i-STEM at Idaho State University

Strand Provider: Ashley Schaffner

Strand Description: This strand equips educators with the knowledge and tools they need to integrate coding and computer science concepts into the early elementary classroom. Educators will gain the confidence and skills to facilitate year-long coding and computer science lessons with their students, guided by educators who have implemented the same content in their own classrooms to build critical thinking. An important component of this course will be empowering Cracking the Code: Computer Science for K-2 teachers to lead unplugged activities (no computer needed!) to naturally solicit computational thinking from their students. While this course is geared toward teachers working with students in grades PreK-2, it will also be a great resource for teachers of all grades looking to introduce their students to basic coding and computer science concepts. The course is founded on the Idaho Content Standards for Computer Science to prepare educators as they introduce students to concepts including, but not limited to parts of a computer, hardware and software, troubleshooting, typing skills, problem solving, teamwork, and of course coding! Teachers will also explore how introducing their students to these concepts at an early age will better prepare them for the future. Educators will leave with resources and knowledge to integrate and implement their own coding and computer science programs and lessons in their classrooms and schools.  

Your kits will/may include: The kit includes resources designed to empower educators in creating a cross-curricular, offline coding and computer science curriculum. Items may include access to a Teachers Pay Teachers (TPT) gift card, a laminator with supplies, Code and Go Robot Mice, and a curated collection of coding and computer science books. These tools provide comprehensive support for integrating coding and computational thinking into the classroom effectively.

Setting(s): Formal Classroom, Informal Learning Environment

Strand Provider: Brandi Milliron

Strand Description: Coding for the Skies! is a strand that brings engagement to new heights for students. You will be provided with materials to learn how to safely and ethically pilot a drone and teach students about drones. You will also be trained to code a drone to fly autonomously, applying STEM various concepts. Materials in the kit provided include the following: mini drone, controller, batteries, lipo battery storage bag, instructor guide, classroom poster pack, digital resource license key, and Droneology Jr user guide & digital course. With these items you will be able to implement hands-on activities in your classroom or in an after-school program. The sky is truly the limit with drones!

Your kits will/may include: coming soon

Setting(s): Formal Classroom, Informal Learning Environment

Strand Provider: Courtney Lamb

Strand Description: Calling All Idaho Math Teachers! Join the Idaho Standards Academy for an engaging and impactful professional learning experience designed specifically for 3-4 educators. This strand dives deep into the big ideas of Numbers and Operations-Base-10 and Algebraic Thinking helping teachers strengthen their understanding of math content standards and research-aligned teaching practices. Participants will explore concepts such as operations, factors, place value, decoding word problems, and to think algebraically while collaborating to design standards-aligned curricula and evaluate classroom resources. Equipped with hands-on manipulatives, professional memberships, and practical tools, participants will leave empowered to create dynamic math experiences for young learners and foster student success in numbers and operations and algebraic reasoning.

Your kits will/may include: As part of the Idaho Standards Academy strand, participants will receive a thoughtfully curated kit designed to empower grade 3-4 educators with research-aligned strategies and tools to enhance teaching practices. The kit includes hands-on manipulatives such as Magnetic Arrays, Unifix Cubes, and Base 10 Blocks, providing concrete representations of mathematical concepts to deepen student understanding of foundational ideas like number relationships, equivalence, and properties of operations. Wipebooks are also included to encourage collaborative problem-solving and active engagement, aligning with the Building Thinking Classrooms model. Additionally, participants will gain memberships to the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) and the Idaho Council of Teachers of Mathematics (ICTM), offering access to professional resources, articles, and communities for ongoing growth. To support instructional planning, the kit features reference books that guide educators in understanding standards, crafting effective mathematical tasks, and fostering number sense activities.

Setting(s): Formal Classroom, Informal Learning Environment

Strand Provider: Sarah May Clarkson

Strand Description: People – children – are situated in their places: homes, schools, work, neighborhoods, community spaces. Children benefit from knowing their place in the world, from relational thinking, from experiencing place IN place, and from understanding the characteristics and identifiers of the places that matter to them. Such learning is fundamentally STEM-oriented (analysis, built environments, geology / geography / weather, quantitative reasoning, observation, hands-on and experiential) and human-centered (collaboration, art and expression, sensitivity to culture and tradition). Place-based education is child centered and community focused. Through it, learners develop their sense of space, place, and connection; build / design / recreate locations; draw and generate reproductions of people and place in maps and sketches; strengthen mathematical and numeracy skills; and investigate the features, figures, and characteristics of home, town, and school. This strand will focus each day on four STEM / STEAM competencies: 1. Creativity, 2. Awareness of spaces and community components, 3. Curiosity and wonder, 4. Research, analysis, and investigation (which includes communication and collaboration). Finally, place-based learning offers a mutual benefit to learner and educator because it brings new types of learning and teaching perspectives.

