For LIVE Conference session links & all virtual sessions, please see:
http://academicexperts.org/conf/SITE/2021/
Workshops are FREE with your conference Registration.
Click titles below to skip to the Abstracts & Bios for each workshop!
- Virtual Teaching and Learning Best Practices
- Q-Methodology as a Research Tool for Technology Infusion Analysis
- A Collaborative and Supplemental Model to Enhance Early Language and Reading Skills
- Supporting Metacognition with Social Annotation
- Using Technology and TACTivities to Engage Learners in Mathematics Classrooms
- Using 360 Degree VR Filming in Education – Elder Chronicles – A First Nation Case Study
- Teacher Inquiry into Student Learning: Empathy Building and Student Camera Use
- Using Instagram to Engage Students and Bridge the Digital Divide in Online/Distance Learning Environments
- Creating Art through Coding
- Creating Music through Coding
- Design a Game-based Course Using Your LMS
- Social Media Strategies to Engage Online Learners
- Designing Virtual Mentoring to Support Students’ Individual Learning
- Making Sense of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), and Deep Learning (DL) in 21st Century K-12 Classrooms
- Interactive STEM for Teacher Education in Online and Remote Settings
- School Vs. Fortnite: The Emergence of 3D Learning
Q-Methodology as a Research Tool for Technology Infusion Analysis
Monday, March 29, 9:00-11:00 AM EDT
Abstract: Q methodology is one approach to examine teacher education faculty perceptions of how technology can influence learning, faculty confidence in preparing candidates to use technology, program design for technology integration, and leadership support for faculty and candidate development. The workshop will provide a history and purpose of Q methodology; introduction to factors & factor analysis; constructing a Q set; conducting a Q sort; and data analysis. During the workshop, you will see how participants load onto factors related to institutional challenges, development of programs, and faculty confidence issues. Lastly, concept of consensus items about program design for technology infusion, the need for intentional curriculum design, fieldwork, and assessment to prepare candidates for technology use will be connected to Q methodology research.
Objectives: The ability to accurately determine how well technology is infused across teacher education programs remains challenging. The main objective of this workshop is to present a process for teacher educators supporting technology infusion to assess technology use. Participants will learn about Q-methodology as a research approach to understand more about teacher educator perceptions of technology infusion. The workshop will provide research tools, process guidance, and invitations to participate
Presenters: Arlene Borthwick, is Professor Emerita and former Associate Dean and Professor of Educational Technology at National Louis University in Chicago. She served on the ISTE Board of Directors (2010-2014) and as chair of the American Association of Colleges of Teacher Education’s Committee on Innovation and Technology (2017-2018). She has co-authored multiple studies using Q Methodology which were presented at AERA, annual Q (Research Methodology) Conferences, and/or SITE, including Q studies focused on school-university partnerships, teacher evaluation, literacy, undergraduate retention, and infusion of technology in teacher preparation programs. Honored with ISTE’s Making IT Happen Award in 2008, she is co-editor of a new book, Championing Technology Infusion in Teacher Preparation: A Framework for Supporting Future Educators (2020).
Jon M. Clausen is an Associate Professor of educational technology and secondary education at Ball State University Teachers College. He has served as chair of the American Association of Colleges of Teacher Education’s (AACTE) Committee on Innovation and Technology, teaches educational technology courses, and is coordinator for the educational technology programs. Dr. Clausen’s areas of research have focused on technology integration and infusion within teacher education. This includes developing instructional contexts that support faculty, PK12 educators, and candidate technology use. He is also interested in how technology can be used to demonstrate and support student learning. In 2020, his publication titled, TPACK leadership diagnostic tool: Adoption and implementation by teacher education leaders, Dr. Clausen received the Journal of Digital Learning in Teacher Education Outstanding Research Award.
David W. Rutledge is an Associate Professor of Educational Design and Learning Technology at New Mexico State University. He has served on the Information Technology committee as assistant, associate, and lead chair for SITE (2016-2018) and as SITE Program Chair 2015. His areas of research focus on technology integration for teaching practices, language learning, and mobile devices. He is interested in the role technology can play in pre-service teacher professional development.
Brandy Walker is an Associate Public Service and Outreach faculty member at the J.W. Fanning Institute for Leadership Development at the University of Georgia. Her PhD is in learning, design, and technology. Her expertise is in instructional design, technology solutions, community-engaged research, and Q methodology. She has extensive experience in virtual learning environments and is the inventor of an online perceptions assessment tool based on Q methodology. She has conducted multiple Q studies and training workshops on using Q methodology and technology in Q studies.
