BeThrively: Caring for the Hearts and Minds of our Teachers
- Will be at project showcase June 23
- Will be at collaborative work sessions June 24
- Additional collaborators welcome
Contact:
- Stacey Noonan, Teacher/Co-founder BeThrively, stcnoonan@gmail.com
- Amy Kallesten, Teacher/Co-founder Bethrively
Problem: Educators have unique stressors: remaining calm when a fight breaks out,or curbing our anger when a student is disrespectful, showing compassion to a belligerent teen…or five-year-old. We are asked to do things that we know do not work: follow blindly down a path of state regulated goals when we know it is the wrong thing for our students.
Rationale: This display of false emotions or the need to push an emotion down, becoming tolerant of practices and activities that are superficial, wasteful and ineffective is insidious to our spirit. This process is the “slow death” many educators face over the course of a career. It can lead to anger and depression and often forces us to be unproductive while at work, use up our sick time, leave the profession or retire when we are not ready to. It’s a sickness of the soul that is caused by a failing system. This has a direct impact on the achievement of our students.
Proposal: In order to teach the concept of coming together to overcome soul sickness, we will create a micro-culture within the workshop that represents what we are working to create in our schools. First, we provide low risk, high interest experiences to facilitate and encourage personal connections: an adult colouring table, selfie stations, and the shared viewing of TEDTalks that focus on mindfulness practices, power posing for example. Things that require a minimal investment but will make a big impact. Next we will facilitate a conversation about what we just experienced, making our thinking transparent to the group, sharing and inviting personal experiences. The idea that teachers have a “soul-sickness” has some far reaching implications for school leaders. Finding creative ways to “treat” soul sickness will increase the number of individuals who are psychologically healthy. With student achievement always in the forefront, a healthy teacher is an effective teacher and effective teachers have the ability to inspire their students to become the best they can be. With this in mind, we will end the workshop with a collaboration to expand the list of opportunities we might provide, inviting participants to visualize which opportunities they would like to take back to their respective schools so that they may begin the work.
Google Apps for Education and iPads: An Unlikely Marriage in Classrooms across the Country
- Will be at project showcase June 23
- Will be at collaborative work sessions June 24
Contact:
- Mike Hastings, University of Michigan Flint Education Technology Masters Student, Grand Rapids Public Schools Science Teacher, hastingsmike@outlook.com
A reflection and report of my personal experiences implementing Google Apps for Education in my middle school science classroom with 2nd generation iPads.
Formativity: Stealth Assessment Games for Pre-K
- Will be at project showcase June 23
Contact:
- Brandon Patterson, UM Graduate Student, School of Education and School of Information, patterbh@umich.edu
- Megan Blair, School of Public Policy; Sania Zaida, School of Education
Formativity seeks to improve the frequency and quality of formative assessment in early learning environments, leveraging technology to (i) reduce the amount of direct supervision-time required to administer assessments, (ii) establish a tailored, engaging experience for learners, and (iii) provide informative and actionable feedback to educators and caregivers.
Intentional SEL Skill Development in Youth-Driven Programming
- Will be at project showcase June 23
- Will be at collaborative work sessions June 24
Contact:
- Anna Gersh, Technical Services Specialist, David P. Weikart Center for Youth Program Quality, anna@cypq.org
- Will Spotts, EMU Bright Futures
To support youth in out-of-school time programs to include specific experiences that are known to develop SEL (social and emotional learning) skills. In our program (and many afterschool programs which emphasize Youth Voice/Agency) youth are encouraged to design their own afterschool club programming (e.g., cooking, Pokemon, digital photography). It is tricky to mandate the inclusion of any specific activity without sacrificing some degree of youth autonomy. We want them to include specific SEL experiences that we know will grow SEL skills, but we want it to feel like their idea. One thought is to design a set of cards with images that show the experience, e.g., a group of children working together to build a tower of blocks to represent “Teamwork”; or a picture of one young person putting her arm around another to represent “Empathy”. Once young people design their club, they could select 2-3 cards to include as part of their club activity goals. What other ways can we get young people to map program curriculum around specific SEL goals without turning them off or taking over the content? Can these ideas span age groups so program youth can get used to working with program content in this way and then have the same idea become progressively more complex? (So that program youth could use these SEL experience strategies in 3rd grade and keep using them through high school, as they mature in the program).
Growing Up: A Board Game
- Will be at project showcase June 23
- Will be at collaborative work sessions June 24
- Additional collaborators welcome
Contact:
- Terry Hale, University of Michigan Flint Education Technology Masters Student, terry.hale.design@gmail.com
This game follows the principles of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, and communicates a road map to leading a fulfilled life. Ages 15-99.
5 Steps to Better Homework
- Will be at project showcase June 23
- Will be at collaborative work sessions June 24
Contact:
- Joe Posante, Science Teacher, Laurus Academy, gallada18@gmail.com
Steps to create a more meaningful homework by increasing self efficacy, increasing intrinsic motivation and increasing parent involvement, while too increasing academic achievement at the same time. Time to make homework fun, not busy work.
iiE Certificate Program
- Will be at project showcase June 23
- Will be at collaborative work sessions June 24
- Additional collaborators welcome
Contact:
- iiE Staff
The iiE is beginning to develop suites of online courses on topics of high interest to learning professionals in K-12 and/or the private sector. We welcome the opportunity to speak with you in person about our plans and receive your input during our development phase.
