Session Summary:

People have always used STEM in their everyday lives, even before it was an acronym.

In this session, we'll talk about where to find some of the great stories of STEM from the past and the present, and how to use them to inspire the kids in your classrooms & homes.

About:

Chris Woods has been inspiring kids as a math and science teacher for over 20 years. 

In addition to his work in the classroom, Chris wrote the book "Daily STEM: How to Create a STEM Culture in Your Classrooms & Communities", shares free STEM resources on his website http://dailystem.com and @‌dailystem on social media, and is the host of “The STEM Everyday Podcast”

Chris loves finding creative ways to inspire students, especially by adding STEM to every classroom & making STEM accessible to families at home.  He believes that STEM is not a class we teach, it's a culture we build.

Chris has been happily married to his wife Sue for 26 years & has 3 great kids.

Social Media: 

https://www.facebook.com/dailystem

https://twitter.com/dailystem

https://www.instagram.com/dailystem/

 https://dailystem.com/

Session Summary:

Shannon McClintock Miller will show you how to bring literacy to life through making, STEM, and with technology. 

This session will be filled with project ideas, wonderful books that encourage making, meaningful moments to tie in STEM and so much more.

She will leave you inspired to bring making, STEM, and technology to your classrooms and libraries through literacy every day too

About:

Shannon McClintock Miller is an international speaker, consultant and author who has a passion for education, librarianship, advocacy, technology, social media and making a difference in the world and lives of others, especially children.

Shannon serves as the K-12 district teacher librarian and innovation director at Van Meter Community School District in Iowa. She is also the Future Ready Librarians Spokesperson working with the Alliance of Excellent Education in Washington DC. 

Shannon is an avid blogger at, The Library Voice, writing, speaking and consulting on librarianship, education and students around the world.

She is also the author of several children’s and professional books including Sonia’s Digital World coming out in June 2023 with Capstone and ISTE.

And her most favorite role of all....proud mom of 3 amazing kids and lucky wife of Eric's.

Social Media: 

https://www.facebook.com/shannonmcclintockmiller/

https://twitter.com/shannonmmiller

https://www.instagram.com/shannonmmiller/

http://thelibraryvoice.com

Session Summary:

Let’s make learning more FUN! Join Little Miss Gifted, Stephanie Higgs, as she shares quick, easy, bite-sized tips to infuse elements of creativity, one of the most underutilized tools in education, into daily lessons.

Whether you use these as warm-ups, brain breaks, or as a way to level up core content instruction with arts integration, you are guaranteed to leave with strategies that you and your students will LOVE!

About:

Stephanie Higgs, also known as Instagram’s Little Miss Gifted, is a passionate, energetic, engaging, award-winning educator whose colleagues describe as radiating contagious joy. Stephanie currently serves as a gifted educator and differentiation instructional coach for grades Pre-K – 5, with previous experience teaching Pre K, 2nd, and 4th grades.

Stephanie’s dynamic approach to empowering educators, with a focus on solutions to daily classroom obstacles and equipping educators with easy-to-use resources that can be implemented as soon as the next day, make her a can’t-miss PD presenter!

She’d love to see you and empower you in your educational journey!

Social Media: 

@‌littlemissgifted

http://linktr.ee/littlemissgifted

Session Summary:

Join us in an interactive session where we delve into the world of #MathPlay, igniting excitement and curiosity in young mathematicians.

Discover innovative ideas, practical routines, and valuable resources tailored to both classroom and home settings.

Explore how fostering a playful approach to math not only makes learning enjoyable but also cultivates deeper understanding and empowers students to take charge of their learning journey.

Don't miss this opportunity to revolutionize your math teaching with Libo Valencia!

About:

Libo Valencia is a mathematics teacher at Horace Greeley High School in Chappaqua, NY. He is an adjunct lecturer at his alma mater CUNY Lehman College and also enjoys teaching at the Science and Technology Entry Program (STEP) at Mercy University.

With fifteen years of experience, Libo is a passionate educator who strongly believes that understanding mathematics can help all students develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills that can be utilized beyond the classroom.

Libo is known for his constant use of different technologies to engage his students by bringing math concepts to life. As a mathematics educator, Libo has taught a wide range of subjects, from remedial algebra classes to upper-level calculus.

