STEAM Education at Home: What’s Working?
Watch the recording of your symposium. The event was hosted on January 21st, 2020.
View sessions 1 and 2 on YouTube
View sessions 3 and 4 on YouTube
It is clear that online learning is here to stay as a part of learning experiences for children and adults. This conference is geared towards helping teachers, educators and parents by sharing successes and challenges. We will cover ideas from experts in a variety of fields to help us learn how to make remote learning become more effective and more social. Our invited speakers include: teachers from kindergarten through college, parents, administrators, and Ed Tech specialists. At the end of our four hour conference we’ll create a summary of best practices to help us all.
Agenda
INTRODUCTION, BY CONFERENCE CREATORS
Laura Hart, Robofun founder & CEO
Tom Igoe, Arts Professor; Academic Coordinator, ITP, NYU
Clay Shirky, Vice Provost for Educational Technologies, NYU
Welcome
2:00 - 2:15
SUCCESSES THAT SURPRISED YOU, DELIGHTED YOU, MOTIVATED YOUR STUDENTS?
Tim Cooper, Technology and Learning Coordinator, the York School
Jackie Covell, Clinical Director, The Meeting House
Jaymes Dec, Technology Teacher, Marymount School and Adjunct Professor, Teachers College, Columbia University
Fred Martin, Associate Dean for Teaching, Learning and Undergraduate Studies, Professor, University of Massachusetts Lowell
Stephanie Haughton, STEM Teacher at STEM Kids NYC
Moderated by Laura Hart
Session 1
2:15 - 3:10
PAIN POINTS: WHAT DIDN’T WORK AND WHAT WAS YOUR SOLUTION
Cassandra Jackson, Parent / Teaching Assistant in online learning programs
Irina Lyublinskaya, Professor of Mathematics and Education. Teachers College, Columbia University
Kiki Prottsman, Learning Manager, Microsoft Make Code
Godwyn Morris, CEO & Founder, Dazzling Discoveries
Yvonne Thevenot, Founder & Executive Director, STEM Kids NYC, Science Teacher, Teachers College Community School, Research Assistant, Teachers College, Columbia University
Moderated by Tom Igoe
Session 2
3:10 - 4:05
HOW DID YOU BRING SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL LEARNING INTO YOUR CLASS ONLINE?
Stephen Gilman, Maker State
Karen Kaun, Founder and President, Makosity
Peter Pillwon Seo, NORY
Kim Smith, Learning Beautiful, Hands On Tech Materials Without Computers
Ashley Jane Lewis, Nerd Nite International, Ryerson New Media and OCAD U, ITP/IMA NYU
Moderated by Clay Shirky
Session 3
4:05 - 5:00
HOW DID YOU MODIFY CURRICULUM TO WORK WELL IN A REMOTE SETTING?
Carlos Pereira - Robofun curriculum creator and teacher
Kelsey Derringer, Code Joy
Ella Weiner, Millennium High School Student
Tess Sutherland, Nerd Nite International, Ryerson New Media and OCAD U, ITP, NYU
Jenny Young, Brooklyn Robot Foundry
Moderated by Laura Hart
Session 4
5:00 - 5:55
Laura Hart & Ashley Jane Lewis
Wrap up, lessons learned, & where can we go from here!
Thank you and how to stay connected!
Wrap Up
5:55 - 6:15
STEAM EDUCATION AT HOME: WHAT’S WORKING?
With virtual learning being the new norm, we’re saying goodbye to snow days and high five to mute buttons!
Even those with strong working knowledge on the powers, tips and tricks of the internet, could use some refreshers right about now!
STEAM Education at Home: What’s Working? is a 4 hour conference happening on January 21st, from 2-6pm EST, meant to help refresh and ease the mind from all the tech kinks we’ve seen in this last year.
(& HOW TO BETTER WHAT ISN’T)
Conference sponsors, Robofun and ITP, have been at the forefront of both tech & education from the start. As STEAM focused organizations- we have been constantly pivoting and recreating how we produce course work and develop cumulative curriculum through online platforms.
We have a lot to share, and are looking forward to exchanging those lessons & plans with you!
WHO’S THE SYMPOSIUM GEARED TOWARDS AND WHO IS ON OUR PANELS OF SPEAKERS?