A Collaborative and Supplemental Model to Enhance Early Language and Reading Skills
Monday, March 29, 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM EDT
Abstract: Research suggests communications between parents and teachers can have a positive impact on the academic performance of students in kindergarten through third grade. Although there have been noticeable efforts from a teacher’s perspective to reach out or attempt to collaborate with parents or family members, there appears to be a disconnect between what primary students are exposed to in school and how parents can reinforce these skills in the home environment. This purpose of this presentation is to provide conference attendees, primary-grade teachers, and family members a supplemental model for communicating to enhance home and school-based literacies of primary students who are typically developing, those with disabilities or delays and students who are emergent bilinguals. This presentation also provides the groundwork for follow-up studies to validate the effectiveness of this model since there is limited literature on the use of periodic brochures.
Presenter: Neal Nghia Nguyen, Ph.D., is an assistant professor of Early Childhood/Special Education at Florida Atlantic University in the Department of Exceptional Student Education. His research interests include early childhood education and development, early literacy skills acquisition, neuroscience and early learning, compassion science, and effective instructional and collaborative practices.
Supporting Metacognition with Social Annotation
Monday, March 29, 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM EDT
Abstract: Supporting Metacognition with Social Annotation will introduce attendees to social annotation tools that can be embedded in online and hybrid learning environments. The metacognitive practices that occur during reading have heretofore been difficult to ascertain without moving away from the text, but social annotation tools enable us to see what reading strategies or behaviors our students engage in during assigned readings.
This workshop will illustrate how examination of students’ social annotations can offer teachers data to better support students’ metacognitive practices. The workshop is divided into 5 modules: 1) Introduction to Social Annotation; 2) Overview of Metacognitive Practices; 3) Metacognitive Strategies Assessment Demonstration; 4) Hands-On Practice with Metacognitive Strategies Assessment; and 5) Best Practices for Supporting Students as They Engage in Social Annotation. During the workshop, attendees will discover how utilizing social annotation through a metacognitive lens provides new pathways for handling class discussions, dealing with student confusion, and evaluating student learning.
Presenters: Nance Wilson & Brittany Adams, SUNY Cortland; Ann Van Wig, Eastern Washington University; Linda Smetana, California State University East Bay; Jennie Baumann, Michigan State University
Nance S Wilson has 20+ years’ intensive experience in education teaching Language. Arts, Reading, and science in schools. Currently, Wilson teaches in the Literacy Department at The State University of New York in Cortland. Recently, SUNY Cortland launched an online Masters in Education in Literacy Birth to grade twelve.
Last year, Dr. Wilson worked to design an online literacy intervention clinic to provide tutoring for students in first to eleventh grade and launched Beyond the APP an online international conference to connect teachers with literacy experts. Additionally, she serves as an educational consultant both in the United States and serves on the review boards of several journals, including Literacy, Research, and Instruction and The Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy.
Using Technology and TACTivities to Engage Learners in Mathematics Classrooms
Monday, March 29, 1:00 – 3:00 PM EDT
Abstract: Teachers often use hands-on activities and manipulatives to engage their students in the learning process. The COVID-19 pandemic, however, has made this type of learning less accessible with the use of remote teaching. Teachers are left with the challenge of how to motivate and engage their students without being able to provide them with concrete items that help students be actively involved in the learning process. In this workshop, we provide one way in which teachers can still provide their students with these hands-on experiences using tactile learning activities that we call TACTivities. The term “TACTivity” is a portmanteau of the words “tactile” and “activity.” Thus, a TACTivity is a tactile activity. We emphasize that with TACTivities, it is the students, and not (just) the instructor, who are engaging in the tactile experience. We provide options for virtual TACTivities, as well as ways in which some of the activities can be printed and completed remotely. Our TACTivities were originally created for the mathematics classroom, but they could be modified for any grade level and any subject area. An emphasis on free technologies to make the classroom more active will also be emphasized.
Presenters: Angie Hodge, Northern Arizona University & Cindy York,Northern Illinois University
Dr. Angie Hodge-Zickerman is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at Northern Arizona University. Her research interests include active learning in the mathematics classroom, technology and its role in active learning, and equity issues in the STEM disciplines. She loves to run, travel, and spend time with her loved ones exploring.