Your kits will/may include: Kit materials will allow educators to reflect on the strand experience and take away from it the ideas, plans, and outlines they can deliver in the new school year. There are books for reference, journals, mapmaking materials, and lots of Legos. Binoculars and magnifying glasses will be used to support their use in the development of observation skills (for both educators and learners).

Setting(s): Formal Classroom, Informal Learning Environment

Strand Provider: April Taylor

Strand Description: Calling All Idaho Math Teachers! Join the Idaho Standards Academy for an engaging and impactful professional learning experience designed specifically for K-2 educators. This strand dives deep into the big ideas of Early Algebraic Reasoning and Operations and Algebraic Thinking (equivalence, generalizations, and properties of operations) and the Math Teaching Practices. We will gain knowledge through the lens of connected learning, big ideas, conceptual understanding, rich tasks, and active learning. Equipped with hands-on manipulatives, professional memberships, units/lessons and activities, participants will leave empowered to create dynamic math experiences for young learners and foster student success in algebraic reasoning.

Your Kit will/may include: As part of the Idaho Standards Academy strand, participants will receive a comprehensive kit designed to equip K-2 educators with tools and resources for implementing research-based strategies and enhancing teaching practices. The kit includes Wipebooks, reusable write-and-wipe tools that foster student collaboration and problem-solving in alignment with the Building Thinking Classrooms model. Participants will also receive memberships to the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) and the Idaho Council of Teachers of Mathematics (ICTM), granting access to valuable resources, articles, and professional learning communities. Additionally, the kit features reference books that provide insights into understanding standards, creating engaging mathematical tasks, and strengthening number sense activities. To further support hands-on learning, the kit includes manipulatives such as rekenreks and Cuisenaire rods, enabling students to explore foundational mathematical concepts through concrete representations.

Setting(s): Formal Classroom, Informal Learning Environment

Strand Provider: Amelia Crespo

Strand Description: In this strand, K-5 educators will get hands-on with LEGO Education SPIKE Prime sets to practice implementing inquiry-based computer science lessons in the core classroom. Educators will have the opportunity to explore Idaho’s computer science standards, experience lessons as both a student and a teacher, and even develop their own lesson(s) to implement with their students! This strand will provide a solid foundation for educators to feel competent and confident engaging all students in collaborative, hands-on, and cross-curricular computer science learning experiences. Join us in building something powerful together!

Your kits will/may include: Each attendee will receive a minimum of five LEGO® Education SPIKE™ Essential sets, with each set serving two students working in pairs to solve real-world problems. LEGO® Education SPIKE™ Essential is an elementary STEAM solution that engages students in hands-on investigation of STEAM concepts, while boosting literacy, math, and social-emotional development. These materials offer opportunities to:

1. Bring STEAM concepts to life using simple hardware with icon- and word-based block coding;
2. Explore everyday themes through 100+ hours of standards-aligned learning units;
3. Solve problems through storytelling using familiar LEGO® minifigures and building elements;
4. Access non-consumable, hands-on STEAM materials supported by an app, classroom activities, professional resources, and technical support when you need them!

Setting(s): Formal Classroom, Informal Learning Environment

Strand Provider: Tyler Colling

Strand Description: The strand materials will be an essential asset for the teachers to help show their students how to measure electricity and electrical components. The kit would be used in the classroom/lab settings as well as any after school activities they develop.

Your kits will/may include: Participants will receive a Fluke 115 Multimeter and a 10 pcs. back probe kit. With this kit educators will be able to return to the classroom and teach their students how to use a multimeter to check voltage, resistance, amperage, and capacitance.

Setting(s): Formal Classroom, Informal Learning Environment

Strand Provider: Mackenzie Gorham

Strand Description: The strand will also utilize equipment inside the Nuclear Operations program mobile demonstration lab. While teachers could recreate these materials also, the purpose of demonstrating the functionality of the trailer is to encourage teachers to schedule a time for ISU staff to bring the trailer to their classrooms, and show the additional equipment and expertise we can provide through collaboration.

