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TeachersArizona SciTech Blog
This blog is courtesy of the Arizona SciTech Festival.
Conference Session: “Fredi Lajvardi: Nationally Recognized STEM Educator & Subject of the Critically Acclaimed Documentary, Underwater Dreams, and Major Motion Picture, Spare Parts”
Track: STEM Instruction
FREDI LAJVARDI kindles your innate sense of ingenuity with his remarkable first-hand account of how he transformed a group of high school students into a national champion robotics team.
Fredi captivated the country when he led his team of disadvantaged teenagers in a university-level underwater robotics competition, where they defeated leading schools, including top-ranked MIT. Their story inspired the acclaimed documentary “Underwater Dreams” and was also adapted into the major motion picture, “Spare Parts,” starring actor and comedian George Lopez as Fredi. His award-winning Falcon Robotics team will be featured in the 2017 film “Dream Big.”
Honored with numerous awards for his spirited passion for teaching, Fredi continues to serve as a prominent advocate about the importance of STEM education nationwide.
With humor and compassion, Fredi brings audiences on his inspiring journey, illustrating the need to embrace diversity and invest in people to help others realize their potential. His incredible real life tale equips you with the real-life encouragement to maximize your own potential and to work together to solve complex problems.
Register for the 7th Annual Arizona SciTech Festival Kickoff Conference: “Building Arizona’s STEM Ecosystem” today!
Track: STEM Careers & Business
Presenter:
- Craig Shames
Register for the 7th Annual Arizona SciTech Festival Kickoff Conference: “Building Arizona’s STEM Ecosystem” today!
Back by popular demand, come see the amazing STEM talent showcased at our 4th annual Arizona’s Got STEM Talent show! We will have about 6-7 “acts” for the session. Each team will have 3-5 minutes to present their demo.
Presenters: TBA
Do you have a STEM talent that you can showcase in 3 minutes or less? If so, let us know. We are looking for 7 of Arizona’s top STEM Talent to showcase as part of our 3rd Annual Arizona’s Got STEM Talent session. Please email Jessica Hauer at Jessica.Hauer@asu.edu ASAP if you are interested.
Register for the 7th Annual Arizona SciTech Festival Kickoff Conference: “Building Arizona’s STEM Ecosystem” today!
Track: Community STEM Action & Volunteerism
Presenters:
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Host: Kalman Mannis, Project Director for Rural Activation and Innovation Network, mrkmannis@gmail.com, mannisk@azscience.org, cell/text: 928-245-2839
Register for the 7th Annual Arizona SciTech Festival Kickoff Conference: “Building Arizona’s STEM Ecosystem” today!
Track: Community STEM Action & Volunteerism
This session will highlight the power of organization with a vision to promote STEM experiences. Speakers represent three rural regions of Arizona that have brought together members from education, business, government, and non-profits to support STEM. Hear about experiences, about best practices, and strategic planning for success. These are members of vibrant rural Arizona, but their lessons can easily be transferred to community organizing in any community of the state.
Presenters:
- John Jarchow, Retired Architect and Educator
- Susan Rodriguez, K6 Science Specialist and STEM Event Coordinator
- Alexandra Helm, Yavapai College, Verde Valley STEM Expo
- Kitty Roberts, Yavapai Apache Nation
- Paul Anger, Eastern Arizona Science Initiative
Register for the 7th Annual Arizona SciTech Festival Kickoff Conference: “Building Arizona’s STEM Ecosystem” today!
Track: STEM Instruction
Panels and demonstrations have long been part of educational conferences. However, in today’s constructivist STEM classroom teachers are expected to allow students “to do” learning. Given this viewpoint, the Sci-Tech Festival Kick-off is going to provide interactive hands-on learning opportunities for educators.
During each 50-minute session there will be 2-25-minute rotations. During each rotation participants will be able to actively learn about, explore, and “play with” a form of educational technology they can use in the K-8 classroom. After each session teachers will leave with resources they can take with them to continue the excitement and learning in their schools. These sessions are designed or teachers and adults and are not designed students.