He is committed to helping spread the joy of mathematics through MathPlay, Libo wholeheartedly believes that facilitating #MathPlay helps students develop a deeper appreciation for math and empowers them to better understand it.

He has presented and facilitated workshops related to Math Play and his professional experiences for educators in the United States and the United Kingdom.

Libo holds a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics, a Master of Arts in Pure Mathematics, and a Master of Science in Educational Leadership.

Social Media: 

https://twitter.com/MrValencia24 

http://libovalencia.com 

Session Summary:

Dive into the exciting world of combining coding and robots with literature for elementary students.

Discover innovative ways to merge coding, robotics, and literature, including using robots to reenact book scenes and programming digital stories.

Explore various types of robots, the lessons can be tailored to suit the resources available at your school.

About:

Connie Ann Roussel is a mother of four daughters and the wife of a retired soldier. She taught in New York and Germany before we settled in Texas.

With a decade of experience as a classroom teacher, she transitioned to STEM education in 2021. Currently, she oversees the STEM program for our K-5 students on a local Air Force Base.

Additionally, Connie Ann has the honor of collaborating with Carly & Adam on developing STEM curriculum for the STEM Teachers Club!

Social Media: 

@‌stem_tasticmama

Session Summary:

How a writer whose interests lay in lots of places outside STEM came to love creating books and connecting with students about that very stuff.

About:

Chris Barton (http://www.chrisbarton.info ) is the author of picture books including bestseller SHARK VS. TRAIN, Sibert Honor-winning THE DAY-GLO BROTHERS, and WHOOSH! LONNIE JOHNSON'S SUPER-SOAKING STREAM OF INVENTIONS, celebrated on 21 state lists.

His newest nonfiction books include GLITTER EVERYWHERE! (one of NPR's "Books We Love" for 2023), MOVING FORWARD (an SLJ Best Book of 2022), and HOW TO MAKE A BOOK (ABOUT MY DOG).

Chris and wife Jennifer Ziegler, author of WORSER, live in Austin and co-host the children’s literature video series “This One’s Dedicated to…” He also serves as vice president of the Texas Institute of Letters.

Social Media: 

https://www.facebook.com/Chris-Barton-Author-of-Books-for-Young-Readers-of-All-Ages-142809582422113/

http://instagram.com/bartographyatx

Session Summary:

When Sarah Bucciero became a seventh grade English/Language Arts teacher in 2002, she had no idea that her professional journey would include transitioning to a STEM/STEAM educator and her personal journey would include her son’s ten-month treatment at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

Sarah will share how her personal and professional journeys collided with the St. Jude EPIC Challenge and how your students can make a difference in the lives of St. Jude patients and their families.

Social Media: 
http://stjude.org/trike

Session Summary:

Stories ignite imaginations and can spark curiosity in the heart of the young creator.

Join FableVision/ Reynolds TLC’s Andrea Calvin for a workshop focused on story-based activities that will inspire STEM thinking through hands-on making.

Attendees will receive an offer code for a one year personal license to the tools used during the session and practical ideas for the classroom.

About:

With a background in storytelling and a focus on education, Andrea works closely with schools to customize programs that weave in the special magic found in the books by Peter H. Reynolds, ensuring that all learners have the tools to succeed.

She has been on the forefront of the product launch and classroom-implementation of FabMaker Studio, the first digital fabrication software tool developed specifically for use in the classroom. She speaks nationally and runs workshops on the importance of STEM and story. In her previous life she was a newspaper editor.

Andrea earned her bachelor’s degree in English from Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts and a master’s degree in Journalism from Regent University.

Social Media: 

https://www.facebook.com/FableVisionLearning/

https://twitter.com/FableLearn

https://www.instagram.com/fablelearn

http://www.FableVisionLearning.com http://www.ReynoldsTLC.org

Session Summary:

Do you struggle to find meaningful ways to incorporate robotics into you teaching? Do you have those amazing kits that collect dust most of the school year? Are you just struggling to get started?

Erik will guide you through everything you need to know to have robotics be authentic and meaningful in your classroom.

About:

Erik has been a teacher for 12 years and has playing with robots and other STEM toys for more than 20 years professionally.

He is always ready to share and help teachers and students to add meaningful play into their routine.