Dr. Cindy York is an Associate Professor in the Instructional Technology Program of the Educational Technology, Research & Assessment Department at Northern Illinois University. Her research interests include online learning, instructional design, and technology integration.
Using 360 Degree VR Filming in Education – Elder Chronicles – A First Nation Case Study
Monday, March 29, 1:00 – 3:00 PM EDT
Abstract: With today’s technology, the face of education is changing. We will discuss how using 360 Degree VR Filming in education can create an integrative experience for students. We will also discuss to capture and preserve teachings, and how we are incorporating that into our educational delivery.
360 Degree VR Filming can create an opportunity for viewers to immerse themselves into a topic, or subject, and learn about it using this new technology. Creating this opportunity for immersion, and “being there”, can engage a students curiosity, engage their motivation, and give them the control to visually explore anything they would like to see within the environment, creating a personalized experience for them.
Education is more than “reading the menu”, it is about “tasting the food” and being able to clearly understand a subject on more than just a “knowing” level. First Nation, and Indigenous “education” has always been about the hands-on experiential learning, and this gives students the opportunity to go beyond the curriculum in a more experiential way.
Let us show you how we do it, and how 360 Degree VR Filming can help students to engage in today’s world! While we may be “digital immigrants”, students today have not known a world without digital integration, and it is time that education catches up with the way students come to the table.
Presenters: Linda Robinson, SCCyber ELearning Community
Linda Robinson is a University of Alberta Alumni, and has been an online and face-to-face Educator in Aboriginal Communities for over 15 years, and an educational/instructional designer for over 10 years.
Using 360 Degree/VR filming in education has become a passion, and that combined with generating sustainability, creates a perfect fit to advance meaningful learning.
She has been working to preserve cultural teachings, while creating virtual field trip opportunities utilizing emerging technology, and with today’s access to many teaching modalities, it is the perfect time to start thinking about how we can use these exciting experiences in education today.
Teacher Inquiry into Student Learning: Empathy Building and Student Camera Use
Monday, March 29, 3:00 – 5:00 PM EDT
Abstract: In this interactive workshop session, participants will learn how to use the Teacher Inquiry into Student Learning (TISL) Heart Method to address a wicked problem in distance learning: student camera use during synchronous meetings. The TISL Heart Method can be applied to diverse and multiple wicked problems that educators may encounter while teaching in a pandemic.
Presenter: Tabia Lee, College of San Mateo
Tabia Lee (known simply as “Lee”) has contributed to the design, implementation, and evaluation of numerous educational and professional development programs. Her commitment to teacher education, technology-infused learning, social justice and instructional design is grounded in experience as a National Board Certified English, Civics, and Social Studies teacher in urban American public middle and high schools.
Dr. Lee prepares TK-12 and higher education faculty to work with culturally and linguistically diverse students by illuminating pedagogical and ideological intersectionality with a focus on critical literacy and teacher ideology-in-practice.
Specifically, Lee guides faculty through clarifying instructional intent as it relates to face to face, hybrid, and online learning with an emphasis on illuminating the ways that teacher professional development informs technological engagement and is reflected in teachers’ embodied and enacted pedagogies.
Review Lee’s introductory video/digital CV and learn more about Lee
Using Instagram to Engage Students and Bridge the Digital Divide in Online/Distance Learning Environments
Monday, March 29, 3:00 – 5:00 PM EDT
Abstract: As current circumstances due to the COVID-19 pandemic continue to increase our reliance on digital tools, it has become increasingly important for educators to understand and acknowledge social media applications as a legitimate, authentic form of communication within student culture. The purpose of this workshop is to introduce the utilization of Instagram for student engagement within the online learning environment. By implementing this popular social media application in the educational context, educators call upon students’ prior knowledge and place value on an important aspect of their students’ culture. The instructor will provide an introduction to social media engagement and give examples of how the application can be implemented across various disciplines and subject matter. Attendees will learn how to use the application in the context of their own educational setting and receive guidance in setting up of an account, navigation of the application, creation of communications, and applying the application for engagement during online instruction. Attendees will take an active role in their learning process by sharing ideas, creating small projects and interacting with other attendees via the application. By the end of this 3.5 hour workshop, attendees will have a solid foundation online engagement via Instagram and an action plan for utilization of the application within their area of interest.
