy codes and play games like Toilet Paper Olympics.Mentors will gain insight around organization and structure in facilitating activities and gain valuable experience working with students in an interactive hands-on learning environment.
Events are happening at GIZMO and local schools.  If interested in this opportunity please register and you will receive details for specific locations and times.​

Problem Solving and Prototyping: The City X Project

ONE SESSION, SEE DATES & TIMES BELOW

Participants will be introduced to the City X Project and strategies for problem solving and computational thinking.  Throughout the activity students are prompted to keep track of iterations, generalize patterns, and keep track of efficiency and effectiveness all while considering limitations and constraints in effort to answer the question; how can I make something better?  Experience in computational thinking will mean prepared students; prepared for our ‘new’ world, college and career ready. 
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Computing is an important practice in today’s tech-dependent world and students need a strong and developmental foundation to explore the nature of problem solving and increase understanding of the world and society; connecting to all disciplines.

​- CLICK ON DATE TO REGISTER -

Work Smarter Not Harder: Explore gears, levers and automation

ONE SESSION, SEE DATES & TIMES BELOW

The goal is efficiency in getting work done!  Come and explore gears, levers, pulleys and simple machines and how force and motion is transferred.  This hands-on workshop will have you designing, making and testing utilizing the scientific process and demonstrate resources available from the Lending Library.  


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Using Coding to Support Geometric Habits of Mind

ONE SESSION, SEE DATES & TIMES BELOW
Teaching coding does not mean giving up math content but connecting to it instead.   Workshop will explore how in addition to computational thinking and organization skills, lessons simultaneously enrich understanding of geometric concepts and spatial reasoning.  Additional connections support the 8 Math Practices. In this workshop coding is more than ‘making,’ it provides an avenue to for exploration and connection. Topics include 2D vs 3D geometry, the Cartesian coordinate system, Transformation functions as well as Union, Intersection, and more! 

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Problem Solving and Critical Thinking
with Breakout Boxes 

ONE SESSION, SEE DATES & TIMES BELOW

Problem based learning is a student-centered methodology where learning takes place during an experience where students take ownership of success (or failure).  While time is spent working through a scenario with undefined parameters, students grow in grit and perseverance in problem solving. Beyond extending understanding of specific content, students collaborate and build confidence in 21st Century skills of communication, critical thinking and problem solving.  Participants will experience a break-out session and learn how this activity can lead to active and engaged learning for all ages and levels of students. Come and experience the excitement of discovery and finding answers to the unknown.​

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