CSTA Blog Post - Hybrid Learning to Support Children’s Positive Technological Development: Communication

Head over to the Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA) Blog to our latest post and read more about:

Hybrid Learning to Support Children’s Positive Technological Development: Communication

https://csteachers.org/Stories/hybrid-learning-to-support-children%E2%80%99s-positive-technological-development-communication 

Inquiry Based Research - A project in a 6th grade computer science classroom

Over the past few months I have been working with my friend Becky and her 6th grade Computer Science (CS) class. Her current learning situation is set at hybrid. Half of her class is in person with her in her classroom and the other half joins via Google Meet from their homes. We decided to see how we could support students in learning more about a CS topic of their choice through inquiry based research. 

You can learn more about our project at http://bit.ly/InquiryBasedResearch . We share resources for each step in the process as well as presentations we have created for online conferences. 

Early Childhood Technology - Webinar Series (Spring 2020)

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In response to distance learning due to COVID-19, we wanted to create a series of webinars to support educators and caregivers around the topic of Early Childhood Technology. I hosted the following webinars:

• ScratchJR at Home
• ABC's of STEAM
• KIBO at HOme
• How to Talk to Your Kids Without Giving Them the Answer
• Unplugged Activities
• Makerspaces
• A Round Table Discussion

You can learn more about these webinars and access the recordings and materials on https://sites.tufts.edu/devtech/biography/webinars/ . 

Picture Books for the Hour of Code (or anytime you want to teach computer science topics)

 Connecting Computer Science (CS) topics to picture books has been a favorite way for me to bring CS into elementary classrooms!!

Here are a few places you can go to find picture books that may help you too! 

Click here to view my Wakelet.

Common Phrases Adults Should Rethink

I've engaged in many conversations over the past few months with adults who are helping learners at home during distance learning due to COVID-19. A topic that often comes up is around the difficulty of the work and not knowing the answer or how to support their learner. 

I reached out to my friend Amanda Sullivan to get her permission to share information from her book Breaking the STEM Stereotype Reaching Girls in Early Childhood and we hope you find it helpful.

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First Product Launch as a Product Manager Picture

My first year not taking a "first day of school" picture for as long as I can remember so instead I took a "first product launch as a product manager" picture!

As a teacher, I would research and implement ways to use technology to help my students. This led me to my next position as a Technology Integrationist where I would often reach out to EdTech companies and researchers to share my thoughts and provide feedback for the tools I was using in hopes to make them better. Which led me to my next position as a Program Manager at a University where I was able to teach educators about early childhood technology and work with a research group focused in this area. This led me to my current position where I get to create the EdTech tools that are used in classrooms by students and teachers.

It has been an amazing adventure and I look forward to continuing to learn, share, and create!

Robotics and Values

While at Tufts, I was grateful to participate in a research study around robotics and values. 

Learn more about the research on DevTech's website https://sites.tufts.edu/devtech/research/robotics-values/  and read about my experience working with a teacher at the Eliot Pearson Children's School https://www.csteachers.org/Stories/fostering-creativity-curiosity-and-generosity-through-robotics

CSTA Blog Post Series

Amanda Strawhacker and I are excited to share our thoughts around the Positive Technological Decelopment (PTD) framework and hybrid learning in a series of blog posts with Computer Science Teachers Association while keeping playground learning in mind. 

At this point in time, we have shared two posts:

• Hybrid Learning to Support Children's Positive Technological Development: Introduction
• Hybrid Learning to Support Children’s Positive Technological Development: Community Building

Free Computer Science (CS) Fundamentals Virtual Workshops in Minnesota - Are you intersted?

I am trying to gauge interest in free Code.org Computer Science (CS) Fundamentals workshops for elementary teachers if I would offer them virtually in MN.

Could you complete this form and share with friends?

http://bit.ly/virtualcsfinmnfeedback

Product Manager at Capstone!

I am thrilled to share that I have joined Capstone as the Product Manager for Curriculum and Instruction and have moved back to Minnesota. I look forward to sharing the wonderful learning resources that Capstone has created to make fun learning experiences to support literacy through digital, print, and blended media formats for school libraries, classrooms, and homes. I love that I get to work at a company that values curiosity and let's it lead the way!

I greatly enjoyed my time at Tufts with the Early Childhood Technology Graduate Certificate. It was a dream come true for me to work with the people I did over the past year in the early childhood technology world of education and research. I am honored to have worked at Tufts. If you are interested in learning more, I am happy to tell you about the program and connect you with the new program manager. I will continue to be the biggest evangelist for the program and am so proud to have worked at Tufts University.

If you would like to learn more about Capstone, visit https://lnkd.in/db4uX4Y