DonorsChoose for Professional Learning

I am new to DonorsChoose.

This summer there are a few professional learning opportunities that I am REALLY looking forward to attending. I have been accepted to all of them!! Woohoo!!! Now, I have to work on how I will get to all of them. Unfortunately, I am interested in events that are happening outside of my state.

June – Computer Science Crash Course for Educators (4 1/2 day workshop)

Enjoy becoming a student again and fall in love with computer science! The Computer Science Crash Course will help you gain CS content knowledge and strengthen your coding skills in either Python or Scratch—you choose. Led by current computer science teachers who will demonstrate best teaching practices based on many years of experience, this differentiated course uses a variety of leveled activities and coding challenge sets to encourage middle and early high school teachers (grades 5-9) in all subject areas to advance their own learning. With K-12 CS standards-aligned lessons on algorithms, data, the Internet, and the impact of computing, you will discover that computer science is more than coding. You will also gain exposure to the many available tools and open curriculum resources that you can apply to your particular classroom needs.

Cost: airplane ticket, food, lodging, transportation, workshop fee

Here is my DonorsChoose page for this event: https://donorschoo.se/e/ZWTKMViCbN

July – Coding as a Playground: Scratchjr and KIBO Robotics

Pathfinders Summer Institute 2018 is an intensive week of in-person professional development in Computer Science and Making. The Institute will be hosted by Infosys Foundation USA at Indiana University Bloomington from July 15-20, 2018.

Coding as a Playground: Scratchjr and KIBO Robotics professional development targets teachers working with young children PreK-2 who are interested in integrating computer science (CS), computational thinking (CT) and robotics into their early childhood classrooms with a playful developmentally appropriate approach. 

Cost: airplane ticket, food, lodging, transportation, workshop fee

The Infosys Foundation USA is supporting educators by matching half of the cost for the week long learning summit.

"Donations to this project are now being matched, thanks to support from Infosys Foundation USA. At Infosys Foundation USA our mission is to help bridge the digital divide in America and to bring to everyone the skills needed to become creators, not just consumers, of technology. We are proud to support teachers everywhere who are working to bring greater access and inclusion in computer science education."

Learn More Here

If attendees do not have funding from their district, they are recommending to go to DonorsChoose and create a professional learning project.

Here is my DonorsChoose page for this event: https://donorschoo.se/e/BDZnvqfCbN

August – Picademy – Seattle

Picademy is a two-day digital making workshop full of new learning opportunities, team collaboration, and community building. To give you the full picture, let’s take a look at previous Picademy events and hear directly from educators who graduated from the program last summer.

Cost: airplane ticket, food, transportation . I am lucky enough to stay with a friend and this is has a no cost registration for the two day event!

Depending on how my first to projects go on DonorsChoose, I may create another project for this trip!

My problem is, I am not finding people/companies to make a donation in the first place. I’m not going to ask family and friends to make a donation to my learning. Instead, I would love to find people who are seeking out the opportunity to make a donation. 

Solution, I am taking this to social media for help! For people who have used DonorsChoose, where are you finding your donors?

Side note- When you write about DonorsChoose, do you type it as one word like I do or do you separate them?

Summer 2018 Professional Learning Opportunities!

Summer is right around the corner!

I look forward to connecting with educators at professional learning opportunities this summer!

In the Midwest, we have a collaborative Google Sheet to share learning opportunities with others. It is open for anyone to share or edit. The doc contains events that range from a few hours to many days. Some are free, some are paid.

Check it out by going to bit.ly/flyoverstatespd

Many of the summer learning opportunities I facilitate are for Code.org's Computer Science Fundamentals program. Learn more about it by visiting their website https://code.org/professional-development-workshops or reading below!

 Please Tweet at me @mrskalthoff with questions!

Day 1 of Seesaw in a 2nd Grade Classroom!

Recommendations from Angie

(My favorite Christmas Market at Gendarmenmarkt in Berlin)

Looking for a VERY last minute Christmas present?

Remembering a book we chatted about at a professional learning opportunity??

I finally have my recommendations documented in an easy way!

Padlet allows me to include links, pictures, and easily organize my posts.

Any item that is in Amazon, is linked through Amazon Smile. I currently have my Smile account linked with Code.org, a non-profit which is expanding access to computer science and increasing participation by women and underrepresented minorities. Their vision is that every student in every school should have the opportunity to learn computer science, just like biology, chemistry or algebra.

If you would like to make a purchase from my "Recommendations from Angie" Padlet, please use my Amazon Smile link!

Remember, like most things I share, this is a work in progress! Be sure to check back in as I will be updating often!

Computational Thinking, Coding, Robotics, Computer Science in Kindergarten.... Oh My and Why!

It's an exciting time to be a kindergartner!

A few years ago, when I had my own classroom, the first month was focused on building relationships, establishing routines and learning how to act in school. I didn't even think about bringing in lessons that were enhanced by the use of technology until mid October. We are introducing coding, robots, and engineering in the first month of school. Prior to this year, I didn't think it could be done.  Which is why I challenged myself this year to try it. A very dear friend of mine opened up her kindergarten classroom for me to try a few new lessons and it has been the highlight of my year so far. I look forward to returning soon!

I plan to share out lessons on by blog this year with a focus on the integration of plugged, unplugged, and robotics lessons in k-12 classrooms with an emphasis on elementary. I will start with a few kindergarten lessons.

