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SELing Design Thinkers Using Bloxels

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Colorado Convention Center, Mile High Ballroom 3A

Explore and create: Exploratory Creation lab
Preregistration Required
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Presenters

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Rebecca Bersani
K-6 PLTW/STEAM and Gen. Ed Lead Teacher
MSD Decatur Blue Academy
@MsBersani
@TheLeadingLearner
Rebecca Bersani heads the K-6 STEAM Program at MSD of Decatur Township, a Title 1 school in Indianapolis. She designs program content, coaches 6 STEAM teachers post-piloting in 2018. Currently, she's an Instructional Coach at her school for all K-6 subjects, leading professional developments and coaching 30+ teachers. With 3 licenses from Indiana University in Computer, Elementary, and STEM Education, she's passionate about innovative teaching and personal growth. Rebecca is a PLTW Lead Teacher, Apple Learning Coach, and runs summer STEM Camps. She presented at conferences like Purdue STEM, ISTE Live 2020, and co-wrote 1st Makerspace’s Elementary Curriculum Vol. 2.
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Amber Hudson
Vice President of Educational Services
1st Maker Space
@AHUDmaker
Amber Hudson, Vice President of Educational Services at 1st Maker Space, INC., leads the curriculum development and professional development for 1st Maker Space. Amber spent over twenty years teaching upper elementary in Hamilton Southeastern Schools. During her tenure, she taught a variety of subjects, but fell in love with STEM. She created a classroom maker space, at the cusp of the maker movement, that was collaborative, problem-based and student driven. Amber has an M.Ed. in Curriculum Development and has a passion for developing curriculum and designing lessons that engage students with hands-on learning.

Session description

Acting as students and teachers, attendees will experience the digital game-making world of Bloxels to learn how cross-curricular and social-emotional learning infused the design process parts can be for learners. Attendees will be provided templates and free resources from 1st Makerspace Curriculum for all learners and ages.

Purpose & objective

The purpose of our presentation is to introduce attendees to using the Design Process as a creative and personalized platform for students in all subject areas. The introduction of this process wil feature how SEL can be infused within it and set students up for future employability success based off current needs in today’s society. Then, the session will use Bloxels, a digital game-making application, as an example technology resource. Attendees will see various lesson plans and templates that are free and use the Design Process as well as other materials accessible to them. Through discussion and collaboration, we will measure evidence of success by those conversations as well as an "exit slip" survey of where teachers see this being valuable, how they hope to use it, concerns, and lingering questions that we can follow up on.

Objectives:
-Introduce participants to the design process, featuring the importance of and strategies to teach SEL in each phase
-show accommodations and real life examples based off student population needs
-Provide attendees with a hands-on experience in using the Design Process via game design with Bloxels
-Share how Bloxels can be cross-curricular in nature
-Provide resources to attendees that can be utilized immediately
- Exit Survey to gauge comfort level, interest, and lingering questions to support

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Outline

Content:
Presentation/Group or Partner Discussion (20 min)
SEL skills in each phase of Design Process
Design Process parts & Templates/examples
Design Process and correlation with Higher Order Thinking Skills
Idea of tech integration in phases of DP
Design Process examples and accomodation discussion with whole group (10 min)
Peer to Peer design of Bloxels Game idea via Design Process template & game making (30-40 min)
Share out other resources, implementation nideas, and go over curriculum resources given for free (10 min)
Time & content can be added or minimized depending on 60-90 min session

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Supporting research

Research behind Maker Education: https://1stmakerspace.com/research

Bloxels Educator Guide: https://libraryservices.fcoe.org/files/2017-08/Bloxels_EDUGettingStartedGuide.pdf

Engineering Design Process Research:
https://www.teachengineering.org/populartopics/designprocess

Employability Skills Research:
https://www.cambridgeenglish.org/blog/developing-employability-skills-in-higher-education-and-at-work/

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Session specifications

Topic:
Social emotional learning
Grade level:
PK-5
Skill level:
Beginner
Audience:
Curriculum/district specialists, Principals/head teachers, Teachers
Attendee devices:
Devices useful
Attendee device specification:
Smartphone: Android, iOS, Windows
Laptop: Chromebook, Mac, PC
Tablet: Android, iOS, Windows
Participant accounts, software and other materials:
Bloxels App for Google Store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.projectpixelpress.BloxelsEDU&hl=en_US&gl=US&pli=1

Bloxels App for Apple: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/bloxels-build-your-own-games/id1406862716

Website Link (option if no application downloaded): play.bloxels.com

Subject area:
STEM/STEAM
ISTE Standards:
For Students:
Empowered Learner
  • Students build networks and customize their learning environments in ways that support the learning process.
Innovative Designer
  • Students select and use digital tools to plan and manage a design process that considers design constraints and calculated risks.
  • Students exhibit a tolerance for ambiguity, perseverance and the capacity to work with open-ended problems.
Related exhibitors:
Brown Dog Gadgets,
Wonder Workshop,
Makedo,
VEX Robotics, Inc.

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