TESIC Presents: #CodeWithTESIC

A Computer Science Education Week Contest!

From December 6 - 12th, TESIC will be promoting coding activities across the province in celebration of Computer Science Education Week! We'll be giving away 5 prizes to 5 lucky teachers! If your name is chosen, you’ll receive a $50 Amazon gift card!

To participate, all you have to do is one of the following:

1. Share a picture on Twitter of your class participating in a coding activity, tag @nltatesic and use the hashtag #CodeWithTESIC

OR

2. Send a photo of your class participating in a coding activity along with a short description of the activity to tesic.nlta@gmail.com.

For #HourofCode and #CSEdWeek activities and resources, click HERE. We look forward to hearing from you. Happy coding!

ISTE Live '21 - PL Opportunity

TESIC Presents : 

---

An amazing Ed Tech professional learning opportunity! We’re sending a select number of our members to ISTE Live 2021!!

Join educators from around the world to experience this exceptional PL opportunity. Not keen on joining all sessions live? Not to worry! Registered attendees will have access to all recorded sessions up to 6 months after the conference. 

What does this conference entail?

https://conference.iste.org/2021/ 

• Hundreds of presentations, featuring powerful voices from education and beyond, sharing inspiring stories about how innovations can change lives and improve learning for students.

• A custom-built, dynamic platform that makes it easy to ask questions, share ideas and make connections.

• Hundreds of sessions and learning experiences archived for you to return to again and again for six months.

If you are interested in attending, please complete the following form no later than Monday, May 31st @ 4:00pm :

 

https://forms.gle/RwUiTnkLqdajGUUT7 

TESIC Presents: TinkerCAD Circuits

TESIC will be offering an introductory PL session on Tinkercad Circuits on Wednesday, May 5th from 3:30 - 4:30 NST. Learn how to place and wire components (including breadboards) to create a virtual circuit, program your circuit with micro:bit and arduino using codeblocks (or C based) and see how your circuit would work in real life through the simulator. With an educator account you can invite students to join your class, assign them lessons and view their current projects. Through Tinkercad Circuits, students are able to collaborate with their peers to design, create and simulate their circuits in a virtual setting.

A Google Meet link will be emailed out prior to the commencement of the session to those who register. Those who attend the session live will have their names entered in a prize draw ! Unavailable during that time? This session will be recorded. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions.

Register here: https://forms.gle/tqoTVjAkPkpRzNws8 

For more information on Tinkercad:

https://www.tinkercad.com/teach

https://www.tinkercad.com/learn/circuits

TESIC Presents - Google Classroom Basics PL Opportunity

 

This Virtual PL will go over the basic features of Google Classroom and provide a question and answer time for any questions you may have.

Facilitators: Melissa Lee & Michael Walter

Date: Wednesday, February 24, 2021 at 7:30 PM NST (Q & A may go beyond this time if necessary)

We will be limiting this session to 100 participants on a first-come, first-serve basis. We will e-mail participants with the Google Meet link for the session at least an hour before the session.

Please register here: https://forms.gle/cqMs59zJv9Qpccba8

Navigating Teacher Twitter PL

Want to learn more about using Twitter as a teacher?

Join Melissa Lee @mmelee5 for a session on "Navigating Teacher Twitter".

Go over the basics of your account, tweeting and building your professional learning network.

Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2021 8pm NST

Register here:  https://forms.gle/gPjgyYVGfzyrpujA7

A Google link will be sent by email an hour before the session starts.

Google Meet Virtual PL and Q & A

TESIC would like to offer you another opportunity to brush up on your Google Meet knowledge and provide a period for questions and answers regarding online learning. This will be a repeat of Monday's session. Join your hosts Megan and Stacey via Google Meet on Thursday, February 18th at 7pm NST. If you're interested, please fill out the following Form. The first 100 people to register will receive the Meet link by email.

Registration Link: https://forms.gle/FUryERUQvDCZ1PyC6

Kids Code Jeunesse Free Webinars

In partnership with Kids Code Jeunesse, TESIC will be offering 2 free webinars for NLTA members! There will be two separate sessions held on Saturday, February 20th and lead by KCJ Facilitator & Community Developer, Kyla Stratton (@Kyla_KCJ). You are welcome to register for both or either session. Prizes will be given away during both sessions! For more information and to access the registration links, please read the session descriptions below.

