What exactly is the engineering design process? Come to Brookfield Zoo and find out in this hands on experience! Watch the classroom come to life as you design, build, test, and revise solutions to problems using inexpensive materials and experience real-world science and engineering issues. Then learn how to bring these authentic experiences back into your classroom. The day begins with an adapted mystery science lesson known as the water puzzle. Then, you’ll be out in the zoo to do some research on animal adaptations. With your research in hand, you’ll next participate in an engineering design challenge. Here, you’ll design and construct something (shh it’s a surprise!) to showcase various animal adaptations. All we will say is this: Captains vs. Pirates! After lunch at the zoo, learn how engineering solutions are not always devices in our hands in our Great Pacific Garbage Patch activity. We send you back out after a quick read aloud to become an author of your own book using Book Creator. Everything we do will be stored in our Seesaw class, a tool that you can get better familiar with the day of our trainings. That’s not all though! For day two of this hands on training, get ready to showcase all your skills from day one in our Tram Challenge. Participants will hop aboard the Brookfield Zoo Motor Safari and receive various engineering design challenges at each stop of the tram. Get creative because you really don’t know what to expect next on this wild ride throughout the zoo! Next, you’ll find yourself learning about the various habitats of animals in our mystery habitat Seesaw activity. We will focus on locomotion while we enjoy “Dolphins in Action” before lunch on day two. Then participate in a GooseChase throughout the zoo to capture various types of locomotion different animals exhibit. As a team you’ll reach a consensus circle in order to construct using various materials we provide. Then finally we will reflect in Flipgrid in order to save and share our takeaways. These two days are sure to be filled with excitement, engineering and out of the box thinking!

You are registering for the ISTE Certification for Educators presented by Illinois Digital Educators Alliance.

Through the ISTE Certification process, teachers will participate in 30 hours of dynamic in-person and online professional learning based on the ISTE Standards and transformative pedagogy. After completing the training, participants have six months to apply their learning and compile artifacts and reflections into a competency-based portfolio which will be evaluated by ISTE, the only organization that awards the certification.

Illinois Digital Educators Alliance has been selected by ISTE to be an authorized provider of the ISTE Certification for Educators because of their commitment to high quality edtech professional learning and the ISTE Standards as a guide for transforming teaching and learning.

Please note that this is an 8-week blended learning course. You are required to spend two days of learning onsite. The additional seven weeks of online learning will begin one week prior to the onsite training. The dates noted in this registration are for the two onsite learning days.

Prepare your Students for life in and out the classroom with Google Applied Digital Skills. After the workshop connect with other local educators and get energized for the school year. Cost includes lunch and four (4) PDHs. This event is sponsored by the Three Rivers Chapter of Illinois Digital Educators Alliance.

Illinois Digital Educators Alliance is the official Illinois Makey Makey training partner. Get ready for a fun hands-on workshop where you’ll learn about Invention Literacy, Making, and Design Thinking using the award winning Makey Makey invention kit. With the Makey Makey, students can make any conductive material act as the input device for a computer. Because it comes preprogrammed, students with no coding experience can use it and learn to experiment with it as they start to learn coding.

This workshop is intended to help educators who work with students in grades K-12 explore Inventing, Design Thinking, and Making using the Makey Makey.

Creative Robotics in Any Classroom

Overview: This two day "train the trainer" workshop is a blend of project-based learning, maker education, computer science, and engineering. See how to bring creative robotics into any classroom and every subject with the Hummingbird Robotics Kit, and learn to teach these skills to others.

Who are trainers: This training is for people of all skill and comfort levels. In two days, you will leave prepared to host your own trainings and events with the Hummingbird Robotics Kit from BirdBrain Technologies in a variety of settings: in a 1 hour workshop, a 6 hour PD day, a demonstration at a staff meeting, or even a Bots and Bevs open house at your community's favorite brewery!

What we'll learn: You will learn to code robotics components like LEDs, motors, and sensors, using programming languages suitable for students in grades 3-12. Then, you'll learn to combine these robotics components with common craft supplies to make cardboard mechanisms, remote controlled recycled rovers, a Robot Petting Zoo Animal, or even re-enact a scene from Romeo and Juliet. We'll learn to code and build using laptops, Chromebooks, and iPads/tablets, to serve the needs of every school.

