Join Common Sense Education as we dive into the world of classroom management with devices. We will take a closer look at setting classroom norms and expectations, showcase new lessons and activities that can help reinforce key concepts such as responsible tech use, media balance and well being, communication and more. Participants will gain insight into strategies that extend beyond a one-time lesson, fostering a positive digital citizenship culture throughout the school year.
This session aims to empower educators with practical strategies to refresh and reinforce essential digital citizenship habits to harness technology to benefit all learners.
Key Highlights:
- Examine efficient methods for establishing clear norms and expectations surrounding device usage in your classroom.
- Discover a collection of quick activities designed to instill positive digital citizenship habits for your students.
- Explore NEW ways to integrate digital citizenship seamlessly into your curriculum, making it an integral part of daily learning.
- Address common challenges from minimizing distractions to promoting collaboration, learn how to navigate the digital landscape.
- Engage in collaborative discussions with fellow educators where you can share your experiences, ask questions, and brainstorm ideas.
- Engage Families
Lunch will be provided.
Background | From commonsense.org: Common Sense is the nation’s leading nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of all kids and families by providing the trustworthy information, education, and independent voice they need to thrive in the 21st century.
Who Should Attend? | Those looking for strategies for classroom management surrounding technology (K-5)
Cost | Free
Image from commonsense.org
Are you looking for projects that your school’s STEAM program or club can use to develop and hone basic making skills? Are you curious about additional, real-life applications for the tools and skills your students are learning? Are you wondering how toys can be hacked to make them more accessible to children with physical disabilities?
This hands-on workshop will introduce participants to assistive technology making skills to create usable access products. Participants will learn basic soldering to join wire segments and assemble mono and stereo components for use in a variety of assistive technology applications. Those skills – along with some 3D-printed parts – will be applied to create a mechanical switch that could be used by an individual with physical disabilities. Each participant will also make a battery interrupter and switch-adapt a stuffed, electronic toy that can be used with the scratch-built switch.
Lunch will be provided.
Who Should Attend? | This workshop is targeted for assistive technology specialists, occupational therapists, special education teachers, and STEAM-curious teachers interested in expanding maker opportunities into authentic special education applications!
Cost | Free
This workshop is tailored for educators seeking to elevate their teaching approach through empathy-driven design thinking.
Engage in a hands-on, immersive experience that will walk you through a series of “making” activities, modeling how to build empathy and enhance social emotional wellbeing with students while engaging in the design process.
The Learning Dimensions framework, a Making that Matters project guide, several design challenges, and novel engineering resources will be shared as ways to easily implement this approach in every K-8 classroom.
Lunch will be provided.
Background | The mission of the Matt’s Maker Space PD Division is to provide FREE professional development to all of Matt’s Maker Space educators and others in our communities who are interested in STEAM, design thinking and maker learning. The goal is to help establish foundational skills to new makers as well as offer refresh training opportunities to all adults who utilize maker spaces.
Who Should Attend? | Teachers K-8; all content areas
Cost | Free
Regardless of what subject they are discovering in the K-6 classroom, your students need to be strong problem solvers. Designing your lessons with a new approach in mind can help you provide intentional opportunities for students to build these skills. If you are looking to innovate your instruction for impact, join us as we learn about computational thinking (problem-solving skills and processes) and ways to incorporate it into the content you already teach.
Lunch will be provided.
Who Should Attend? | Teachers, Administrators K-6
Cost | Free
Technology can help open doors for many individuals who otherwise struggle to participate in their home, school, or community. Experience the world of gaming and explore how to make it accessible for people with disabilities.
Get hands on with various assistive tech equipment at the Inglis Innovation Center Pittsburgh located in Bellevue during this half-day workshop.
Lunch is provided and will be served at 11:00, immediately prior to this half-day workshop. See special note below regarding the first half of the day.
Background | Inglis Assistive Tech Solutions (IATS) provides customized, goals-based assistive technology services for people with disabilities and older adults who are seeking to increase independence, social engagement, or life management through technology.
