ORISE to offer no-cost virtual educator professional development courses in June

May 18, 2021 

The Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education and Oak Ridge Associated Universities are gearing up to provide a month of virtual educator professional development courses during the month of June.

Fifteen virtual courses will be offered at no cost to STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) educators across the country. Last year, more than 268 educators from 28 states registered for ORISE and ORAU professional development sessions.

Sessions available this year are listed below. To register, visit www.oraustem.com.

• Tools for Interactive Digital Learning 2.0, June 1 and June 7. A hands-on workshop where educators will learn about and test a variety of engaging digital tools to enhance their classroom instruction for both in-person and digital settings. These are all-new tools from those that were discussed last year.
• App Design and Development, June 3. Today’s students are digital natives. In this workshop, teachers will learn how to inspire students to be creators of digital content instead of simply consumers of it. Using an app called Thunkable, participants will learn the basics of app development and discuss how to integrate this skill into classroom content in a meaningful way. This is an introductory workshop to app development, not intended for those who have a background already.
• Learning Blade for STEM, June 4 and June 18. In this workshop, teachers will learn about all the different tools in Learning Blade and make sure they are ready and equipped to use the program at the start of their school year.
• Effective Use of Laptops and iPads for In-Person Instruction, June 8. After a year of virtual and hybrid teaching, welcome back to the in-person classroom! In this session, teachers will learn how to best integrate the new digital tools they have used over the past year with their students in face-to-face teaching. This session will cover the use of 1:1 devices and other digital platforms to enhance group work, productivity, classroom management, and engagement in preparation for going back to school this fall.
• Creating with Canva, June 10. Participants will learn useful tips and skills in digital design with Canva to take their lessons to the next level and engage with their students. Teachers will also learn ways students can collaborate together to seamlessly create designs and promote classroom engagement.
• Stress Reduction, June 11. Alyx Henry will discuss stress management with a particular emphasis on stress related to COVID. Teachers will do a brief stress assessment and then talk through causes of stress, coping with stress, and techniques that that can be used in the classroom to reduce stress - their own and that of their students. Attendees will receive practical, actionable advice and other stress reduction resources.
• Makerspace Made Easy, June 14. You've heard of the makerspace movement moving through the education world, but did you know that it’s not just about Legos and straw towers? In this session, teachers will discuss how to plan a maker project to engage students through hands-on problem solving while still addressing content standards.
• Wishes Granted: How Grants Can Get You the Resources You Need For Your Classroom, June 15. Have you ever wondered how to write a grant? Is it a task that just seems daunting or impossible with your current workload?  Whether private or public, there is money out there waiting for you! This presentation will share tips, tricks, and how to spend just one weekend a year on grant writing.
• Student Ideas: Getting What’s in Their Minds Out for the World to See, June 18. We each have our own lens of understanding and often our students have a valuable, unique way of solving problems in their communities. In this session, teachers will discuss tools that help students take their big ideas and make them a reality through problem-based learning. Whether using art, prototyping, writing, diagramming, video or a combination, encourage your students to develop their ideas through various platforms. There are a variety of competitions that students can choose to participate in to reach beyond the walls of our classrooms and communicate their amazing ideas to the world. 
• Colorful and Sweet Chemistry, June 22. Color is used all the time and in many ways in chemistry.  You will use color to figure out what a substance is, to tell when it has changed, and to determine its strength.  In addition, you will learn about chemistry’s sweet side as you investigate certain properties of candy.
• Tools for Assessment, Regardless of the Assessment, June 23. Professional development will be an interactive walk-through of the Edulastic online (FREE) assessment. This website is ideal if you are teaching online, hybrid, or in-person. The live view teach portal has multiple features to target students who may need more support. This tool is good for any content area.
• Weekly Wonder, June 24. Bring science processes and social and emotional learning alive using wonder and the natural world... and trade some screen time for GREEN time! Free online resources help in-person or virtual teachers access nature with students.  
• 3D Printing: Providing Enrichment to Your STEM Programs, Intro/Basic Level, June 29. This professional development session will be an interactive event that will answer several questions. What is 3D design and printing? Why would it benefit my STEM program? How do I actually build and print designs? Where can I get an affordable 3D Printer for my program? We will use FREE software to design models as well as walk through how to upload a design and print it. This is designed for teachers with NO background in 3D printing or design.

Educator professional development courses are free, but registration is required. To register for one or all of the courses, visit www.oraustem.com.