Social Media: 

https://twitter.com/MrSTEmurray

http://www.instagram.com/mrstemurray

Session Summary:

Even if you've never coded a line in your life, this session will show you 5 easy ways to add depth and exploration to any subject using computer science.

Get ready to be inspired because by the time this session is over, you'll be dreaming about all of the experiences you can bring to your students!

About:

Kiki serves as the Director of Education at Microsoft MakeCode and is a celebrated author of many published titles, including Computational Thinking and Coding for Every Student, My First Coding Book, and Disney’s Coding with Anna and Elsa.

A fervent advocate for justice and inclusion in STEM, she focuses her energy on topics such as the assessment of equitable practices in AI for education and personalized learning.

Her groundbreaking contributions have garnered several prestigious award, including Google’s RISE Award and Stevie’s Female Innovator of the Year.

Social Media: 

@‌KIKIvsIT

http://KIKIvsIT.com

Session Summary:

Stories build empathy, which helps us to communicate and connect better with others. What we don’t always realize is that empathy also helps us to innovate better.

Many innovations fail because of a lack of empathy and a failure to attend to the voices and stories of those who are affected by our work.

Practicing innovation with an empathy lens in the classroom will grow more responsible and effective creative problem solvers for the future.

Let’s talk about how to do it!

About:

Sara is an experienced K-12 educator, creativity facilitator and curriculum designer.

She holds a Master of Science in creativity from the Center for Applied Imagination at SUNY Buffalo State University and is trained in facilitating self-directed learning and Creative Problem Solving.

Sara develops and delivers compelling professional development to lead change and grow creative skills.

Her vision is to support creative communities to help people nurture their passions and strengths.

Social Media: 

https://www.facebook.com/FableVisionLearning

https://twitter.com/FableLearn

https://www.instagram.com/fablelearn/

http://www.fablevisionlearning.com

Session Summary:

STEM identities are formed by the variety of stories and the meaningful experiences we make accessible to children and families.

Students naturally look for relevance, relationships, and representation before engaging at the highest level.

Educators must be intentional about visibly and explicitly including student interests within open-ended engineering design challenges.

This session includes books, videos, and examples from a K-5th grade engineering classroom.

About:

Ekuwah Mends Moses is an award-winning educator, published author/illustrator of two nonfiction picture books, and an international keynote speaker.

Her debut children’s book, My Name is an Address, was an Amazon #1 new release and is featured in the School Library Journal.

Ekuwah is a specialist who teaches K-5th grade Engineering to approximately 700 students on a six-day rotation. Ekuwah is the 2023 Educator of the Year at D.L. Dusty Dickens Elementary School and received the 2023 City of North Las Vegas Mayor’s Innovative Teaching Award.

During her 23 years of teaching in the Clark County School District, she previously worked as a: Performance Zone Instructional Coach, K-5 Literacy Specialist, Learning Strategist, and an elementary classroom teacher.

Ekuwah recently celebrated her 25th wedding anniversary and values quality time with her husband and two teenagers.

Social Media: 

https://www.facebook.com/EkuwahMAuthor

https://twitter.com/ekuwah

https://www.instagram.com/ekuwah_m/

http://www.ekuwah.com

Session Summary:

This session is all about blending engaging stories with basic craft materials to enrich your STEM curriculum.

Transform everyday, low-cost items (you likely already have) into powerful educational tools with these easy-to-follow strategies, guides, and printables.

Discover how to use simple, open-ended craft supplies to inspire creativity, nurture the innovation mindset, and create learning experiences that are authentically tied to the real world.

Watch and learn, or grab some crafts and play along—either way, you’ll leave with a toolkit of resources, practical skills, and the inspiration to implement these creative STEM adventures immediately in your classroom (like tomorrow. Really).

Get ready to craft your own STEM story.

About:

Unlock the power of creativity and inspire the innovator in every child with 3DuxDesign's cardboard-based STEM kits and project-based learning resources!

K-5 students leverage the magic of design thinking as they prototype solutions to real-world challenges (with a healthy dose pf play).

3DuxDesign will help you create authentic learning experiences your students will never forget.

Social Media: 

https://www.facebook.com/3DuxDesign

https://twitter.com/3Duxdesign

https://www.instagram.com/3duxdesign

https://www.tiktok.com/@3duxdesigneducation

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCe_BTeQdz9A9205tSN9oMYQ

https://www.3duxdesign.com

Session Summary:

In this session, Alma shares insights on how to incorporate books within her STEM lessons. 