Parents · Teachers · Educators · Companies driven by education · Organizations of the DOE · Caretakers · STEAM teams & more! We’re here for you!
HOW CAN WE HELP EACH OTHER WORK BETTER?
Panels on the successes and the challenges. On the good and the bad. We’ll be people from all different ages and spaces, looking to better navigate our way through, for now and for post pandemic!
SPEAKERS:
Tim Cooper
For twenty year or so, Tim Cooper has played with kids and teachers in classrooms and informal settings. His focus is to enable understanding and creativity though the use of physical and digital tools. He is currently in Toronto at the York School as a IB design and Computer Science teacher. He also is one of the authors of the new International Baccalaureate DP CS curriculum and a cofounder of the non-profit MakerEdTO, a teacher led Maker education conference and pd group.
Jackie Covell
Jackie Covell has 30 years of clinical and school experience working with children. She has worked with children and their families from toddler-hood through high school age. Her expertise and interest lies in child development, as it relates to program development and advocacy. Jackie is involved in evaluation, interviewing, planning, social skills group development and individual help as indicated. She holds a Masters Degree in Educational Psychology, Masters Degree in School Psychology CUNY and Bachelor of Science in Psychology SUNY, along with expertise and experience in Child Development, Psych Interns, and lecturing to undergraduate students and faculty. Jackie is enthusiastic about her role as our Clinical Director and her responsibilities for creating and nurturing a beneficial and memorable experience for the children through her knowledge of dynamic development.
Jaymes Dec
Jaymes Dec is the Chair of Innovation and a middle school technology teacher at the Marymount School of New York, an all-girls independent school. He is also an Adjunct Professor in the Creative Technologies Program at Teachers College, Columbia University. Jaymes was named a “Teacher of the Future” by the National Association of Independent Schools and a Senior Fab Learn Fellow by Stanford University. He is the co-author of Make: Tech DIY: Easy Electronics Projects for Parents and Kids and a graduate of the Interactive Telecommunications Program at NYU.
Kelsey Derringer & Matt Chilbert
Kelsey Derringer and Matt Chilbert. CodeJoy formed in the fall of 2019. Kelsey Derringer, CEO, brings 17 years experience in teacher PD, robotics and coding, STEM, and English Language Arts. Matt Chilbert, COO, brings deep roots in educational media, having worked for The Jim Henson Company and Sesame Workshop, and 10 years of teaching maker education. They met while working for an educational robotics company. Together, they envisioned a live, interactive, educational experience enabled by remote robotics. Since launching they’ve served hundreds of learners with over 120 online classes for organizations such as UNICEF, the Swedish Institute, Berkeley Girls in Engineering, and Make: Media.
Stephen Gilman
Stephen is a STEAM and game-based learning educator who has established over 100 makerspaces in schools nationwide (STEAM: science, tech, engineering, arts, math). He is a father, former NYC public school teacher, veteran, and activist for student-centered, hands-on learning that fosters joyful, autonomous, and inventive lifelong learners from the earliest ages. Stephen and his son Ben are avid amateur game designers and started MakerState to bring fun STEAM building and learning projects in robotics, coding, game design and more to all kids, schools and communities. Stephen is a founding board member of the Urban Assembly Maker Academy, a founder of the Carnegie Learning Center, and a founding teacher and dean of Bronx Collegiate. Stephen enjoys game design, historical fiction writing, geocaching, hiking, biking, and creativity of all kinds.
Stephanie Haughton
Stephanie Haughton has a Master of Science in Computer Science from Lehman College, CUNY and a Bachelor of Business Administration in Computer Information Systems from Monroe College. As far as Stephanie can remember, she has always wanted to be an educator and her ability to teach was evident to others as one of her professors recommended her to teach an undergraduate course during the last semester of her Master’s program. Stephanie has four (4) years of experience teaching undergraduate students Computer Information Systems (CIS) courses such as, Network Introduction, Intro to CIS, E-Commerce and programming using Python and Visual Basic programming languages. She also worked as a Junior Database Administrator and was responsible for designing, developing and maintaining databases.