Session 1: Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the Classroom - Saturday, Feb 20th, 10-11:30 am 

This workshop will introduce educators to the concepts behind AI through computational thinking, interactive games, and activities. The workshop equips educators with the tools and knowledge needed to understand what AI is, how it affects our daily lives, and how it shapes our online experiences.

Participants will train their own AI system using text and images to discover strategies for building a successful model. They will identify potential areas of bias when training an AI system, what this can do to the results, and why it is essential to be aware of these biases.

This workshop is offered free of charge through funding from the federal government's CanCode program.

To register for Session 1 click HERE.

Session 2: Bring Data Science to your school with the #kids2030 Challenge - Saturday, Feb 20th, 1-2:30pm

Introducing the #kids2030 Challenge! Get to know the challenge, its activities & learn how to use data science to prevent plastic pollution.

The #kids2030 Challenge is an annual learning journey that teaches young people digital skills by applying them to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

In 2020, the first challenge is all about preventing plastic pollution (SDG12: Responsible Consumption & Production) by applying data science to the problem - and coming up with some innovative solutions. The challenge is open to 7 - 17 year olds from all around the world.

In this session, we’ll teach the teachers about the #kids2030 Challenge, its activities and the bigger conversations it can start in your classrooms. We have 10 years left to achieve the SDGs - so what’s stopping us from getting started?

This workshop is offered free of charge through funding from the federal government's CanCode program.

To register for Session 2 click HERE.

Coding Through Climate Action

 Coding Through Climate Action

Presented by TESIC & Powered by InkSmith (@InkSmith3D)

This FREE webinar is presented by the Technology Education Special Interest Council of the NLTA and powered by InkSmith. The webinar will be lead by instructor Derek Tangredi, Director of Education at InkSmith. Together, we'll explore SDGs 13: Climate Action and 15: Life on Land through hands-on coding and physical computing with InkSmith.

Thursday March 4th, 2021

from

1:00 to 3:45 p.m. NST

(includes a break)

Registration opens at 9 am January 13th and is limited to 25 participants.

TO REGISTER CLICK HERE.

Intended Audience:

• Registration is open to all current NLTA members
• Participants should have previous familiarity with using the micro:bit
• This kit is recommended for grades 6-11 classrooms, however we will welcome educators of all grades to register 

Registration fees and expenses will be covered by TESIC, all you have to do is show up and learn! Included in registration is a Climate Action Kit and a micro:bit v2. Attendees will also have the opportunity to win prizes throughout the session. By registering for this session free of charge you are confirming that you will be in attendance. Should you decide not to attend the session, you will be required to return the kit and micro:bit v2 to TESIC.

• Any substitute time required will need to be covered at the school level.

Webinar Details: In this session, we will begin by taking a look at the background and context component of the Climate Action Kit’s online resources. This will help to contextualize coding and physical computing and encourage your students to create with a purpose. We will then dive into two of our hands-on coding and physical computing activities included in the kit: building an automated watering system and a bee counter with the micro:bit and InkSmith's Climate Action Kit.

The activities we will cover (and more!) are available within the Climate Action Kit’s online resource pack which you will have access to with the kit included in registration. The online resource pack has been specially designed to support asynchronous, synchronous, and blended learning environments.

Learning Goals:

• Develop an understanding of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and issues surrounding Climate Action;
• Gain insight into how the technologically advanced world around us works and be empowered to take action through technology to improve our local communities;
• Contextualize STEM and code with a purpose;
• Develop design thinking, digital literacy, and coding skills through inquiry and exploration.

Learning Outcomes:

• Create tangible solutions to real problems presented by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 13: Life on Land - specifically issues facing our agriculture, forests, as well as plants and pollinators;
• Gain access to an online resource pack to support teaching climate action through coding and physical computing in a variety of learning environments;
• Be empowered to immediately bring these lessons into your classroom.

TO REGISTER CLICK HERE.