There will be lesson ideas for Fairy Tale STEM and many more stories that you could incorporate into your classroom.

Lastly, she will speak on how I meet the needs of her bilingual students and help them better comprehend their lessons.

You will be able to walk away with teacher slides and ideas to utilize in your classroom.

About:

Alma Torrez is a K-5 STEM teacher in Texas. She currently is the only STEM teacher at an elementary level in her district. Her students have worked on coding all sorts of robots and do a lot of engineering with recycled materials.

Alma is always eager to bring in new ideas to her classroom and find what works for her students. She also schedules and assists in their school garden where they successfully have grown lots of onions, peppers, and more.

Many of Alma's students come from low-income families, so she is passionate to educate them about careers in STEM while creating memorable lessons. Alma also loves to utilize literature that her students can see themselves in as her school is over 90% Latino/Hispanic.

She is no celebrity but her students sure do make her feel like she is when she walks the halls.

Social Media: 

https://twitter.com/teachingconalma

https://www.instagram.com/teachingconalma/

Session Summary:

Unleash your coding confidence and ignite creativity and critical thinking in your classroom!

Dive into this curriculum-based workshop and discover practical strategies for integrating coding into literacy.

Gain the tools and confidence to support all learners and foster a dynamic, inclusive coding experience for all.

This isn't just coding – it's unlocking your students' inner innovators and preparing them for the future.

About Van:

Van Ridlehuber is a Digital Learning Coach in Frisco, TX. She works with teachers and students in my role as a DLC by designing lesson and co-teaching.

Van has been an educator for 20 years, previously teaching Kindergarten, 1st, and 3rd grades. She is passionate about innovation, technology, and STEAM. She loves creating engaging lessons that allow students opportunities to practice future ready skills.

About Kristine:

Kristine Seale is a former 4th grade teacher and current Digital Learning Coach in Frisco, TX, Frisco native, OU alum, and dog mom.

Her passion is helping students and teachers become more confident and skilled with pedagogy and digital tools!

Social Media: 

Kristine - https://twitter.com/pressNseale

Van - https://twitter.com/MrsRLovesTech

Session Summary:

Christine has always been an advocate for giving students a choice in how they present their knowledge. Whether it is showing what they learned from a math lesson, a book they've read, or their cumulative understanding of an ELA unit of study, giving students the freedom in choosing the "how" to present the "what" is so crucial.

Learn about some of Christine's favorite STEM tools for digital storytelling (comics, books, stop motion animation, green screen, infographics, videos, and more!). 

This session includes easy, take-aways for teachers to teach these tools to their students. Your students can then choose their favorite STEM tool to tell their story, no matter what content area or grade level.

We know students all learn differently, so let’s give them a choice in how they represent their learning in FUN, engaging ways!

About:

Christine Dixon is the Innovation Coordinator TOSA for Double Peak K8 School in San Marcos Unified School District. She leads the Innovation Program for all TK-8 grades in the area of technology, coding, robotics, engineering, design thinking, and making in the school’s Makerspace.

Christine designs the lessons and then co-teaches with teachers in the Innovation Lab and Makerspace.

Christine is passionate about spreading STEAM and Innovation to other schools so is happy to share any knowledge or resources to help! 

Social Media: 

Twitter

@‌christinekdixon

Instagram @‌makedesigninnovate.

​Contact her at [email protected]

http://makedesigninnovate.weebly.com

Session Summary:

Some picture books lend themselves to amazing STEAM projects, and some STEAM projects lend themselves to students on the lookout for new books and can ignite the interests of a reluctant reader.

The intertwining of books and STEAM is a natural way to launch learning and engage students in reading, comprehension, collaboration, creative design, and reflective evaluation.

In this session Denise will share how she has used this formula to make her elementary library at Charleston Elementary STEAM Academy a learning fun zone!

A primary feature will be the importance of providing rubrics so students have clarity in project expectations that will support you in assigning grades if needed.

About:

I am Denise George and I wear many hats; daughter, wife, mother to four boys, educator, and lifelong learner.  I started my journey the way most do as a kindergarten student, full of energy and life. That quickly dwindled as I realized I did not see things as most students do.