Your kits will/may include: The kit for the Nuclear Careers and Information Strand equips educators with resources to explore nuclear science and energy concepts in the classroom. It includes a Cloud Chamber kit from the American Nuclear Society, Pipe Variation Kits from the Energy Systems Technology Education Center, and bulk dice for conducting radioactive decay experiments. Additionally, the kit features handouts tailored for use with the cloud chamber, PVC kit, and radioactive decay activities. These tools provide hands-on learning opportunities to engage students in understanding nuclear science and its real-world applications.

Setting(s): Formal Classroom, Informal Learning Environment

Strand Provider: Tim Leishman

Strand Description: Step into the world of robotics and hands-on learning with the Useless Box ISTEM strand, where fun meets foundational electronics and engineering concepts! This dynamic program introduces participants to servo, DC, and stepper motors, as well as multivibrator and motor control circuits, through engaging, project-based activities. Explore the principles of circuit design, prototyping, and troubleshooting with hands-on experiences in breadboarding, PCB soldering, and circuit construction, as well as using an oscilloscope to measure and analyze performance. Covering a variety of discrete motor control circuits and microcontroller-driven systems, this strand offers a comprehensive introduction to the world of robotics. Educators will gain innovative pedagogical strategies to teach math and electronics concepts, empowering students to create, innovate, and problem-solve. By building and customizing their own “useless box,” participants will leave with practical skills and resources to inspire curiosity and creativity in their classrooms.

Your kits will/may include:

The provided kit is designed to equip educators with essential tools and components to effectively implement hands-on electronics and programming lessons. By utilizing these materials, educators can reinforce the concepts learned during training, fostering a practical and engaging learning environment for students.

Kit Components:

• Toolbox: A durable storage solution to organize and transport all included components.
• Prototyping and Soldering Tools: Essential instruments for assembling and testing electronic circuits, enabling educators to demonstrate and guide students through practical electronics projects.
• Useless Box PCB Assembly Kit: A fun and interactive project that teaches basic electronics assembly and soldering skills.
• Arduino Nano: A compact microcontroller board based on the ATmega328P, ideal for introducing microcontroller programming and interfacing with various sensors and actuators.
• ESP32: A powerful, low-cost microcontroller with integrated Wi-Fi and Bluetooth capabilities, allowing educators to explore advanced topics such as IoT applications and wireless communication.
• Raspberry Pi Pico (RP2040): A low-cost, high-performance microcontroller board featuring the RP2040 chip. It includes a dual-core Arm Cortex-M0+ processor running up to 133 MHz, 264kB on-chip SRAM, and flexible digital interfaces. This board is ideal for introducing educators and students to microcontroller programming and embedded systems.
• Sensor Kits: A collection of sensors compatible with Arduino, ESP32, and Raspberry Pi platforms, enabling the exploration of environmental monitoring, motion detection, and other sensor-based projects.
• Servo Motor: A rotary actuator that allows for precise control of angular position, useful in projects requiring controlled movement, such as robotics and animatronics.
• Stepper Motor: A motor that moves in discrete steps, providing precise control over rotation, essential for applications like 3D printing and CNC machines.
• DC Motor: A simple electric motor that converts direct current electrical energy into mechanical energy, suitable for basic motor control experiments and projects.

Setting(s): Formal Classroom, Informal Learning Environment

Strand Provider: Spencer Christensen

Strand Description: Dive into a transformative week-long workshop designed to equip educators with the skills and confidence to integrate Adobe’s powerful creative tools into their classrooms. Explore Adobe Express, Illustrator, and Photoshop to empower students to create stunning, real-world projects. Engage in hands-on sessions, including sublimation printing and vinyl design with a Silhouette machine, bringing your creative ideas to life. By the end of the workshop, you’ll leave with practical project ideas, lesson plans, and the skills to foster creativity and innovation in your classroom. No prior experience is necessary—just bring your imagination (and a digital copy of your school’s logo)!

Your kits will/may include: Participants will receive a Silhouette Cameo 5 with a starter bundle of supplies to begin doing projects at their school. Participants will also be taking home completed dye sublimation products. Bring a copy of your school’s logo to use in the design process.

Setting(s): Formal Classroom, Informal Learning Environment