Presenter: Cassandra Drake, California State University Stanislaus
Dr. Cassandra Drake has experience with social media platforms which are gaining popularity for their highly creative nature such as Instagram and Snapchat. Her qualitative research interests are strongly tied to digital literacies and visual methodologies. As a teacher educator and instructor of Educational Technology courses for future teachers, Cassandra guides her students in using Instagram to present their learning, engage with their classmates and connect with other professional educators (aka teacher influencers). Her course activities require students to create or utilize visuals and other multimodal means of communication to represent their learning, engage beyond the video conferencing modality (Zoom) and participate in their virtual community. She has curated a professional professor profile (@edugram.teachered) which she uses to post pertinent course/campus information, repost exemplar student work and issue prompts for engagement in asynchronous and synchronous contexts. This account is also used to guide students’ overall engagement by creating stories and networking with other campuses, departments, school districts, teacher practitioners, teacher educators and teacher researchers.
She has developed ethical practices for using and engaging with social media for students and faculty as well as provided application coaching for individuals new to social media. She has also aided in the content building and curation of a half dozen Instagram accounts which are used for professional, academic and marketing purposes.
Creating Art Through Coding
Wednesday, March 31, 1:00 – 3:00 PM EDT
Abstract: Creation of art offers an engaging way to introduce coding to novices. Participants in this workshop will have the opportunity to explore creation of art in different styles, including the sculptors Alexander Calder and Bathsheba Grossman, the nineteenth century post-impressionist artist, Georges Seurat, the twentieth century artists Mark Rothco and Jason Pollock, and the contemporary illustrator, Peter Reynolds. Each of these artists works in a different style and in different mediums. These styles provide opportunities to emulate these artistic approaches through the medium of digital technologies.
The art activities that will be explored during the workshop are drawn from a course, EDIS 2200: Creating Art, Animations & Music through Coding, taught in the School of Education and Human Development at the University of Virginia. The course has also been approved by the Department of Computer Science as an elective in the Bachelor of Arts in Computer Science (BACS) degree program. The workshop will be supported by instructional videos and resources designed to support the course.
Participants in the workshop will have the opportunity to see art created by students using these tools. Participants will also have the opportunity to share their creations with one another.
All participants in the workshop will receive (at no cost) a digital copy of a text, Creating Art, Animations, and Music through Coding (Bull, Watts & Nguyen, 2020) developed to support the course.
Presenters: Glen Bull, Jo Watts, & Alexis Killem, University of Virginia
Glen Bull is a professor in the School of Education and Human Development at the University of Virginia.
Jo Watts is the manager of the Make to Learn Laboratory at the University of Virginia. He is a co-author of Creating Art, Animations, and Music through Coding (available in the AACE Learning and Technology Library). He is currently enrolled in the graduate program in Instructional Technology at the University of Virginia
Alexis Kellam is a creative arts facilitator in the Make to Learn Laboratory at the University of Virginia. She is a co-author of Creating Art, Animations, and Music through Coding (available in the AACE Learning and Technology Library). She is currently enrolled in the graduate program in Instructional Technology at the University of Virginia.
Social Media Strategies to Engage Online Learners
Wednesday, March 31, 1:00 – 3:00 PM EDT
Abstract: Social media tools have expanded the way students can create online study groups and have provided more opportunities for instructors to engage, communicate, and support their online, remote, and hybrid learners. Many students struggle with online learning and when left in isolation, have a lower chance of being successful and completing a course. Using apps such as GroupMe and WhatsApp offers multiple tools to support learning and communication. They provide a means for students to form study groups, video conference with one another, and share media. Other social media programs, such as Harmonize and Padlet, offer unique ways that classes can post, share, and collaborate on discussion posts and group assignments. This workshop will demonstrate several Ed Tech tools as well as share ideas for how to use each one to better engage and instruct.
Presenter: Ginal Solano & Alicia Beasley, Walden University
Dr. Gina Solano is an Assistant Professor of Educational Technology. She mentors doctoral candidates and teaches doctoral-level courses in educational technology. She also teaches face-to-face and online courses on technology trends, STEM, multimedia, online learning, digital design, and more. She is a former high school English and Spanish teacher and is avidly involved in service-learning.
Mrs. Alicia Beasley is the Director of eLearning Education at East Central Community College and a doctoral candidate at Walden University. She teaches online courses and focuses on engagement and retention. Before moving to eLearning education, Mrs. Beasley taught elementary school for almost 20 years.