The letters on the page didn’t make sense to me, they were all jumbled up. I was in college before someone put a name on my struggle to learn to read. I am dyslexic.

I walked into my library and saw the cold shelves of books and tables and all that dread I had as a child rushed back over me. At that moment, I decided I was going to develop a place where all students want to come whether they can read or not.

My educational journey, underpinned by a Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education and a Master's Degree in Education Administration with a concentration in Library Science, is a reflection of my unwavering commitment to learning and growth.

At the core of my professional philosophy lies a deep-seated commitment to integrating STEAM—Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics—into library settings. This innovative approach aims to ignite a love for reading among students by transforming the library into a dynamic hub of learning.

My use of STEAM principles has not only revitalized the library space but has also proven to be a catalyst for engaging students in reading.

My successful implementation of STEAM strategies has traveled well beyond the confines of my library. I have had the privilege of sharing my insights and experiences with wider audiences, presenting at district, state, and national levels. These presentations showcase the tangible benefits of weaving STEAM into library and classroom programs.

More than anything, my professional journey is marked by a belief in the transformative power of education. It is a path that reflects my dedication to not just personal and professional growth but to instilling this love and excitement in every student I encounter. As both an educator and a lifelong learner, I am continuously looking for new ways to enhance my educational practices and student outcomes.

As I move forward, sharing my knowledge and passion for education, I hope my legacy as an innovative educator and advocate for reading through STEAM will leave a lasting impact on future generations of teachers and learners alike.

Social Media: 

Twitter

@‌DeniseG54180345

Instagram.

@‌dlkgeorge

https://steaminthelibrarian.com/2024/01/17/steam-in-the-library/

Session Summary:

What if you could make learning circuitry in the classroom quick, easy and fun?

Join Brown Dog Gadgets for this Paper Circuits Through Literacy session where we’ll make building circuits easy using conductive Maker Tape, LEDs, batteries and creativity. The possibilities are endless!

Come check out this session and learn how to get your own free paper circuits sample set!

About:

Brown Dog Gadgets is a Milwaukee-based company that makes fun electronics kits and projects for beginners and students, schools, and hobbyists.

Our projects emphasize circuitry, coding and creativity and are ideal for home and classroom use.

Social Media: 

facebook.com/BrownDogGadgets

http://twitter.com/BrownDogGadgets

http://instagram.com/BrownDogGadgets/

http://youtube.com/BrownDogGadgets

http://pinterest.com/BrownDogGadgets/

http://BrownDogGadgets.com

Session Summary:

Get Outside and Get Inventing and Exploring with STEM Literacy

STEM literacy doesn’t happen just indoors. STEM is all around you—all the time. And so is literacy—reading and writing. What better place to explore your world and learn to write about it than to go outside.

This exciting and informative workshop will help you to engage learners by incorporating their observation, imagination, and exploration of the world around us into fictional and informational texts that engage, excite, and inspire their classmates— and you.

You’ll leave with suggestions for how to get your students to:

• Take a nature walk with your mind

• Notice the Science All Around You

• Be inquisitive!

• Question of the Week

• Create Notebooks for what you Notice

• Organization

• What’s missing/What’s there

• Write What they See

• Take an Observation to an Outline and then a First Draft

About:

Science Rocks! And so do Jennifer Swanson’s books.

She is the award-winning author of over 50 nonfiction books for children mostly about STEM, a former middle school STEM teacher, and an award-winning podcast creator and host. 

A self-professed science geek, Jennifer started a science club in her garage at the age of 7. Her love science has followed her throughout her life as she earned a B.S. in Chemistry from the United States Naval Academy and an M.S. Ed in K-8 Science Education from Walden University.

Her books have won numerous awards and recognitions. Jennifer has been a featured speaker at National NSTA conferences, the World Science Festival, the Atlanta Science Festival and the Library of Congress’ National Book Festival.

You can find Jennifer through her website www.JenniferSwansonBooks.com.

Social Media: 

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064360286922

https://twitter.com/JenSwanBooks

https://www.instagram.com/jenswanbooks/

https://jenniferswansonbooks.com/

Yes. Contact [email protected].

A least 21 Hours of Professional Development. 

The Elementary STEM Teachers Club Membership is for K-5 teachers.

However, we do have many middle school teachers who have joined and love it!