TRETC 2025: Full Schedule

9:15am EST

Intro to micro:bit and micro:bit Create AI

Monday January 20, 2025 9:15am - 10:00am EST

Join us for an exciting introduction to the micro:bit, a pocket-sized computer that opens up a world of coding and physical computing! This interactive session will guide you through the basics of programming with MakeCode. We will also explore all the free resources available through the Micro:bit Educational Foundation. If you're a beginner or have some experience, this workshop is perfect for anyone curious about micro:bit and not sure where to start. Let's build, code, and innovate together!

Dive into the future of creative coding with micro:bit CreateAI! This innovative tool combines the power of machine learning with the versatility of the micro:bit. In this session, you'll learn how to train your own AI models to recognize gestures. You'll then apply these models to create interactive code that blend the physical and digital worlds. Whether you're a seasoned coder or a curious beginner, this workshop will inspire you to explore the exciting possibilities of AI and micro:bit.

Objectives:

Gain a foundational understanding of the micro:bit's capabilities: Participants will learn about the core features, sensors, and outputs of the micro:bit, and how it can be used to engage students in STEM learning.
Explore the MakeCode platform and its potential for educational applications: Participants will become familiar with the user-friendly interface of MakeCode, accessibility features, and learn how to create simple programs to control the micro:bit's inputs and outputs.
Discover a variety of resources and activities for incorporating micro:bit into the classroom: Participants will be introduced to the rich ecosystem of online resources, tutorials, and curriculum materials available for micro:bit, enabling them to implement engaging and effective STEM activities in their classrooms.
Understand the basics of machine learning and its applications in education: Participants will gain a conceptual understanding of machine learning and how it can be used to create engaging and interactive learning experiences.
Learn how to train and deploy AI models on the micro:bit: Participants will acquire practical skills in using the micro:bit CreateAI tool to train custom gesture recognition models and integrate them into their code.
Identify opportunities to integrate AI and micro:bit into existing curriculum: Participants will explore how to incorporate AI and micro:bit projects into subjects like science, math, and art, enhancing student engagement and fostering a deeper understanding of STEM concepts.

Speakers

Amanda Jeane

Director of Learning, CodeJoy

Monday January 20, 2025 9:15am - 10:00am EST
Middle School, Room 113

Session, Engage and Connect

Audience Appropriate for All Audiences, All Grade Levels (k-12), Computer Science Educators
Subject EdTech for Equity, Robotics & Coding, Integrating AI into the Classroom

9:15am EST

Be the Boss of AI

Monday January 20, 2025 9:15am - 10:45am EST

Oliver, Room 213

Generative artificial intelligence and AI chatbots have captured the public’s imagination in remarkable ways. This workshop turns the tables on our AI overlords and puts kids in-charge. Learn how chatbots may be used in playful ways to create, learn, write better, solve problems, and develop critical thinking skills. Mind-blowing project ideas and tools will be shared to enhance learning long after this unique workshop.

Learning Objectives:
1. Become aware of indispensable AI tools for the classroom that are not chatbots.
2. Appreciate ways in which AI may be used to amplify the creative and intellectual potential of each learner.
3. Using AI as a partner in programming, writing, video editing, and oral communication.

Speakers

Gary Stager

Founder, CEO, Professor, STEAM Educator, and Author, Constructing Modern Knowledge

In addition to being a popular keynote speaker at some of the world’s most prestigious education conferences, Gary Stager is a journalist, teacher educator, consultant, professor, software developer, publisher, and school administrator. An elementary teacher by training, he has... Read More →

Monday January 20, 2025 9:15am - 10:45am EST
Oliver, Room 213

Workshop, Create & Explore

Company Constructing Modern Knowledge
Audience Administrators, Appropriate for All Audiences, EdTech Leaders
Subject AI for All (SEL), Integrating AI into the Classroom, EdTech for Equity, Robotics & Coding, Machine Learning, Computational Thinking Pathway, Emerging Tech

9:15am EST

Conquering the Clock & Making Connections: Designing Meaningful Cross-Curricular Projects to Maximize Student Learning Time (with a little help from AI)

Monday January 20, 2025 9:15am - 10:45am EST

Oliver, Room 215

In this interactive workshop, we will inspire educators to embrace collaboration and Design Thinking in designing meaningful, cross-curricular projects that maximize learning time. As we showcase student projects, we will take you through our process, illustrating how we transformed the challenge of limited time into opportunities for creativity and deeper learning. We will share practical strategies for interacting with AI to streamline brainstorming, planning, and resource creation for projects.

