Virtual PBL with Limited Resources

Posted on June 9, 2020June 24, 2020 by wwtfstemsympos

BIOGRAPHY

Cindy Celi has taught Architectural & Engineering Design and Sustainable Technologies at West Orange High School for four years. Before teaching, Cindy worked in an architectural design firm and had the chance to work on exciting projects. Cindy realized that something was missing and searched for an opportunity to merge her passion for design and education. In 2015, she was given that chance through the Woodrow Wilson New Jersey Teaching Fellowship. She completed her Fellowship at The College of New Jersey and enjoyed being a part of such a wonderful organization. Cindy enjoys every moment of teaching, even during these difficult times.

SESSION ABSTRACT

During the early transition to virtual learning, Cindy saw some students detach from her classroom. Making fun and engaging projects has helped her maintain the excitement of design in her classroom and re-engage students. This session will provide STEM educators with ideas on creating projects for their students that can be applied to virtual learning contexts—even when resources are limited. Educators will be provided with examples of teacher lessons and student work. The sample lessons have been designed to engage students with excitement and motivation to have a brighter outlook on their modified learning experience.

Leveraging Desmos in Remote Instruction

Posted on June 9, 2020June 24, 2020 by wwtfstemsympos

BIOGRAPHY

Olivia Birdsall is a math teacher and chair of the math department at the Lynhurst 7th & 8th Grade Center on the west side of Indianapolis where she has taught for all seven years of her career. Olivia was a 2012 Woodrow Wilson Indiana Teaching Fellow at the University of Indianapolis. Prior to her acceptance to the Woodrow Wilson Teaching Fellowship, Olivia studied studio arts and mathematics at St. Lawrence University. She worked in costume construction and design and as a photographer before starting her teaching career.

SESSION ABSTRACT

Before COVID-19, Olivia’s classroom featured mathematical discourse and inquiry. Students were encouraged to make mistakes and engage creatively with mathematics. As classes shifted to remote learning, Olivia fought to maintain inquiry-based teaching practices and resist the urge to fall back into teacher-centered pedagogical routines. In this session, Olivia will share how she leveraged Desmos, a free resource with both “customizable” and “create from scratch” math activities and how she plans to utilize this technology next year–should classes start the year in the digital setting. While primarily used with mathematics content, Desmos is also adaptable to other content areas.

Improving Implicit Learning through Challenging Times

Posted on June 9, 2020June 24, 2020 by wwtfstemsympos

BIOGRAPHY

Mars Berwanger has taught Engineering at Wheeler High School in Marietta, Georgia for the last two years. He is involved with the school’s basketball, robotics, and SWE programs (and many more). Mars was a 2017 Woodrow Wilson Georgia Teaching Fellow at Kennesaw State University where he earned his MAT with a concentration in secondary mathematics education. Prior to entering education, Mars earned a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from Georgia Tech and then worked at Clean-Hands Safe-Hands, a start-up company that reduces deaths and illness from Hospital Acquired Infections.

SESSION ABSTRACT

If it takes 10,000 hours to become an expert and students spend 15,000 hours in K-12 schools, educators should ask themselves what their students are implicitly learning during that time. Many intangible skills (soft skills) students learn, such as collaboration with peers of different backgrounds and responding to adversity and trauma, are rarely explicitly taught. This session will address how distance-learning may inhibit the implicit learning students gain in a school setting. Participants will discuss how to address these needs through distance-learning and how, by being more intentional with our teaching during this current disruption, educators can encourage growth moving forward.