My goal was to bring in the following standards:

ISTE Standards for Students

Computational Thinker
Students develop and employ strategies for understanding and solving problems in ways that leverage the power of technological methods to develop and test solutions.

5a - Students formulate problem definitions suited for technology-assisted methods such as data analysis, abstract models and algorithmic thinking in exploring and finding solutions.
5b - Students collect data or identify relevant data sets, use digital tools to analyze them, and represent data in various ways to facilitate problem-solving and decision-making.
5c - Students break problems into component parts, extract key information, and develop descriptive models to understand complex systems or facilitate problem-solving.
5d - Students understand how automation works and use algorithmic thinking to develop a sequence of steps to create and test automated solutions.

CS Framework 

Algorithms and Programming
Algorithms - Students will understand that people follow and create process as part of daily life.

Control- Students will understand that computers follow precise sequences of instructions that automate tasks.
Program development- People develop programs collaboratively and for a purpose, such as expressing ideas or addressing problems.

Impacts of Computing
Culture- Students will understand computing technology has positively and negatively changed the way people live and work.

Computing Systems
Devices - Students will understand that people use computing devices to perform a variety of tasks accurately and quickly. Computing devices interpret and follow the instructions they are given literally.
Troubleshooting- Students will understand that computing systems might not work as expected because of hardware or software problems. Clearly describing a problem is the first step toward finding a solution.

(Kibo, Kodable, Code.org Course A)

Kindergarten Specific Standards
Algebra Recognize, create, complete, and extend patterns.
K.2.1.1 Identify, create, complete, and extend simple patterns using shape, color, size, number, sounds and movements. Patterns may be repeating, growing or shrinking such as ABB, ABB, ABB or ●,●●,●●●.
Writing Process: Production and Distribution of Writing
0.6.4.4 With guidance and support from adults, produce writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task and purpose. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1–3 above.)
0.6.6.6 With guidance and support from adults, explore a variety of digital tools to produce and publish writing, including in collaboration with peers.
Vocabulary Acquisition and Use
0.10.4.4 Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on kindergarten reading and content. a. Identify new meanings for familiar words and apply them accurately (e.g., knowing duck is a bird and learning the verb to duck). b. Use the most frequently occurring inflections and affixes (e.g., -ed, -s, re-, un-, pre-, -ful, -less) as a clue to the meaning of an unknown word
0.10.6.6 Use words and phrases acquired through conversations, reading and being read to, and responding to texts.
K 1. The Nature of Science and Engineering 1. The Practice of Science 2. Scientific inquiry is a set of interrelated processes used to pose questions about the natural world and investigate phenomena. 0.1.1.2.1 Use observations to develop an accurate description of a natural phenomenon and compare one’s observations and descriptions with those of others.
K 1. The Nature of Science and Engineering 2. The Practice of Engineering 1. Some objects occur in nature; others have been designed and processed by people 0.1.2.1.1 Sort objects in to two groups: those that are found in nature and those that are human made. For example: Cars, pencils, trees, rocks.
K 4. Life Science 1. Structure and Function of Living Systems 1. Living things are diverse with many different observable characteristics. 0.4.1.1.1 Observe and compare plants and animals.
K 4. Life Science 2. Structure and Function of Living Systems 1. Living things are diverse with many different observable characteristics.
0.4.1.1.2 Identify the external parts of a variety of plants and animals including humans. For example: Heads, legs, eyes and ears on humans and animals, flowers, stems and roots on many plants.
K 4. Life Science 1. Structure and Function of Living Systems 1. Living things are diverse with many different observable characteristics. 0.4.1.1.3 Differentiate between living and nonliving things. For example: Sort organisms and objects (or pictures of these) into groups of those that grow, and reproduce, and need air, food, and water; and those that don't.
Language Arts- Literature
K.0.1.2.2 Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their development; summarize the key supporting details and ideas. With prompting and support, retell familiar stories, including key details.

EdSurge Tech Leader Circle in Minneapolis 10/24/17

EdSurge is traveling around the country, getting to know local school leaders and learning about their success and challenges around personalized learning. The Tech Leader Circle events are funded by a grant from the nonprofit Chan Zuckerberg Initiative and are small gatherings of current educators doing innovative work around personalized learning. The event will consist of networking, sharing, and collaboration with educators across the region, where educators will have the opportunity to learn from the wisdom and knowledge in the room, and walk away with new ideas and connections to learn from. EdSurge will be there to listen and find people who want to write and share their stories around personalized learning out on the EdSurge network--we want to amplify educator voices and learn about the inspiring work that is going on in the Minneapolis area and I will be there to help out!!

RSVP to the event in Minneapolis on Oct 24th!

Maybe next time we can get the signup in Ermarie!

Please let me know if you have any questions!

You can Tweet at me @mrskalthoff or email me kalthoff@pd.code.org

Here are some of the recent articles published in EdSurge from our TLCs across the country:

Pittsburgh, PA:How One Pittsburgh District Personalizes Its Approach to Integrating Immigrant Students

Florence, AL: Not Just a Number: How Digital Portfolios Help One District Measure What Matters

Nashville, TN: How an Anti-Tech Teacher Learned to Stop Worrying and Embrace Edtech

Houston, TX: How Hurricane Harvey Redefined Global Citizenship For Our School