You will witness how our students brought action verbs to life in STEAM class by creating stop motion animation films using props made in Art; see how they applied math concepts to design and 3D print cutting tools for clay projects; and feel their excitement as their bioluminescent organism paintings lit up using a paper circuit. Other example projects include coding activities and robotic creations that showcase how technology enhances learning experiences.

After showcasing some of our student projects, participants will embark on a choose-your-own-adventure style workshop, with options to create a hands-on project from a student’s perspective, workshop their own project ideas, or do a combination of both. Participant takeaways will vary depending on individual goals: some may leave with new strategies for effectively interacting with AI, others may leave with project ideas, and some may depart with a blueprint for endless possibilities in making learning meaningful for students.

Learning Objectives:
1. Understand and apply collaborative strategies to design meaningful, cross-curricular projects that enhance student engagement and maximize learning time.
2. Explore how to effectively interact with AI to streamline brainstorming, planning, and resource creation for cross-curricular projects.
3. Create a hands-on project from a student’s perspective, or dive into planning a cross-curricular project or lesson, using us as coaches and brainstorming partners.

Speakers

Colleen Hinrichsen

STEAM Teacher, Mars Area School District

Colleen currently teaches STEAM to 2nd-5th grade classes as part of the weekly "specials" rotation at Mars Area Elementary.

Katherine Frye

Art Teacher, Mars Area School District

Monday January 20, 2025 9:15am - 10:45am EST
Oliver, Room 215

Workshop, Create & Explore

Company Mars Area School District
Audience Elementary Educators (K-5), Appropriate for All Audiences
Subject Integrating AI into the Classroom, Robotics & Coding, Design Thinking

10:15am EST

High Schoolers Engaging Elementary Students Through Innovative STEM Lessons

Monday January 20, 2025 10:15am - 11:00am EST

Middle School, Room 105

Whether it’s VEX, SkillsUSA or FIRST, these youth robotics programs instill a passion for all things STEM. Garrett County Public Schools (Maryland) leverages this passion by allowing its high school robotics students to teach highly engaging, standards-based, and scalable lessons to all students, grades 2 though 5 - making a systemic impact in our district. These lessons produce many “ah-ha” moments and help ensure that elementary-aged students develop the skills needed for their success in STEM. This session will feature our high school students sharing about their lessons and the “gadgets” they use to teach them -including a LEGO Abacus and Top Spinner, a “math-magic” trick based on the rudiments of binary numbers, a set of LEGO calipers that exactly determine the Golden Ratio and homemade “Makey Makeys”. Many “gadgets” will be given away. In fact, all participants will take at least one home! This program has been a huge “win-win” success and our students’ passion is contagious. They will inspire you with the difference they make!

Objectives:

Participants will learn how high school students can be used effectively in teaching STEM lessons to upper elementary students to promote the development of essential STEM Skills such as spatial reasoning, proportionality, and those found in computational thinking.
Participants will be presented with 5 highly engaging and scalable STEM lesson lessons that are easily replicable and reinforce concepts of multiplication, the binary number system, and the significance of the Fibonacci numbers.
Participants will become familiar with FIRST Robotics and how its programs encourage its teams to make a systemic impact on the schools and communities they serve - making a difference to all students, whether they are on a robotics team or not.

Speakers

Chuck Trautwein

Teacher, STEAM Educator, Garrett County Public Schools, Maryland

Monday January 20, 2025 10:15am - 11:00am EST
Middle School, Room 105

Session, Engage and Connect

Audience Elementary Educators (K-5), Middle School Educators (6-8), High School Educators (9-12), Computer Science Educators, Appropriate for All Audiences
Subject EdTech for Equity, Robotics & Coding, Computational Thinking Pathway

10:15am EST

Robotics - Where do I start?!

Monday January 20, 2025 10:15am - 11:00am EST

Middle School, Room 113

This session is ideal for individuals who are wondering how to bring robotics opportunities to their school/community. Follow the journey of how a high school teacher brought robotics into a district through classroom curriculum and a K-12 after school club.