Virtual Teaching and Learning Best Practices
Wednesday, March 31, 3:00 – 5:00 PM EDT
Abstract: Virtual Learning and Teaching Best Practices will explore planning and implementing virtual learning, communicating with parents and students using virtual tools, and other essential practices for online learning. This workshop is divided into five modules: Introduction and Terminology, Instructional Delivery, Curriculum and Instructional Resources, Student Progress, and Student and Family Support. Module One will provide background information and workshop agenda. In Module Two, participants will focus on lesson planning, setting up a digital classroom, and recording instructional videos. In Module 3, we will discuss digital resources to support virtual teaching and learning, student data privacy, and vetting online tools. Resources and best practices for formative assessment, small group virtual instruction, and online communication will be the focus of Module 4. Finally, Module Five looks at best practices for communicating with parents. Participants will be provided with time to collaborate with one another and interact with the tools and strategies covered in the workshop.
Objectives:
- Provide an overview of the terminology and research related to virtual teaching and Learning;
- Offer best practices for planning and delivering virtual instruction;
- Establish guidelines for selecting digital resources;
- Demonstrate multiple methods for formative assessment, small group instruction, and online communication;
- Recommend methods of communication with student and parents while teaching virtual
Prerequisites: This workshop is intended for course instructors who teach blended, hybrid, and/or online courses at the K-20 level and are intermediate to advanced users of educational technologies.
Presenters: Michelle Starcher, University of North Texas
Michelle Starcher is the District Training Specialist for the Educational Technology Department in Fort Worth ISD. Michelle has served in K-12 education for over twenty-years with experience as an elementary teacher, curriculum writer, librarian, and technology coach. Over the last two years, Michelle has led the e-learning team in the development, implementation, and evaluation of professional development eCourses for over 5,000 teachers and administrators. In addition to Michelle’s work in FWISD, she is currently working on a PhD in Learning Technologies. Research interests include personalized instruction, online teaching and learning, professional development, digital learning leadership, and school transformation. Michelle has previously presented information related to online instruction and technology integration at state and local conferences.
Interactive STEM for Teacher Education in Online and Remote Settings
Friday, April 2, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM EDT
Abstract: With the demands of flexible learning (delivering instruction in multiple modalities) during the COVID-19 pandemic, K-12 educators, and teacher educators have expressed a need for STEM instructional activities that support their learners, especially in online and remote environments. During this interactive workshop, designed for teacher educators, participants will engage in several online interactive STEM activities that can be immediately introduced to pre-service and in-service educators. Some of the activities can be applied across all disciplinary content areas. Attendees of the workshop will receive access to digital plans and resources.
Presenters: Laurie Campbell and Samantha Heller, University of Central Florida
Laurie O. Campbell, Ed.D., is an Asst. Professor at the University of Central Florida. Her research includes: (a) promoting positive STEM identity among underserved and underrepresented populations, (b) personalized and active learning, and (c) safe learning environments. Her teaching field is within the Learning Sciences, Instructional Design and Technology.
Samantha Heller has completed her third year as a PhD student in the Instructional Design and Technology Program and is now a PhD Candidate. She earned her BA in Communication from the University of Pennsylvania and her MA in Elementary Special Education. She was a classroom teacher in NY, Costa Rica, and Florida for eight years before becoming the Director of Curriculum and Technology at a charter school for students with learning and behavior differences.
Designing Virtual Mentoring to Support Students’ Individual Learning
Friday, April 2, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM EDT
Abstract: Do you want to know ways to structure virtual mentoring at the individual, small group, and whole class level so that students continue to learn in personalized ways? What are ways to conduct engaging and meaningful virtual mentoring outreach to learners through research-based approaches to synchronous learning? This workshop provides modeling and description of ways to thoughtfully design reflective and practical virtual mentoring sessions in ways that align with your course and that create meaningful and dialogic learning experiences for students. The key to virtual mentoring is structuring sessions that foster reflection, trust-building, incorporation of practical suggestions and resources, alignment with course outcomes, and preparation and orientation for the technology used to maximize the learning experience. Virtual mentoring is especially important during the pandemic when face-to-face meetings are limited or not possible. Additionally, participants will learn how the following tools can be integrated into virtual mentoring: group blogging; cross-course blogging; and webinar experiences with near peers and experienced practitioners as role models. Beyond the pandemic, virtual mentoring can support both face-to-face and online or hybrid course formats when coming to campus is not possible. Caveats for protecting student privacy will also be shared. This workshop will also provide time to brainstorm applications to participants’ teaching and learning contexts.
