While we cannot predict what the future looks like, we do know that innovation and creativity are skills that our students need and Design Thinking has emerged as a proven framework for helping people develop a creative problem identifying & problem solving mindset. Design Thinking facilitates the process of students first identifying a problem and then proposing and testing solutions, all with the needs of the end-user in mind. In this summer workshop session, we will take a hands-on approach to understanding Design Thinking and how we can use its principles to create a learning environment that engages students, fosters curiosity, and encourages a collaborative approach to solving problems. To further creativity and innovation, we will explore the crossroads of Design Thinking with making and creating with 3D printers. As schools are making 3D printers available to students for creation of real world, tangible models of their 2D prototypes and designs, educators are placed in a challenging position to develop an effective and meaningful vision for integrating this emerging technology into their classroom. When the process of Design Thinking is combined with 3D Printing, educators and classrooms now have the potential to create truly innovative learning environments. Over the course of the workshop, we will explore the process of Design Thinking, how to meaningfully structure a classroom with Design Thinking and we will build capacity for the use of 3D printers in an educational setting. Through the framework of Design Thinking we will explore the meaningful and intentional use of 3D printing. Through existing use cases, projects and classroom ideas, workshop attendees will leave the workshop with increased technical skill and practical application of 3D printing in the classroom via Design Thinking.
Project Based Learning is a teaching method in which students explore real-world problems and challenges over an extended period of time, acquiring deeper knowledge and expertise. Applicable across grade-levels and content areas, PBL has seen a resurgence in interest. Project Based Learning, paired with the ever-growing technology access available in many educational settings, offer educators unique possibilities in unit design. Intentional use of technology within the essential design elements of PBL provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate their understanding of concepts, refine 21st Century Skills, and publish to a Public Audience. In this intensive workshop, participants will learn the essential design elements of PBL, meaningful ways to integrate technology as an integral component in student engagement and motivation, and instructional strategies to support student learning. With PBL, we will identify and align student learning goals, construct driving questions to support sustained inquiry, and maximize authenticity, in addition to offering student choice and voice through the use of technology. Participants will also explore examples of PBL, identify and create assessment frameworks for PBL, and reimagine current curriculum in order to implement Project Based Learning in their classroom.
Augmented and Virtual Reality: Fostering Innovation and Engagement through Immersive Experiences. Educators will spend the day learning the why, what, and how behind the integration of AR and VR in any preK-12 classroom. Discover innovative ways to transform teaching and learning with pedagogical practices that consistently redefine students’ learning experiences. Immersive technology is taking education by storm. Learn how to take students on virtual reality field trips, manipulate 3D objects, augment the world around them, and more. In this workshop, participants explore first-hand the capabilities of AR and VR in the classroom and begin aligning those experiences with student standards of learning to increase the rigor, relevance, and engagement. Participants will learn how to create their own immersive experiences and help foster student creativity with immersive technology.
A traditional perspective and approach towards the core Google Apps for Education tools of Google Docs and Google Slides is to have students create content by writing papers and creating presentations. However, there is immense potential in both of these tools to create HyperDocs: rich, inquiry-focused and student-centric working environments by simply changing the perspective on the role of the tool. By moving beyond simply digitizing work and replacing paper with Google Apps for Education, the kind of work students can create and the method by which they explore ideas can move beyond linear text in a digital form. This session will explore the potential to transform Google Docs into a dynamic student work environment through the combination of text, images, video, linked collaborative work spaces and digital organization. Further, we will explore the capacity to transform Google Slides into a student digital workspace and notebooks that includes pre-populated instructional content, independent and collaborative workspaces that provide structure for students while exploring content within their Digital Notebook. Attendees in the workshop will walk away with a creative approach to leveraging the two core Google Apps for Education tools (Docs and Slides) as well as concrete examples, digital templates, and a framework to begin the process of integrating these ideas into their classroom or school.
There are powerful ways to prepare students for the rights and duties of citizenship in a connected classroom! Energize Civic Education in your school by leveraging powerful technology, innovative pedagogy (such as Design Thinking and PBL) and emphasizing the “6 Modern Practices that Constitute High Quality Civic Learning” including: effective classroom instruction, the discussion of current and controversial topics, meaningful service learning, and powerful and immersive simulations of government processes. "Join us to explore the skills that students need to be educated and prepared to participate responsibly in the modern democratic process, and how can we construct Civic Education to effectively meet this need."
Logan International Airport…If you are flying into Boston’s Logan Airport, the most convenient option is to take a taxi / Uber or Lyft from the airport to hotel.
You can also take the subway (also known as the T) or a bus from Logan Airport. The MBTA website has schedules and details. From Logan, take the Silver Line Bus to South Station and then get on the T to Porter Square.
*Please note: This is not a function of Lesley University.
Lodging:
There are numerous hotels in the area depending on your preference. Use your favorite travel site to find Boston hotels.
The Porter Square Hotel(It’s right across from 1815 Mass. Ave., and they just opened this year.)
There is a paid parking lot behind University Hall.
Timeframes:
8:00 – Registration & light breakfast
8:30 – Morning Session with mid-morning break
11:30 – Lunch
12:30 – Afternoon Session with mid-afternoon break
17 SUMMERS
OF LEARNING
“I loved the small, personalized class size. I also appreciated the time to just play with the different apps and create projects specific to our curriculum.”
Maria DeCicco
Needham Public Schools
ATTENDED BOSTON 2018
17 SUMMERS
OF LEARNING
“I was able to ask a lot of questions and got all my answers.”