Who Should Attend? | Special Education instructors and directors, principals, esports directors, anyone who is interested in technology and/or special education
**Special Note | If you are also curious about smart home technology/accessibility, you are encouraged to register for the first portion of the day, as well.
**Location | To fully immerse ourselves in adaptive gaming, this workshop will take place at Inglis Innovation Center Pittsburgh in Bellevue (100 S. Jackson Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15202, in the former AHN Suburban General Hospital).
Cost | Free
echnology can help open doors for many individuals who otherwise struggle to participate in their home, school, or community. Learn how smart home technologies are helping to make the world accessible for all individuals.
Get hands on with various assistive tech equipment at the Inglis Innovation Center Pittsburgh located in Bellevue during this half-day workshop.
Lunch is provided and will be served immediately following this half-day workshop. See special note below regarding the second half of the day.
Background | Inglis Assistive Tech Solutions (IATS) provides customized, goals-based assistive technology services for people with disabilities and older adults who are seeking to increase independence, social engagement, or life management through technology.
Who Should Attend? | Special Education instructors and directors, principals, anyone who is interested in technology and/or special education
**Special Note | If you are also curious about adaptive gaming, you are encouraged to register for the second portion of the day, as well.
**Location | To fully immerse ourselves in smart home technologies, this workshop will take place at Inglis Innovation Center Pittsburgh in Bellevue (100 S. Jackson Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15202, in the former AHN Suburban General Hospital).
Join the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh for an educator happy hour in MuseumLab. Enjoy an open bar and light bites, fun art and making activities, and the chance to explore their new inflatable sculpture Chroma Maze. Space is limited, reserve your spot here.
Sponsored by the Saint Vincent College Education Department and the Western Pennsylvania Council of Teachers of English (WPCTE), The Heart of Teaching conference will feature informative, interactive, and trendsetting professional learning sessions delivered by some of our best local educators and organizations with a focus on active learning of ELA, SEL, reading and writing across the curriculum, technology, and general teaching concepts that have immediate application to grades 4-12 schools and classrooms. We hope that you will join us in coming together to celebrate the love of literacy and learning, to share in the exchange of creative ideas, and to forge heartfelt professional relationships with one another.
Educators of all disciplines, artists, field professionals, and museum staff: please join us for Empowered Educators! In this ongoing participatory series, we will deepen our understanding of the ways in which the construction of race and our racialized experiences impact our teaching and learning communities. Together, we will engage with art, literature, writing, and group conversations with artists and guest speakers. Empowered Educators are rooted in liberatory and culturally relevant pedagogies to support us in building a more equitable and just world.
These free workshops will be held at the museum and we’ll provide dinner and waive the parking fee for all participants.
Thurs, January 18, 2024 @ 5-7:30pm: Where Are We?
Thurs, February 15, 2024 @ 5-7:30pm: Where Have We Been?
Thurs, March 21, 2024 @ 5-7:30pm: What Are Our Obstacles?
Thurs, April 18, 2024 @ 5-7:30pm: Who Are We With?
Thurs, May 16, 2024 @ 5-7:30pm: Where Do We Go From Here?
Educators of all disciplines, artists, field professionals, and museum staff: please join us for Empowered Educators! In this ongoing participatory series, we will deepen our understanding of the ways in which the construction of race and our racialized experiences impact our teaching and learning communities. Together, we will engage with art, literature, writing, and group conversations with artists and guest speakers. Empowered Educators are rooted in liberatory and culturally relevant pedagogies to support us in building a more equitable and just world.
These free workshops will be held at the museum and we’ll provide dinner and waive the parking fee for all participants.
Thurs, January 18, 2024 @ 5-7:30pm: Where Are We?
Thurs, February 15, 2024 @ 5-7:30pm: Where Have We Been?
Thurs, March 21, 2024 @ 5-7:30pm: What Are Our Obstacles?
Thurs, April 18, 2024 @ 5-7:30pm: Who Are We With?
Thurs, May 16, 2024 @ 5-7:30pm: Where Do We Go From Here?