Presenter: Peggy Semingson, The University of Texas at Arlington
Dr. Peggy Semingson has engaged in virtual mentoring with learners since 2012 and has been teaching online since 2008; she has extensive experience incorporating various virtual mentoring design and platforms into teaching at both the undergraduate and graduate level. Additionally, she has done research on the topic and published in this area in national publication venues such as Journal of Faculty Development. She has an in-depth background in digitally-focused lesson design. The instructor is an associate professor in the Department of Linguistics and TESOL at The University of Texas at Arlington where she teaches courses in TESOL. Her Ph.D. is in Curriculum and Instruction with a specialization in Language and Literacy Studies from The University of Texas at Austin in 2008. Research interests include digital pedagogies, media-based learning, online learning, and remote/virtual ESL teaching and learning. Current research studies examine the ways that we can use digital and innovative pedagogies to engage teachers to most effectively help them to teach in their current and future classroom contexts. Within this area, she is more specifically interested in socially distributed knowledge sharing that takes place online, distributed cognition, and video-mediated (e.g., YouTube) discussion and dialogue. Her longstanding education-focused YouTube channel has over two million views of original video content and over 5,000 subscribers.
Creating Music Through Coding
Friday, April 2, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM EDT
Abstract: Creation of music offers an engaging way to introduce coding to novices. Participants in this workshop will have the opportunity to explore creation of music in different styles. The music activities feature different musicians, including Robert Johnson, the blues guitarist and singer whose landmark recordings in 1936 and 1937 influenced musicians and groups as diverse as Eric Clapton, the Beatles, and the Rolling Stones. The twelve-bar blues is a tradition that can be traced back to the nineteenth century. This form of the blues enables a musician to play hundreds of different songs with only three chords. In a similar manner, a few basic concepts enable creators to create hundreds of different types of programs with only a few foundational commands. These styles provide opportunities to emulate these artistic approaches through the medium of digital technologies.
TuneScope, a tool developed at the University of Virginia to support integration of music with coding, will be introduced in the workshop. Participants in the workshop will have the opportunity to hear musical compositions created by students using these tools. Participants will also have the opportunity to share their creations with one another.
All participants in the workshop will receive (at no cost) a digital copy of a text, Creating Art, Animations, and Music through Coding (Bull, Watts & Nguyen, 2020).
Presenters: Glen Bull, Jo Watts, & Joe Garofalo, University of Virginia
Glen Bull is a professor in the School of Education and Human Development at the University of Virginia. Joe Garofalo is an associate professor of education at the University of Virginia. Jo Watts is director of the Make to Learn Laboratory at the University of Virginia.
Design a Game-based Course Using your LMS
Friday, April 2, 1:45 – 3:45 PM EDT
Abstract: This fun-filled workshop guides participants through using a Learning Management System (LMS) to design a game-based course. Participants will work through a game-design process to build the basics of a game-based course, be introduced to different game structures, and then and then will be grouped by LMS to play around with ways to create a game-based course including creating gates via groups, test pools, assignments, and discussion boards; creating choices via selective release; creating progress bars via course links; as well as other tips and tricks. This workshop emphasizes designing curricular games that teach instead of test, that derive from the content instead of being divorced from it, and that allow the learner to engage deeply in the learning process instead of being a one-shot competitive recall game like Jeopardy.
Presenter: Janna Kellinger, University of Massachusetts Boston
Janna Kellinger is an associate professor in the Curriculum and Instruction department at UMass Boston. She is the author of A Guide to Designing Curricular Games: How to “game” the system. She has created half a dozen game-based courses using an LMS, including an Introduction to Game-based Teaching class and a Coding for Non-Coders class. Students have described being “addicted” to and getting “hooked” by her classes. She is the recipient of the Innovation in Teaching Online award.