Cassandra Jackson
Hello my name is Cassandra Jackson. I am a learning ambassador and engaged parent for young learners in District 16, Brooklyn, NY. . I am a part of the Makeosity team. We are currently teaching an electrical engineering program called Make Everything Possible with Dr.Karen Kaun. My role is as an assistant teacher, formerly in person at schools and now online supporting kid’s online learning. This program, a My Brother’s Keeper Grant, was designed for boys to better have an idea of what they can do to achieve in the future. It is a pleasure to work with children and new people to engage in learning new things. I have learned so much about how children and parents can come together and work side by side.
Karen Kaun
A pioneer in online learning, Dr. Karen Kaun, Founder of Makeosity launched one of the first global e-learning classrooms in 2002. She believes our current, shifting education landscape offers exciting new opportunities for students and families, including to learn valuable college and career skills together.
Ashley Jane Lewis
Ashley Jane Lewis is a creative technologist, educator and new media artist with a focus on afrofuturism, bio art, social justice and speculative design. Listed in the Top 100 Black Women to Watch in Canada, her award winning artwork has exhibited in both Canada and the US, most notably featured on the White House website during the Obama presidency. Ashley has taught over 3500 young people how to code. Her advocacy work as an educator and activist has enabled her to push tech institutions to explore new equitable access points to technological skills and opportunities for marginalized folks.
Irina Lyublinskaya
Irina Lyublinskaya received her Ph.D. in Theoretical and Mathematical Physics from Leningrad State University in 1991. Currently she is a full professor of mathematics and education at the Teachers College, Columbia University in New York City. She has over 30 years of teaching and research experience. Among her research interests are topics of integrating technology into mathematics and science education, pre-service and in-service professional development of STEM teachers, curriculum development, and international STEM education. She is a recipient of various awards for teaching excellence, including Radioshack/Tandy Prize for Teaching Excellence in Mathematics, Science, and Computer Science, NSTA Distinguished Science Teaching Award and citation, Education’s Unsung Heroes Award for innovation in the classroom, and NSTA Vernier Technology Award. In 2011, she was inducted to NYS Mathematics Educators Hall of Fame.
Fred Martin
Fred Martin is professor of computer science and associate dean for teaching, learning, and undergraduate studies for the Kennedy College of Sciences at the University of Massachusetts Lowell.
Fred leads the Engaging Computing Group, which develops and studies novel computational design environments for learners to create meaningful, personally satisfying projects.
Fred co-leads an NSF-funded researcher-practitioner partnership, "CS Pathways RPP: A District Ownership-based Approach to Middle School Computer Science" with SUNY Albany and the urban school districts of Lowell and Methuen (MA) and Schenectady (NY).
Fred is a past chair of the Computer Science Teachers Association and co-founded the AI4K12.org Initiative.
Godwyn Morris
Godwyn Morris is the Director of two programs in New York City, Dazzling Discoveries, a STEAM education center for grade school age children and Skill Mill NYC a maker space and digital fabrication studio for adults and teens. She is also the inventor of Dazzlinks Cardboard Engineering kits and Engineering with Paper, downloadable packets. Godwyn has been working and creating with educators and children for more than 20 years. She is an advocate of making, mixing, trying, testing and playing, all with the aim of teaching creative thinking and problem solving skills to kids and adults. She works with hundreds of students and teachers every year in classes, camps and professional development workshops. Her expertise is helping educators bridge the gap between teaching content and expanding hands on exploration.
Carlos Pereira
Carlos Pereira is a Biomedical Engineer based out of Brooklyn, NY specializing in product design with interest towards applied biomechanics. I have been teaching and writing curriculum for Robofun for just over 2 years. It has been an incredibly positive and fulfilling experience. Growing up, I have had the privilege of having many great educators and mentors who have helped direct me onto my current path. Because of this I have always felt it important for me to pay it forward onto the next generation.
Kiki Prottsman
Kiki Prottsman is a computer science educator, as well as the author of several books, including Computational Thinking and Coding for Every Student , My First Coding Book , How to Be a Coder , and Disney's Coding with Anna and Elsa . In her spare time, Kiki runs an educational YouTube channel called KIKIvsIT, which helped her win silver in the coveted 2017 Female Innovator of the Year Awards. Kiki recently joined the MakeCode team to add thoughtful curriculum to their already innovative coding experiences.
Peter Pillwon Seo
Peter Pillwon Seo is a dad-preneur with expertise in providing STEM education programs that develop core soft-skill areas: resilience, inquisitiveness, and empathy. Prior to founding NORY, he ran a non-profit organization, BRIDGE, that promoted and facilitated cross-sector collaborations. He was honored as a Global Fellow at BMW Foundation as a recognized social innovation leader.
