Librarians as Informal Learning Designers: A Framework for Facilitating STEM-Rich Making in the School Library

This presentation presents a framework for characterizing how school librarians facilitate STEM-rich Making informal programming in their libraries. This framework is an extension of a framework used in teacher education research accounting for how teachers using the same curriculum have varying enactments in their individual classrooms. A case study of three middle school librarians is presented to examine how each librarian used STEM-rich Making instructional materials to facilitate informal STEM-rich Making activities for the students in their libraries and how their various program facilitation approaches helped to inform our extended framework

Computational Thinking and Professional Learning for Paraprofessionals

In the past decade, there has been increasing emphasis on preparing K-12 students for the workforce, including an increased emphasis on science, technology, engineering, math, and computing (STEM + C). One way in which this is reflected is in K-12 computer science (CS) standards that have been adopted by many states. However, many current teachers lack sufficient skills and knowledge to teach CS. In addition, there is a lack of time in the school day for teachers to teach the CS curriculum. To address this issue, many school districts throughout Utah have delegated the teaching of the CS curriculum, which emphasizes computational thinking, to paraprofessionals to teach as part of a specialty class during the school day. For many paraprofessionals, this is a new professional responsibility. Therefore, a systematic literature review was conducted to examine the literature on teaching computational thinking and professional development for paraprofessionals to better understand how to support paraprofessionals in this new role. 67 articles were included in the review. This presentation reports on findings from the systematic literature review. Findings identify a lack of literature on professional learning for paraprofessionals. Additionally, results identify areas where further research is needed and inform researchers, educators, and school leaders on the most current research regarding teaching computational thinking and providing professional development opportunities for paraprofessionals serving in this capacity

Evaluating an Integrated Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math/Computational Thinking Professional Development Program for Elementary Level Paraprofessional Educators

For my dissertation, I looked at a training program one Utah school district used to teach paraprofessional educators science, technology, engineering, math, and computational thinking. Specifically, the program taught them about what computational thinking is and how they could use it when teaching science, technology, engineering, and math to students from kindergarten to sixth grade. While reviewing this program, I evaluated 1) The experiences the paraprofessionals had with the program, 2) Whether the paraprofessionals understood computational thinking, and 3) Whether the program prepared them to teach computational thinking to K-6 students. I worked with eight paraprofessionals who participated in this program. Each participant was given a survey before and after the training program, and I interviewed each of them to gather their thoughts, feelings, and experiences at the end of the program. This evaluation showed that the program provided a positive experience for participants and opportunities for them to understand computational thinking and how they can teach elementary school children those concepts. My evaluation also highlighted several ways the school district can support paraprofessionals to make them more effective when teaching computational thinking

The Missing Course: An Introduction to College Teaching for Graduate Instructors

A book review of David Gooblar’s book, The Missing Course: Everything they Never Taught You About College Teaching

Cache Code Math: Fractions, Functions, & For-Loops

These instructional guides are used in the 5th-grade computer labs in conjunction with JavaScript/CodeHS. Computer Lab Specialists are provided with step-by-step instructions and tutorial videos to teach students how to use functions and for-loops to write programs for Karel the Dog to model multiplying fractions. These lessons support learning the following CS ideas: repeat/for, functions, algorithmic thinking, and abstraction. These activities are meant to be delivered after the “Fractions, Functions, & For-Loops: Preparatory Activities” and in conjunction with the mathematics lesson plans, “Cache Code Math: Fractions Unit.

Cache Code Math: Fractions, Functions, & For-Loops Preparatory Materials

These instructional guides are used in the 5th-grade computer labs in conjunction with JavaScript/CodeHS. Computer Lab Specialists are provided with step-by-step instructions to review with students how to use functions and for-loops. These lessons support learning the following CS ideas: repeat/for, functions, algorithmic thinking, and abstraction. These preparatory activities are meant to be delivered before the Cache Code Math: Fractions, Functions, & For-Loops

Reimagining the Online Classroom: Six Course Activities to Foster a Transformative Learning Community

This session will present the lessons learned in our learning circle on transformative learning environments. Transformative learning is in essence being open to otherness and withholding judgment to bridge and understand our differences to ultimately transform our perspectives. Transformative learning begins with critical reflection and dialogue. Transformative learning principles shift from just presenting information to building authentic learning experiences into the design and delivery of online teaching and learning. In this session, we will share strategies we have learned and lessons coming in our own online classrooms to foster a community where students can experience transformative learning activities through reflection and dialogue in the online space. Presenters from multiple disciplines will give examples of transformative learning experiences, including trying on new roles, reflection, projection, student research, and other practices

Cache Code Math: Mathematics Lesson Plans: Fractions

This document entails three 5th grade mathematics lesson plans. The lessons are intended to be implemented in conjunction with the computer lab activities found in Cache Code Math: Fractions, Functions, & For-Loops. The mathematics focus of these lessons is multiplying fractions, which is paired with the computer coding concepts of functions and for-loops