Making Sense of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), and Deep Learning (DL) in 21st Century K-12 Classrooms
Friday, April 2, 1:45 – 3:45 PM EDT
Abstract: All around us today, we fill the impact of Smart Technologies referred to as self-monitoring, analytical and reporting systems powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML). Surprisingly, the technologies driving these innovations has remained largely esoteric to K-12 educators. These technologies are often associated with complex algorithmic with foundations in Computer Science so far has remained outside the reach of average K-12 non-Computer Science teacher. Moreover, AI and ML has often been associated with physical robots in the minds of the average K-12 teacher. However, both teachers and students experience AI/ML powered systems every day of their lives. In this workshop/presentation we shall offer practical AI/ML technologies demonstrations suitable for online teaching and learning within K-12 school systems using Machine Learning tools from Google and Microsoft to engage with teachers. We shall explore the importance of data, and how it can be used to teach and train computers to learn and make predictive decisions with pedagogic implications. This workshop targets K-12 teachers that hear about Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies such as Machine Learning (ML) but in cryptic terms without making much sense of its relevance to instruction in classrooms. By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to engage students in AI with No-Code ML innovative web-based/desktop learning tools that challenge deep thinking in classrooms.
Presenter: Dr. Kele Anyanwu, University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point
Kele Anyanwu graduated with a Doctorate in Education (Ed.D.) Curriculum and Instruction with specialization in Instructional Technology from University of Houston and a Master’s degree (M.S) in Instructional Technology from University of Houston – Clear Lake. Presently, Kele is an Associate Professor at University of Wisconsin Stevens Point and the Director of Technology and Innovation Space for Educators (TISE) at the School of Education. Kele is a composite certified science teacher designated highly qualified to teach any high school science subject in state of Texas where he taught high school science for six years. Prior to his teaching career, he worked as a System Engineer with MCI-WorldCom for ten years. He holds most of information technology industry certifications. Cutting-edge technologies that enhance teaching and learning that enableg teachers and students make meaning of the world around them is his passion. Technology should be more accessible and inclusive, something that everyone can learn, understand, and explore freely and creatively.
School vs. Fortnite: The Emergence of 3D Learning
Friday, April 2, 1:45 – 3:45 PM EDT
Abstract: One of the biggest issues teachers face today is student engagement. In today’s digital world, finding new ways to engage tech-savvy students is ever more difficult. When cell phones and games consoles are highly advanced and hugely popular, engagement with technology in the classroom can be difficult. We can all agree that the technology deployed in schools is less engaging than the technology kids use at home.
3D-based Virtual Learning is an effort to make learning more effective, relevant, and engaging to today’s 3D videogame-saturated kids. In a trial effort, the largest ever use of 3D learning occurred from 2017-2020, and involved 1.7 million users in 27 countries, across 150 programs in 6 subject areas. The goal was to test 3D learning technology and ideas with users on Chrome/Android platforms, with the goal of informing and initiating the era of school-based learning in 3D.
The potential of 3D-based Virtual Learning in education is limitless. It literally opens up new realms in education, where the abstract becomes real and students walk through magnetic fields, fly over countries, and cross underground magma chambers to understand plate tectonics. 3D and VR learning has been typically confined to expensive VR headsets and clinical operating environments. How do educators now take advantage of students’ newfound abilities to explore the inside of a human cell or fly through a black hole?
Presenters: Brett Stuart Reid, MIT and Wylmarie N. Sykes, Operation Safe Child
Brett is a graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) with a degree in Computer Engineering. He is President of Sunrise Virtual Reality. He also programs 3D Android apps for SUNRISE VR.COM as well as serving as technical assistant for Operation Safe Child <op-safechild.org>. He is very interested in applying technological advances to educational opportunities for children. Mr. Reid saw the potential of his virtual reality systems to help underserved Chicago students learn by introducing powerful visualization tools into the educational process. His research led to the creation of specialized immersive virtual reality learning systems, primarily used in controlled academic environments. His goal is to provide schools with the access to the same tools he created for the private sector and various government agencies, and transform schools into real incubators for new ideas and exploration.
Dr. Wylmarie N. Sykes is a seasoned educator with multiple Master’s degrees in Elementary Education, Education Administration, English Literature, Human Resource Development and a Doctorate in English Language and Literature from the University of Iowa. She has taught in elementary schools and at the college level at Drake University and at Malcolm X College. She is CEO of Operation Safe Child, a non-profit organization that specializes in creating programs that empower youth to develop good character habits <op-safechild.org>. She advises and assists with the development of 3D educational programs at Sunrise Virtual Reality. <sunrisevr.com>