Kim Smith
Kim Smith is the co-founder and CEO of Learning Beautiful, a company creating timeless, Montessori-inspired toys for young children to learn the basics of computer science, without using computers. Learning Beautiful breaks down the foundational and abstract ideas of computational thinking into simple building blocks so that young children can playfully learn about the binary number system, representation, Boolean logic, algorithms, and other computational concepts.
In 2017, Kim received a Master of Science degree from the MIT Media Lab, where she was a Learning Fellow with the Learning Innovation Fellowship. She has presented at the LEGO Foundation, Early Futures, American Montessori Society, and the White House.
Tess Sutherland
© Royal Ontario Museum
Tess is an educator and new media technologist whose creative practice focuses on building and sustaining resilient communities. She pursues this work at Ryerson University, where she promotes academic excellence by cultivating an exceptional extracurricular community in the New Media Program. Tess also works at the Royal Ontario Museum, fostering digital literacy and Indigenous knowledge sharing in classrooms across Ontario. She has taught thousands of students of all ages how to code creatively, build machines with empathy, thoughtfully develop technology, and make extraordinary art. Her hands-on experience and student-first approach informs her imaginative, inclusive, and grassroots approach to community genesis.
Yvonne Thevenot
Yvonne Thevenot is an educator-activist who believes that all students are capable of learning. She has over 10 years of professional experience in the tech and financial private sectors as a Computer Scientist and Finance & Budget Analyst. In 2015, she founded STEM Kids NYC, an education nonprofit that teaches students ages 3-19 learn how to code, engineer, engage in Science in experiential ways, build robots, and innovate using creative technologies. She has a Bachelor of Science in Information Systems from the University of Dayton, a Masters of Arts in Teaching from the University of Southern California, and an Ed.M. in Curriculum and Teaching from Teachers College, Columbia University. Yvonne is now pursuing her Ph.D. in the Mathematics, Science, & Technology department at Teachers College at Columbia University.
Ella Weiner
Ella Weiner. I am a junior at Millennium High School and a former Robofun, student and now intern at Robofun.
Jenny Young
Jenny Young has a degree in Mechanical Engineering from Purdue University. She grew up working alongside her father in his garage shop and doing projects with her mother. From an early age she was exposed to the joys of building and designing things from found items. She also has a special place in her heart for teaching girls about the coolness of math and science. She lives in Manhattan with her husband, two kids and cat. As her parents always told her growing up, “You can be whatever you want to be in life!” She lives by this philosophy and hopes to inspire it in others.
Mediators:
Laura Hart
Laura Hart has worked in educational technology in NYC for over thirty-five years as a teacher and administrator. For the past 22 years has run her company, Robofun (robofun.org helping children and teachers use technology creatively and effectively. We run programs teaching robotics, coding, animation and Minecraft online, in person at over 130 schools.
Laura is a bit of a child whisperer. She absolutely loves the energy children bring and has a hand in every curriculum and class to make sure each student’s needs are met and that they leave Robofun as a more confident and eager learner.
Laura has received two National Science Foundation grants, a MacArthur Grant, and consulted with the MIT Media Lab. Laura has a BS in Studio Art from Skidmore College and a M.Ed from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.
Clay Shirky
Clay Shirky is Vice Provost for Educational Technologies. In this role, he designs, develops, and enhances all academic aspects of technology-based teaching and learning, University-wide; oversees the development of NYU’s instructional technology strategy, working with deans, faculty, NYU IT, and other university offices; maintains an inventory of online education offerings; and helps schools use educational technology to recruit new students, help existing students learn and progress, and generate costs savings or new revenues. He chairs the University’s Future of Technology-Enhanced Education Committee.
Tom Igoe
Tom Igoe is the area head for physical computing courses at NYU’s Interactive Telecommunications Program (ITP) in the Tisch School of the Arts. In these courses, he teaches programming and electronics as tools for art and design, starting with how to sense and respond to human physical expression. His research interests also include networks, lighting design, the environmental and social impacts of technology development, clocks, and monkeys. He is a co-founder of Arduino, and hopes to visit Svalbard and Antarctica someday.