Participants are required to attend 2 of 4 General Sessions.
Download i-STEM 2021 General Session Descriptions
Brief Overview of General Sessions (download above pdf for more details):
General Session A: Video Making and Recording in the Classroom (K-5)
Northwest Council of Computing Education (NCCE) is excited to present this workshop geared toward K-5 educators. Whether distance, hybrid or flipped learning, creating meaningful videos (for students, families and others) enhances learning and elevates lessons. Join this session for tips, tricks & terrific ideas through discovering new ways to utilize your videos in interactive lessons, and learning best practices in creating videos (e.g., length, audience, platform). We will also learn how to use PowerPoint recording (screen recorder, slide record, save as MP4, etc.), Photos app Video Creation (add titles, music, special effects, etc.) and Flipgrid for video creation (Shorts).
General Session B: Digital Citizenship in STEM (4-12)
Looking to integrate Digital Citizenship into your lessons? What part can the community play in supporting Digital Citizenship projects? Northwest Council of Computing Education (NCCE) is excited to present this session for Grades 4-12 educators. The session will highlight the important elements of Digital Citizenship, the connections between Digital Citizenship and student lives, and explore ways to connect digital citizenship to the community through student learning. Resources on implementing Digital Citizenship with groups of students will be provided as well as ideas on where to start making connections within the community. Leaving this session, participants will feel comfortable and knowledgeable on Digital Citizenship and how the community can support groups of students.
General Session C: Breakout Topic Discussions/Networking (PreK-12)
Choose from a selection of engaging breakout rooms to connect & collaborate with fellow educators on topics important to YOU! Session topics are listed below. Rooms will be limited to nine people or less to allow for active participation for all. Advance Sign-Ups for Session C are required (click here for the sign-up form).
These will be open discussions. No facilitators will be leading the groups. Padlets (collaborative web platform) with a couple resources will be provided as conversation starters and educators will be encouraged to add to the Padlet. Padlet resources will be sent to participants after the session.
Family Engagement (Pre-K-12) How do you get families to engage in your student’s STEM Learning? What kinds of activities work best for family engagement? Do you have tips for getting families to show up at your family engagement events? Come share and discuss the benefits of engaging families in a student’s STEM learning, your success stories, and tips on how to better engage families to be an extension of what students learn in your classroom.
The Future of Work (Grades 6-12) You may have seen or heard about the ever-changing workforce needs. Changing technologies have impacted the future of work globally. Has technology changed how you see your role as an educator preparing your students for these future jobs? How do you prepare your students for jobs that don’t exist yet? Come discuss how these have affected your own classroom and share how you have changed how you approach it.
Realistic Strategies for Inquiry-Based Learning in the Classroom (Pre-K-12) According to Exploratorium and the Institute for Inquiry, inquiry-based learning is an approach to learning that involves exploring the natural or material world, which leads to asking questions, making discoveries, and testing those discoveries in the search for new understanding. Do you use this approach in your classroom? What are some successful ways you have introduced these models in your learning environment? What challenges have you experienced in incorporating this approach? Come discuss and share various types of inquiry-based or student-centered learning models that you have used.
Value of School-Library Partnerships for STEM Learning (Pre-K-12) When was the last time you used your Library? Libraries are a wealth of resources for not only educators but parents and students. Come discuss the importance and value of school-library partnerships for STEM learning, how to leverage them as an extension of your STEM programs, and tap into their vast knowledge and resources for you and your students. We would love to hear your examples and successful partnerships stories. What ideas do you have on how you can bring such partnerships to your community?
Creating Opportunities for STEM Career Exploration – Middle School Level (Grades 6-9) It is never too early to start exploring career options! Middle school students are at an age when they understand the connection between careers, salaries, and the kind of lifestyle they want. This is also the time when the students will need to choose their high school courses, some of which are specialized pathways to a particular area of post-secondary study. How do you incorporate career exploration in your classroom? Come discuss and share strategies and resources for creating opportunities for career exploration for middle school students.
Creating Opportunities for STEM Career Exploration – High School Level (Grades 9-12) STEM jobs pay nearly twice the median wage of non-STEM jobs, and they continue to change rapidly. In March, Idaho had 8,446 open STEM job postings. Building a toolset of STEM skills can take students in multiple directions with their careers. How do you help students navigate the challenges of the career jungle gym, braided river, and career ladder? What successful tips or stories can you share with your peers? Come discuss how to create opportunities for career exploration for high school students.
Advance Sign-Ups for Session C choice above are required (click here for the sign-up form).
General Session D: Partnership Asset Mapping Workshop (PreK-12)
Looking to build partnerships to support real-world engagement in STEM -- but not sure where to start? In this workshop, you will identify and "map" potential partners ("Assets") for STEM learning in your local community and consider how you might engage those partners through shared values. Note: For this activity, you will need a few pieces of paper and some crayons or colored pencils.
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