There is no try, only do! Computational thinking emphasizes problem solving, project planning, collaboration, creativity, and the practice of failing fast and testing again. Computational thinking empowers people to understand and utilize tools and resources to work smarter, not harder. This hand-on, station-based workshop will get participants up and moving, using their brains, making connections, and leaving with accessible, applicable activities to bring directly into all classrooms.
Explore Me3D, a hands-on workshop where students use 3D scanning, modeling, and printing to create expressive self-portraits. Starting with a scan of their own head, students transform their digital likeness to reflect personal identity, interests, or emotions. This session covers technical steps, shares student examples, and offers strategies for integrating storytelling, creativity, and digital fabrication in the classroom.
Real talk - tech toys are expensive, especially when everyone wants their own! In our district, with a middle school, high school, and 6 elementary schools, we were looking for a deployable solution option that could empower any classroom to be creators and innovators. In this session, we will discuss the tools we evaluated and selected, our goals for the program, coaching support, and managing our resources and how the first half year of the Mobile Maker Lab has gone for Bonny Eagle.
Susie Simmons is a an instructional technology coach for Bonny Eagle Middle School & High School in Buxton/Standish, Maine. Her ed tech passions include 3D printing, virtual & augmented reality, spreadsheets, coding, and workload automating. She has a B.S. in Technology Education... Read More →
Following up on "Building and Managing a Mobile Maker Lab," this hands-on session lets you directly experience the power of a mobile maker lab! Get practical experience using our laser engraver, 3D printers, and smart cutting machine. Learn essential operation and software skills, gaining the confidence to integrate these tools into your classroom and empower student creativity.
Susie Simmons is a an instructional technology coach for Bonny Eagle Middle School & High School in Buxton/Standish, Maine. Her ed tech passions include 3D printing, virtual & augmented reality, spreadsheets, coding, and workload automating. She has a B.S. in Technology Education... Read More →
How might we apply the underpinnings of tabletop and video game design to the demonstration of deeper content knowledge, social-emotional growth, and future-ready skill development? Arrive in this workshop intrigued; leave with designs for applying game-based thinking to your impact area.
Take home a unit plan from this workshop. Learn how students at Pemetic Elementary School created their own French chocolate molds from 3D printed models that they designed. In this inter-disciplinary project, students then poured chocolates from their molds, created tags or wrappers, and then create a French Chocolaté Market for a local senior center.
In year one we taught the unit to 6th and 7th grade students. In year two we taught the unit to 5th and 6th grade students.
Mike Brzezowski is a technology integrator/coordinator for Pemetic Elementary School, a small public PreK-8 school on Mount Desert Island in Maine. He has a B.S. degree in Biology from Penn State University and an M.Ed. in Secondary Science Education from the University of Maine... Read More →
In this session, we will explore micro:bits newly released CreateAI platform, which allows users to create machine learning models using micro:bit sensor data. We will provide an introduction to the CreateAI tools and highlight opportunities for integrating projects into content areas such as ELA and science. Participants will need at least a computing device with USB-A connection/dongle. Micro:bits will be provided for use within the session.
The printed news is dying, but we need to revive it! In this session, we will explore how to help children become high quality reporters who are always on the lookout for a good story. We will share our learning and thinking from behind the scenes, editing, printing and distribution. Come learn and share how to help the newspaper make a comeback that is meaningful to your school and students. Feel free to bring a laptop or tablet!
District Technology Training Coordinator, Mt. Blue Regional School District - RSU 9
I am a District Technology Training Coordinator for Mt. Blue Regional School District - RSU 9. I work with both staff and students supporting implementation and integration of technology into the curriculum, PreK-12. I also support all district staff with the use and understanding... Read More →
In this session participants will learn about various family engagement nights that can be done on a budget. Examples will focus on Mt. Blue Middle School's 6th grade, who hosted a Family STEM Night, Family Game Night, and an end of the year Celebration of Learning. Participants will learn easy to follow steps to pull together meaningful family engagement nights, what went well and what needed modification for the future, and ways to get community support.
Ditch the laptops and grab the craft supplies—we’re making monsters! In this hands-on K–5 workshop, educators team up to explore CS concepts like input, processing, and output by designing and coding custom creatures. The project blends creativity, teamwork, and tech-free CS instruction, with cross-curricular links to literacy and life science. Leave with classroom-ready strategies and the inspiration to bring STEM to life—no coding background needed!
3DuxDesign's cardboard-based STEM kits and associated online project-based learning resources are ideal for your k-12 students. Our materials focus on using the design thinking process and hands-on prototyping to solve real-world challenges for a deeper, more authentic learning experience... Read More →
Friday October 10, 2025 9:10am - 10:10am EDT Capitol
We'll cover the basics of 3D printer operation, design software, and classroom-friendly workflows, then dive into how to responsibly manage filament waste by introducing closed-loop recycling methods—turning failed prints and scrap plastic into fresh filament. You'll leave with practical lesson ideas, tips on setting up a 3D maker space, and resources for incorporating both technical and environmental literacy into STEM, art, and project-based learning units.
Many of us are doing some great things in the classroom. Some of us are looking for great ideas. Do you have a project that is working really well with your students? This is what today’s session is for. As STEM educators it would be nice to have a shared space where we can include the curriculum that we are teaching. If you are teaching a fun unit that you think will benefit other, share it. We will create a shared Google folder where you can go in and include some of your units.
NASA's Alien by Design is a series of activities accessible to multiple grade levels. In one, students create a custom alien adapted to conditions on an exoplanet recently viewed by the James Webb Space Telescope using 3D modeling in Tinkercad. They will label the features of their creation, viewing it in virtual reality through MergeEDU. This design process can be used in other disciplines besides science as well.
