2016 Annual NYSCATE Conference

You don't have to be a grown-up to be an innovative! Using littleBits -- magnetic circuits that snap together for prototyping -- all students can practice design thinking. In this workshop, educators will learn how introduce basic concepts of STEM and Design Thinking within a classroom setting. Discover how to run a littleBits Design Challenge and view some impressive student creations. We all know the importance of teaching STEM/STEAM, but how do you teach these skills to students in a fun, relevant, and engaging way? The purpose of this workshop is to help educators get a better idea how to introduce a basic concept of STEM and Design Thinking within the a classroom. Design Thinking is a term associated with engineering, but one that also can be applied within an educational context. In education, design thinking refers to methods and activities that students apply during the process of designing to solve a specific problem. littleBits are easy-to-use magnetic circuits that allow students to become inventors. Participating in a design challenge is not only helpful in promoting STEM-based skills, but also creativity, collaboration, and problem solving abilities as well. Through using littleBits, students as young as 6 years old can design complicated circuits in seconds. The circuits, coupled with imagination and ingenuity, result in amazing inventions that helps solve specific problems. Through starting a Design Challenge Workshop, teachers can create a Constructivist environment that will integrate STEM by providing students the opportunity to practice how to "think like an engineer. "Elementary Teacher/Staff, Middle Teacher/Staff, Secondary Teacher/Staff, Librarian/Media Specialist, Staff Development Coordinators, Technology Integration Coordinator