Connected Learning in an All-Girls Technology Camp
- Will be at project showcase June 23
- Will be at collaborative work sessions June 24
- Additional collaborators welcome
Contact:
- Luke Kane, Program Director, Michigan State University, kaneluke@msu.edu
- Jennifer Killham, jenniferkillham@gmail.com
This project presents the challenges and opportunities for implementing an all girls technology camp on 3D Animation, Web Development, TV Broadcasting, and Game Design. The objective of the camp will be shared, along with why the female focus was chosen. The presenter would like to discuss potential improvements for this year, with special attention to the section on game design. The presenters are looking for feedback on their ideas to engage the girls with critical analysis of a video game, virtual panelist of experts from the video game industry, and the brainstorming, pitching, and paper prototyping of a game. Special attention is paid to how are these things actually done in the video game industry.
Engineering Design Next Generation Science Standard: Ideas for Students with Cognitive Impairment
- Will be at project showcase June 23
Contact:
- Lindsey McDowell, lindseyforbeshea@gmail.com
The presentation will highlight the use of Design Thinking to teach the Disciplinary Core Ideas of the Engineering Design Standard in an elementary CI classroom.
Easy Thank You
- Will be at project showcase June 23
- Additional collaborators welcome
Contact:
- Maxwell Dziku,University of Michigan Flint Education Technology Masters Student, mdziku@umflint.edu
Developing an app called Easy Thank You that allows parents to give instant and continuous feedback to their child’s teachers and or other school staff. I feel there are many apps and web content out there focused on helping teachers integrate technology into teaching and learning but not much in the area of helping parents provide the needed feedback to support teacher growth and sense of achievement. The app will therefore help parents send quick notes and E-cards to teachers to appreciate/give feedback for specific improvements/achievements observed in their child. For example if a child comes home and tells the parent that he had a great day because of teacher so and so…parent can simply pick one of the app’s idea starter templates such as “I noticed my child doing this or that at home and was impressed to note that he learned this from your class. Thank you and keep up the good work…Or the parent could simply select a free e-card, customize it with a few words and send instantly. No need to wait to go to the school the next day or call the teacher or even wait till teachers’ appreciation day. The message/card would be sent directly to the teacher’s phone, email or social media account.
Partnerships in Literacy at the University of Toledo
- Will be at project showcase June 23
Contact:
- Susan Parks, Lecturer, University of Toledo, susan.parks@utoledo.edu
- Dr. Susanna Hapgood, Associate Professor, University of Toledo
- Rhonda Aguiton, Doctoral Student, University of Toledo
Teacher candidates are putting theory to practice. We embed coursework instruction around clinical practice to enhance student learning while engaging in mutually beneficial partnerships with area schools.
MuzikFarms
- Will be at project showcase June 23
- Will be at collaborative work sessions June 24
Contact:
- Marilyn Muzik, marilynmuzik@att.net
An education facility for kids that includes: A Horticultural Center, a Culinary, Fine Arts and Arts and Crafts School in a camp setting. I am looking for guidance on start-up, particularly with respect to business model: non-profit or for-profit?
NURTURing Family Engagement in STEM Outside of School
- Will be at project showcase June 23
Contact:
- Susanna Hapgood, Associate Professor, University of Toledo, susanna.hapgood@utoledo.edu
- Lacey Strickler-Eppard
- Nicole Tuttle
- Meredith Reinhart
- Debra Bloomquist
- Amanda Gilbert
- Eugenia Johnson-Whitt
- Winnie Namatovu
- Charlene M. Czerniak
How can the design of materials support family engagement with science, engineering, and mathematical and computational thinking? We will share family outreach components of an NSF-funded 5-year Math Science Partnership grant called NURTURES. These materials include “Family Packs,” backpacks with materials for families to use at home, and “Event Guides” that were designed for use at several informal learning environments such as a botanical garden, zoo and metropark. We found that we needed to redesign the materials over time as we learned more about how families actually used them. We will share lessons learned and design principles we used in the redesign of our materials that have resulted in more and better family interactions.
Place Out Of Time: Card Game
- Will be at project showcase June 23
- Will be at collaborative work sessions June 24
- Additional collaborators welcome
Contact:
- Bob Larson, rolarson@umflint.edu
WEGV – Ann Arbor Community Radio
- Will be at collaborative work sessions June 24
- Additional collaborators welcome
Contact:
- David Pittman, Founder/General Manager, dpittman@goodvibe.fm
What is the role of media in creative placemaking for a region? The FCC accepted new applications from prospective stations in 2013 and Ann Arbor Community Radio was the only Washtenaw County applicant to file a submission. The station’s official call sign is WEGV and will transmit from the frequency at 102.3 FM. Our goal is to provide high quality information and cultural arts programming for the Ann Arbor radio audience and ensure community access to the airwaves.
CMPP Magnet Program – Capstone Videos
- Will be at project showcase June 23
- Will be at collaborative work sessions June 24
- Additional collaborators welcome
Contact:
- Pat Jenkins, Lead Teacher, CMPP Magnet Program, Skyline High School, jenkinsp@aaps.k12.mi.us
During their final trimester int he program, seniors in the Communication, Media and Public Policy (CMPP) Magnet at Skyline High School produce capstone videos on any public policy topic. The goal of the Capstone class; raise awareness about an issue by demonstrating proficiency in the public policy analysis process and the video production/post production process.