Presenters: (TBD)
Register for the 7th Annual Arizona SciTech Festival Kickoff Conference: “Building Arizona’s STEM Ecosystem” today!
Conference Session: “Creating an Effective Program of Study and the Impact on Workforce Development”
Track: STEM Instruction
This will be a panel discussion consisting of PLTW Teachers, PLTW students, business/industry partners, PLTW Administrators, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, and a cybersecurity expert. We will discuss how to build a Program of Study(Pathway), the importance of having a Program of Study(Pathway), how to sustain your Program of Study(Pathway), and how to engage partners in your work. We will discuss what our industry and business partners see as needs within their workforce, and the positive impact this collaboration will have on our economy and job opportunities because we are preparing our students to be college and career ready.
Presenters:
- Cindy Nixon, Director of School Engagement, Project Lead The Way
- A panel of PLTW teachers, PLTW students, business/industry partners, PLTW administrators, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, and a cybersecurity expert.
Register for the 7th Annual Arizona SciTech Festival Kickoff Conference: “Building Arizona’s STEM Ecosystem” today!
Track: Computer Science and Engineering
Join us for a discussion about what it takes to organize a makerspace. Share your questions and experience. Our panel of experts will bring their perspective from makerspaces in libraries, schools, and community spaces. Ask your questions about about tools, funding, leadership, software, processes, skills, kits, and more of what goes into making a great makerspace experience. Start where you are and build your community of makers. Learn how during this panel.
Panelists:
- Eric Ose, Robot Ambassador, HeatSync Labs Hackerspace, eric.ose@gmail.com, 480-254-0344
- Jeremy Leung, Co-Founder of HeatSync Labs Hackerspace, @uberschnitzel, jeremy@heatsynclabs.org
- Joel Smalley, Previously Operations Manager with ASU Library Makerspace, Joel.Smalley@asu.edu, 480-748-8768
- Laura Royal, Coordinator THINKspot at Mesa Red Mountain Library, Laura.Royal@mesaaz.gov
- Patrick Carroll, Gifted and Talented Program Instructor at Zaharis Elementary Makerspace, prcarroll@mpsaz.org
Register for the 7th Annual Arizona SciTech Festival Kickoff Conference: “Building Arizona’s STEM Ecosystem” today!
Track: Computer Science and Engineering
Learn about how to start and run a makerspace. Covering all kinds of makerspaces and your questions about tools, space needs, software, processes, skills, kits, and events that make for a great makerspace experience.
Register for the 7th Annual Arizona SciTech Festival Kickoff Conference: “Building Arizona’s STEM Ecosystem” today!
Track: Computer Science and Engineering
EPICS High, for high school and middle school students, is a design-based service learning and social entrepreneurship program that incorporates the engineering and human-centered design processes to provide solutions to real world problems.
EPICS High instills the importance of service while increasing the pipeline of students interested in STEM pathways. The program has proven to be an engagement tool for developing an appreciation for STEM and service learning by providing students authentic engineering learning experiences in context.
A panel of student participants, teachers, and community partners will share their experiences collaborating over the course of the 2016-2017 school year to implement their engineering projects in the community.
Presenters:
- Jennifer Velez, EPICS High Coordinator, ASU’s Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering (Jennifer.velez@asu.edu)
- Delaney Johns, A New Leaf STEM Curriculum Team Member, Gilbert Classical Academy
- Taylor Miller, A New Leaf STEM Curriculum Team Member, Gilbert Classical Academy
- Lexi Paynter, A New Leaf STEM Curriculum Team Member, Gilbert Classical Academy
- Eric Gillman, EPICS High Teacher, Gilbert Classical Academy
- Stephanie Besch, EPICS High Teacher, Metro Tech High School
- Rodrigo Acevedo, Spoke’N’Steel Team Leader, Metro Tech High School