Introduction to Tinkercad is designed specifically for teachers with little to no experience in Tinkercad. In this workshop, we will cover essential topics such as:
Tinkercad basics
Understanding the Tinkercad Desktop and its icons
Creating 3D shapes
Using the hole tool
Importing and exporting files for 3D printing
Utilizing the Classroom feature
Exploring specific project ideas for elementary school students
Sharing free resources, including Thingiverse and step-by-step videos
Testing continuous motion in the Sim Lab
Enhance your skills and learn how to provide exciting learning opportunities for students.
Explore the amazing world of book creator. Learn ways to get your students excited about writing and sharing their books online. Explore all the templates that Book creator has to offer as well such as graphic novels, graphic organizers, monthly planners and so much more!!
In this workshop, participants would have the opportunity to see how Computer Science activities can be integrated into social studies learning. As an elementary classroom teacher, there are many ways to integrate technology into the classroom. The target audience, elementary educators, primarily 3-6 grade, will get the opportunity to see some examples of integrated CS lessons in social studies, as well as have some time to explore some of the resources used. Resources for these lessons include code.org, microbits, and Scratch. The example lessons relate to geography, history, and civics and government, and are just a few examples of how to integrate CS into the social studies curriculum, to make the learning more engaging for students.
Come learn about an interactive unit creating a fictional town using Indi Sphero and/or BeeBots. This unit works well with a community helpers theme or beginning of the year introduction to coding tools. Participants will see an example town and walk through a sample unit. They will be given the time to explore these tools and begin creating their own unit. If possible, participants can share connected ways they have used these tools in their own experiences.
Target audience: Third grade lesson but can be adapted for any grade level 3-8 Intended level: Novice Session format: Session/workshop. Content description: We will demonstrate an introductory lesson about 3D printing using a lesson on empathy. Read a story called, "The Gift Inside the Box." Talk about the book and the empathy lesson. Then partner up and interview each other to get to know a bit about them. Design a backpack tag on paper first, one design at a time, showing the partner to see if they like it or if they would like you to fix anything. Once the design is complete, start on TinkerCAD with the assigned template of a backpack tag, and design it like the drawing. Then print it on the 3D printer and gift it to their partner.
Empower students to explore the world of cryptography through hands-on, engaging activities paired with micro:bit technology. In this professional development session, educators will first dive into interactive cybersecurity lessons for elementary and middle school students. Next, participants will then use CYBER.ORG custom extension blocks and MakeCode to experience how micro:bits can be used as cryptography lesson extensions! Target Audience: intermediateFormat: Session
Charlene Cooper is a National Board Certified Teacher in the area of Early Adolescent Science with over 20 years of experience as a public-school educator. She has a master’s degree in educational leadership and a Cyber Education Graduate Certificate from Louisiana Tech. Charlene... Read More →
This session presents a graduate research project focused on integrating Computer Science (CS) instruction into the Into Reading literacy curriculum used in K–5 classrooms. Conducted in a small, rural Maine school district, the project involved developing a series of integrated units that align CS concepts and standards with the themes, texts, and timelines of the Into Reading program. The session will detail the process of designing these units, including curriculum analysis, teacher collaboration, and iterative development based on educator feedback. Findings highlight both the opportunities and challenges of cross-curricular integration in elementary education, as well as insights into the kinds of support teachers may need to implement CS instruction effectively within a literacy framework.
Come join us as we explore a interactive project called Balloons Over Broadway. This project uses Sphero Indi cars but can be adapated for many moving robot tools- or even as a non tech activity. The project will be presented and then session members will have the opportunity to participate in project. Come and begin planning our own unit or share how you have used similar tools in your classroom space!
In this workshop, participants will get a chance to learn about activities that can build computational thinking skills in our youngest learners. We will discuss both plugged and unplugged activities, focusing mostly on unplugged. These unplugged activities require no prior computer science or computational thinking knowledge, and do not require any devices while still remaining engaging for the busiest of hands. Plugged activities will include both devices that require no additional computing resources, and ones that are focused on laptop or tablet use. Participants will learn more about these activities, tackle some of them in small groups, and learn how they can be incorporated as stand-alone or integrated activities. Any educators, regardless of level or expertise, are welcome, but those serving early elementary students will get the most out of this session. And, as always, there will be coloring!
How can we meaningfully integrate computer science (CS) into early mathematics instruction? What does computational thinking look like for our youngest learners? In this session, we’ll explore how foundational CS concepts—like sequencing, algorithms, and patterns—can be developed through playful, developmentally appropriate math tasks in K–2 classrooms. Participants will engage with both “unplugged” and digital activities that connect math content to CS practices. You’ll leave with lesson ideas you can adapt for your own classroom, as well as insights into how CS can enrich early math learning for all students.
