Time: 8:45 AM -11:45 AM
Abstract:
By applying design thinking and project-based learning principles, two school districts are integrating Computational Thinking and STEM through an integrated approach to professional development and embedded coaching. We will introduce our research effort to understand what it takes to support elementary teachers to integrate STEM and computational thinking. This NSF-funded project, is a partnership between two diverse school districts, UMass Dartmouth and Eduscape using a longitudinal approach to promoting the integration of CT and STEM. The researchers are building understandings about the support systems teachers require to make this approach both impactful and sustainable in the everyday classroom.
Audience and Impact:
This session is for ANYONE and EVERYONE that wants to discover how to properly integrate STEM into their classrooms and learning environments using research-based and proven strategies. The integration of the Photon coding robot will also be covered, which is considered the most innovative K-12 robot in the world.
Presenters:
Dr. Chandra Orrill
Dr. Orrill holds a Ph.D. in Instructional Systems Technology from Indiana University. She joined the faculty at UMass Dartmouth in 2010 after serving as a Research Scientist at the University of Georgia for nearly a decade. Dr. Orrill has taught a wide variety of courses in the MAT program and the Mathematics Education and STEM Education PhD programs including: Math Methods for Middle School Teachers, Math Methods for High School Teachers, Introduction to Mathematics Education Research, Introduction to Science Education Research, Proportional Reasoning for Middle School Teachers, K-12 STEM Reform in a Political Context, Developing Research Skills Part 2, and Research on Teacher Education. She has two main research areas. First, she has been examining how middle school math teachers understand proportions and fractions, how we can use emerging assessment models to better understand teacher knowledge, and how we can create instructional materials to support teachers’ understandings. Second, she is interested in how to integrate computational thinking into elementary math classrooms. All of this work has been done in ongoing, long-term partnerships with schools and teachers. Dr. Orrill has published more than 80 journal articles, chapters, and published proceedings in venues that include Journal of Research for Mathematics Education, Mathematical Thinking and Learning, Educational Researcher, and Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education. She has also presented over 100 papers at national and international conferences. Dr. Orrill has also been awarded more than 25 grants with a net value in excess of $8 million.
Erin Sailor
Chief Learning Officer, Eduscape
Erin was a Teach for America corps member and taught in an integrated co-teaching setting as a special education teacher predominantly in 11th grade English and US History. She served as a tenured teacher leader, leading various grade teams, the special education team and was selected as a Model Teacher in the NYC DOE. As a teacher leader, Erin supported the development of school wide curriculums, including a humanities curriculum and social-emotional learning curriculum. She designed, facilitated and monitored the effectiveness of professional development of teachers and served as an instructional coach. Erin is a trained reading interventionist using Anita Archer’s REWARDS program to support tier 2 and 3 literacy intervention for high school students.
At Eduscape, she leads a team of educators that have developed and delivered professional learning to hundreds of thousands of classroom teachers. She is also the architect of myEduscape, the comprehensive eLearning and PD platform developed by Eduscape.
Erin holds a BS in History and Sociology from Loyola University Maryland and a Master’s in Special Education from Fordham University. Erin has obtained certifications as a Google Educator, Microsoft Innovative Educator and ISTE Certified Educator. She also obtained her SCRUM project management certification.