2:00 – 2:50 Sessions
ENGINEERING: PLTW Engineering & Mathematical Connections
Take a look at the prerequisite math skills required for PLTW Engineering courses and how to best support students. Especially with the impact of the pandemic, it is essential to support mathematical skills while teaching the engineering content. This session will focus on the mathematical skills required in IED, POE, CEA and EDD as well as strategies to strengthen those skills.
GEN INTEREST: PLTW School Grants -- Info & Application Overview
We are excited to open applications for our 6th PLTW grant cohort in MA. Come learn about the Massachusetts PLTW grant opportunity for all public schools K-12 in the state. The session will review the details of the grant program including the application requirements, timeline, and advice on what makes for a compelling application!
GW, CS, ENG: Coding with VEX V5 Sensors
Come hear from Alaina Caulkett, an Education Developer with VEX Robotics, about the sensors in the new V5 system. Are you new to VEX V5? Do you want to learn how to advance your student’s coding using sensors? Learn about the V5 Optical, Distance, Inertial, and Rotational sensors and how to code them in VEXcode V5. This demonstration-focused session will look at types of control and sensing blocks and how you can use these sensors in your classroom. Please note this session is focused on VEX and is not intended to speak to how VEX is used in the PLTW curriculum.
GEN INTEREST: Tips and Tricks for Writing Letters of Recommendations for College Admission
What do Admissions professionals want to see when reading a teacher letter of recommendation? How are letters of recommendation used in the Admissions process? Learn best practices when crafting a letter of recommendation for college bound students as well as how to incorporate students’ PLTW background.
GEN INTEREST: Feedback that Motivates Learning
Decades of education research supports a strong connection between quality feedback and learning. Research also warns that the wrong kind of feedback has a negative effect on student achievement. The stakes are high for the teacher, yet even the best feedback is irrelevant unless the student acts upon it. Grabbing students’ attention isn’t enough. Students require motivation to work on a task until completion. The goals of this session are to understand the critical role feedback plays in learning, to explore methods for teaching students how to receive, process, and act on feedback, and to assemble a toolbox of digital tools to facilitate effective feedback that will motivate their students to commit to the process.