Illinois needs trainers: Many schools in Illinois saw the Hummingbird at the ICE conference in 2019 and are ready to learn more! After attending this workshop, you will be ready to deliver professional development to your community.

Description of the Days

Day 1: Design, Build, and Program with Hummingbird

Design, build, and program your own robot using the NEW Hummingbird Bit Robotics Kit and everyday art supplies. This 6-hour introductory workshop is designed for any teacher or technology coach interested in bringing robotics, programming, and design into the classroom. We will provide helpful tips on how you can integrate robotics into any subject area while you create your own working robot. 

Day 2: Teaching and Coaching with Hummingbird

The focus of the second day is on how to work with teachers to deeply, joyfully, and meaningfully incorporate creative robotics into their curricula. We will expand our use of different programming languages and devices (including laptops, Chromebooks, and tablets), and discuss community outreach and advocacy strategies. Participants will leave with a wider understanding of creative robotics, and with a "menu" of different events and interaction strategies.

Please bring your own device, a Chromebook or laptop with USB port. All experience and knowledge levels welcome!

You are registering for the ISTE Certification for Educators presented by Illinois Digital Educators Alliance.

Through the ISTE Certification process, teachers will participate in 30 hours of dynamic in-person and online professional learning based on the ISTE Standards and transformative pedagogy. After completing the training, participants have six months to apply their learning and compile artifacts and reflections into a competency-based portfolio which will be evaluated by ISTE, the only organization that awards the certification.

Illinois Digital Educators Alliance has been selected by ISTE to be an authorized provider of the ISTE Certification for Educators because of their commitment to high quality edtech professional learning and the ISTE Standards as a guide for transforming teaching and learning.

Please note that this is an 8-week blended learning course. You are required to spend two days of learning onsite. The additional seven weeks of online learning will begin one week prior to the onsite training. The dates noted in this registration are for the two onsite learning days.

Illinois Digital Educators Alliance is the official Illinois Makey Makey training partner. Get ready for a fun hands-on workshop where you’ll learn about Invention Literacy, Making, and Design Thinking using the award winning Makey Makey invention kit. With the Makey Makey, students can make any conductive material act as the input device for a computer. Because it comes preprogrammed, students with no coding experience can use it and learn to experiment with it as they start to learn coding.

This workshop is intended to help educators who work with students in grades K-12 explore Inventing, Design Thinking, and Making using the Makey Makey.

You are registering for the ISTE Certification for Educators presented by Illinois Digital Educators Alliance. This session will be held in conjunction with Michigan Association for Computer Users in Learning (MACUL).

Through the ISTE Certification process, teachers will participate in 30 hours of dynamic in-person and online professional learning based on the ISTE Standards and transformative pedagogy. After completing the training, participants have six months to apply their learning and compile artifacts and reflections into a competency-based portfolio which will be evaluated by ISTE, the only organization that awards the certification.

Illinois Digital Educators Alliance has been selected by ISTE to be an authorized provider of the ISTE Certification for Educators because of their commitment to high quality edtech professional learning and the ISTE Standards as a guide for transforming teaching and learning.

Please note that this is an 8-week blended learning course. You are required to spend two days of learning onsite. The additional seven weeks of online learning will begin one week prior to the onsite training. The dates noted in this registration are for the two onsite learning days.

You are registering for the ISTE Certification for Educators presented by Illinois Digital Educators Alliance.

Through the ISTE Certification process, teachers will participate in 30 hours of dynamic in-person and online professional learning based on the ISTE Standards and transformative pedagogy. After completing the training, participants have six months to apply their learning and compile artifacts and reflections into a competency-based portfolio which will be evaluated by ISTE, the only organization that awards the certification.

Illinois Digital Educators Alliance has been selected by ISTE to be an authorized provider of the ISTE Certification for Educators because of their commitment to high quality edtech professional learning and the ISTE Standards as a guide for transforming teaching and learning.

Please note that this is an 8-week blended learning course. You are required to spend two days of learning onsite. The additional seven weeks of online learning will begin one week prior to the onsite training. The dates noted in this registration are for the two onsite learning days.