Obectives:

Become familiar with available educational robotics kits/materials
Compare the framework of course vs. club implementation
Consider your local support system & create a plan

Speakers

Tracy Smith

Teacher, STEAM Educator, Upper St. Clair School District

Speaker Bio:Tracy Smith has been teaching Physics at Upper St Clair High School since 2003. Last year, her courses grew to include robotics education. With a Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering from Lehigh University and a Master's Degree in Automotive Systems from the University... Read More →

Monday January 20, 2025 10:15am - 11:00am EST
Middle School, Room 113

Session, Engage and Connect

Audience Appropriate for All Audiences, All grade levels (k-12)
Subject Robotics & Coding

11:15am EST

Panel: Gearing Up for the Future: Stories and Strategies from Robotics Teams

Monday January 20, 2025 11:15am - 11:45am EST

REA Auditorium

Monday January 20, 2025 11:15am - 11:45am EST
REA Auditorium

Panel Discussion, Engage & Connect

Audience Appropriate for All
Subject Robotics & Coding, Emerging Tech, ESports and Gamificaiton

1:45pm EST

Engaging Students Through AI Songwriting, Scratch Coding, and Makey Makey Activities

Monday January 20, 2025 1:45pm - 2:30pm EST

Middle School, Room 103

Learn how to take your students’ ideas and turn them into engaging songs to help concepts stick. Leveraging AI, teachers can now be song writers and creators. Music sticks in our heads longer than most information, so why not learn to use that to your advantage. Learn to create amazing lesson hooks, engaging activities, and more with some great AI apps.

Engage your students in creating virtual musical instruments, animations, and games with Scratch! Using Makey Makey, you can introduce them to interactive technology by turning everyday objects like fruit, aluminum foil, or even their own bodies into fun, hands-on controllers for their Scratch projects. Makey Makey lets students see the science behind conductors and insulators while exploring creativity and coding. It’s perfect for STEAM activities, sparking curiosity and making abstract concepts real through touch and play!

Objectives:
1. Discuss AI and different uses in the classroom
2. Learn to create music with Suno AI, and utilize different programs to help with lyrics.
3. Utilize whiteboard programs to collect ideas and collaborate on this process.
4. Audience will learn to code with Scratch
5. Audience will learn how to use Makey Makey
6. Audience will explore how to use Scratch and Makey Makey in their classrooms.

Speakers

Junko Yamamoto

Professor, Slippery Rock University

I used to be a high school Japanese teacher. I have been teaching at Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania since 2005. I have taught instructional technology and world language teaching methodology. Hence, I like thinking about "What is a pedagogically sound use of technology in... Read More →

Matt Karabinos

6th grade teacher, Williamsburg Community School District

Monday January 20, 2025 1:45pm - 2:30pm EST
Middle School, Room 103

Session, Engage and Connect

Audience High School Educators (9-12, Middle School Educators (6-8, Elementary Educators (K-5), Appropriate for all Audiences
Subject Robotics & Coding, Computational Thinking Pathway, Integrating AI into the Classroom

1:45pm EST

Engineering and CS with LEGO

Monday January 20, 2025 1:45pm - 2:30pm EST

Middle School, Room 105

Come spend a session getting hands-on experience with LEGO robots and seeing example projects while learning about what local and online resources are available for schools and teachers in our region.

Objectives:
Hands-on experience with LEGO robotsKnow what LEGO resources exist locally and onlineKnow about supplementary local LEGO robotics competitions

Speakers

Elizabeth Kysel

Lead Mentor, Girls of Steel Robotics

Monday January 20, 2025 1:45pm - 2:30pm EST
Middle School, Room 105

Session, Engage and Connect

1:45pm EST

Learning Adventures: An Expansive Approach to Authentic PBL and Prompt Setting

Monday January 20, 2025 1:45pm - 2:30pm EST

Middle School, Room 111

How would you like to attend school where these were the subjects?

Synthetic Synthetic Biology
Data Activism
Tiny Large Language Models
Dreamtime Design
Micronations
Codes and Cryptography
Inventing Hugo Cabret

Would you know how to teach in such a setting? Would students be more engaged? Would learning be natural and authentic?

Since our students will graduate into a technologically sophisticated and uncertain future, the best educators create environments and experiences that prepare children to solve problems none of us have ever anticipated. The greatest return on investment is when the learner herself is invested in their own growth. For these reasons, and more, the project should be a teacher’s smallest unit of concern.

Many educators share these ideals, but don’t know how or where to begin. Veteran educators strive to make their prompt setting more elegant, evocative, and effective.

Objectives:
Set better promptsBe a better PBL practitionerBetter understand your own thinking and that of students

Speakers

Gary Stager

Founder, CEO, Professor, STEAM Educator, and Author, Constructing Modern Knowledge

Monday January 20, 2025 1:45pm - 2:30pm EST
Middle School, Room 111

Session, Engage and Connect

Audience Elementary Educators (K-5), Middle School Educators (6-8), High School Educators (9-12), Administrators, EdTech Leaders
Subject Integrating AI into the Classroom, Robotics & Coding, Computational Thinking Pathway

TRETC 2025

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