CoderZ’s Post

💡 Did you know that nurturing children’s creativity is as essential as ABCs and 123s? Today, on Kid Inventors’ Day, we celebrate the innate curiosity and innovative thinking that children bring to the table. Learn more about Kid Inventors' Day and ways to inspire kids' creativity at: https://lnkd.in/gQXfcfwE

A productive weekend! Thank you immensely for being a part of the "Math Made Simple" workshop last weekend. Your participation and zeal were the heartbeat of our event, adding color and depth to our discussions. Witnessing everyone immerse themselves in the blend of hands-on tasks and theoretical talks was truly uplifting. Such workshops underscore the idea that learning is not static; it's an evolving journey. Marrying practical exercises with theory can demystify subjects, even ones as intricate as math, making them engaging and relatable. An important aspect we touched upon, and one that I'd like to re-emphasize, is the challenge of math anxiety and dyscalculia. These are real barriers that many students face, often in silence. With our newfound knowledge and strategies, we're better equipped to recognize, understand, and address these issues. By creating an environment of empathy and support, we can help our students navigate these challenges and develop a positive relationship with math. Armed with the tools and insights from the workshop, we are poised to make a significant difference in our students' and children's lives. Let's stay connected, exchange stories, and continue to make math enchanting for all. Thank you for your passion and commitment. Here's to breaking barriers, inspiring young minds, and being the transformative change we wish to see in the educational landscape!

Learn more about Elon's Professional Development Center by joining the #SelfieChallenge and find all 3 Student Professional Development Centers to be entered in the Grand Prize Drawing! #WelcomeChallenge Elon University

The best PD plans offer flexibility and choice!!

The physical environment is a high leverage, critically overlooked aspect of learning design. So many schools resemble prisons. Nature is disappearing from outdoor space. Concrete boxes, barren courtyards, barred windows: what kind of culture and creativity could one expect? Even at "nicer" schools, there is often an utter lack of the kind of creativity, whimsy, and opportunity that characterize positive work environments and flourishing humans. I love the interior design approach Avenues The World School took here for their newest campus in Silicon Valley. Simply theming the spaces and kitting them out with relevant props shows a new respect to the learning process. Imagine unleashing youth creativity toward that end at all local schools. It should be part of a curricular/LX refresh at least every few years, or ongoing in bits across a campus. Even with constraints, such an opportunity to build student agency and school culture while practicing key skills. At Portal we challenged this year's pioneers to redesign the current space at Belkin to be not just more "student-friendly," but to host a youth-led creative agency. The brief was basically, "what if teenagers ran Saatchi & Saatchi or Anomaly? This is not a school-- this is a place of real world creative work." What does it look like? What existing best practice can inspire you? How can we meet multiple learning/doing modalities in our limited physical space with a limited budget? Where/how does the prototyping happen? What about digital content creation? How can we activate a currently useless nook? I wish we could have shared this video earlier on as stimulus! But we did include work from and connections to experts at Fielding International and Gensler for student design research (thanks!). Results coming next week. Renovation to start in the new year! #learningdesign #realworldlearning

In less than two hours, Dr. Steve Linerode and I present at the Cengage Empowered Educator Online Conference. We'll share why problem-based learning (PBL) is a promising framework for exploring the implications of generative AI (GAI) across disciplines and in online learning environments. We aren't just sharing ideas - we're sharing experiences. In April 2023, Dr. Joseph Childs approached me about collaborating on an online course, Current Issues for Virtuous Organizations, in the Doctorate of Business Administration (DBA) program at IWU National & Global. The DBA program is already set up with a robust PBL framework, and it was a natural fit to make GAI in higher education the course problem for PBL teams to investigate. The course did not disappoint. Nearly 50 DBA candidates across three sections have completed the course, explored GAI in a higher education context, and contributed to developing tangible resources for educators. We'll be able to showcase examples of course components and student work in the presentation today. We'll also share what IWU has learned from the course pilot and student-produced GAI resources. Thank you, Dr. Joseph Childs, for empowering us to make this course happen and share the outcome with a global audience. Thank you, Shelley Webb, Ph.D., for sharing the conference opportunity and leading the program. I love that you've both adopted me into the DBA family. Well, Steve. Are you ready? Cengage, here we come! CENGAGE: https://lnkd.in/guidXcCD IWU DBA ONLINE: https://lnkd.in/g98t3bTt #problembasedlearning #pbl #artifificalintelligence #ai #generative #gai #dba #highereducation #highered #conferencepresentation

“Thrilled to share a milestone: seamlessly integrating robotics into the IBMYP design curriculum, a true testament to embracing a growth mindset. As we stand at the crossroads of educational evolution, it’s imperative to adapt curricula to meet the demands of our planet. Yet, it’s disheartening to witness some schools limiting design technology to mere joinery and carpentry. Recruiters, let’s champion change, opening doors for talented teachers to propel the essential evolution our students deserve. Join me in reshaping education, ensuring our schools not only catch up but lead the charge in equipping students with the skills our changing world demands. Together, let’s make a transformative impact on education!”

Immersive training continues to enhance career pathways opportunities

The last thing I remember from Grade 8, the principal announced over the PA that our March break would be extended by 2 weeks. This year's graduating class did not get to walk across stage 4 years ago. We didn't get a grad trip. We didn't get to say goodbye in Grade 8 or say hello in Grade 9. Worst of all, we didn't know what our four years of high school would look like amidst the lockdowns. In the start of the return to normalcy, my first high school field trip was to Canada's Wonderland for concert band. It felt weird when the swim team started up again (let's ignore when it got shut down again that year in January), since we were all mask-less in the pool. Joining the robotics team, only a few members went to each competition, but the team still won 3 events. I joined the computer science club at my school, from which I learned to code, and of which I would become the club leader in my senior year. As things continued to look up, the robotics team was back in full blast. We had a successful season with our robots Bishop and Stormont, travelling to the world championships in Houston, TX for the first time in team history, two years in a row. I took classes I didn't know if I would like, like a computer engineering course. This eventually led me to win the provincial skills competition in electronics, and get second place at nationals (not to mention a super fun trip to Quebec City for that). Senior sunrise, prom, university applications, stressing over marks; both the fun and the misery of high school definitely came in full force and this is just scratching the tip of the iceberg. It wasn't initially clear what the next four years would look like back in Grade 9. After writing my last exam just this morning and reflecting back, I wouldn't trade my experience for anything in the world. It's still not initially clear what the next four years would look like now that I'm entering university. Not because of COVID, but just the usual uncertainty of moving to the next chapter in my life. At the risk of sounding sappy and cliché, maybe I could learn not to worry about what's coming in the next four years.

"Just as a curb cut in the sidewalk helps not only people who use wheelchairs, but also people with strollers, bicycles, or suitcases, a Universal Design for Learning (UDL) approach - in which we anticipate, and proactively design for, variability in learners - has the potential to benefit all students." Jean Otsuki, the former Associate Director for the Boston University Center for Teaching & Learning, shares perspectives from participants and gives a glimpse into what to expect in the upcoming fall 2023 semester for the faculty Learning Community dedicated to Universal Design for Learning. Read the POV here >> http://spr.ly/6045P5ftd #udl #highered