TheC-STEM GIRL Camps are focused on motivating girls in middle school through peer mentoring to learn computing and STEM concepts through a fun and exciting robotics-based curriculum culminating in the creation of a C-STEM Day RoboPlay Video. Come list to how this leadership camp will enable them to serve as leaders and inspire other young girls to gain interest in science and technology through near peer mentoring and collaborative and creative activities.   GIRL Camps are funded by various sponsors and free for camp participants.

Administrators of all levels are encouraged to attend this session to hear how the C-STEM program can be implemented in schools and districts.  2013/2014 was the first year C-STEM was implemented district wide and the first year C-STEM Day was held outside of UC Davis through a county wide pilot in Orange County. Community college, county office, district and school site educators will describe their experience from starting their projects with initial interest to teacher training, class implementation, teacher support, and the culminating event C-STEM Day.  Funding sources and coordination between existing STEM/CTE efforts will be discussed.

Come see C-STEM’s latest online project! RoboBlockly is a web-based robot integrated development environment (IDE) for programming Linkbot and Lego Mindstorms NXT/EV3 based on Google’s Blockly. RoboBlockly is designed for beginners to learn coding and math with robots. All math activities in RoboBlockly are Common Core State Standards Mathematics compliant. RoboBlockly prepares students ready to program in C/C++, the most widely used conventional text-based language in industry and college. Students can share your ideas and creations with others using the saved RoboBlockly blocks in the on-line community.   RoboBlockly can run in any modern browser, without installation of any software, independent of operating system and device. It supports Web browsers IE, Edge, Firefox, Chrome, Safari, in platforms of desktops, tablets, and smartphones with Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, etc.

*RoboBlockly iPads, Tablets, and Chromebooks are acceptable in addition to Windows and Mac OS devices (only for this session)

New to C-STEM? Come hear about what the Center has to offer for students, teachers, schools, districts and county offices of education. Topics will include current C-STEM developed technology, curriculum, research, professional development, and student events, including the annual C-STEM Day and summer camps, as well as future expansion goals of the center.

Join our mini C-STEM Day RoboPlay Challenge Competition!  See what your students would experience this May 28th!  Participants will be given mini challenges and compete in 10 minute rounds.  As participants prepare with their team, observers will be given an overview of the format and expectations of the competition.  When our mini competition begins, observers will interact with the teacher teams, witnessing the successes and challenges students will face. Teacher team participants must bring their own laptop (Windows XP or Mac OS 10.7.5 or higher laptop) with software pre-loaded. Teacher team participants must have attended a prior C-STEM training with Linkbot. Teams will be formed on the spot.

Come hear how a panel of Middle School Math teachers have incorporated C-STEM curriculum in their Math 6,7,8 classes to develop and expand students’ understanding and application of mathematics content and Standards for Mathematical Practice. Panelist will actively engage the audience in specific lessons and outcomes where students analyze real life situations, identify given information, formulate mathematical steps to find a solution, and analyze the results for accuracy, all within the context of computer programming.  Teachers will also share how their students are motivated to collaborate on critical thinking activities based on algebraic topics while developing their ability to effectively communicate, listen, share responsibility and respectfully address the suggestions of others. Participants are encouraged to bring their own Windows or Mac OS X laptops with software pre-loaded and to have attended a prior C-STEM training in order to fully participate in this session.

Observe or participate in an Algebra 1 / Integrated Math 1 programming lesson!  Come see what your students would experience through C-STEM as participants complete differentiated programming tasks that attend to specific mathematics objectives.   Teaching resources such as power-points, group activities and robotics activities are presented to showcase how computer programming can support math instruction in alignment with Common Core and current teachers discuss how specific lessons have impacted their students. Participants are encouraged to bring their own Windows or Mac OS X laptops with software pre-loaded and to have attended a prior C-STEM training in order to fully participate in this session.

Have you wondered what type of pedagogy, instructional strategies and management/assessment tools would help your C-STEM implementation be more effective? Come listen to a group of teachers discussing what they do in their classroom and what technology tools make their lives easier!

After school programs and clubs allow students to explore material that can’t be covered in the traditional 8-3 school day. C-STEM curriculum provides students with academic rigor while also enriching collaborative and 21st century skills.  This session will delve into the available resources which attract underrepresented groups into STEM field, including standards based extension activities which allow for preparation for the C-STEM Day Competition and provide support for core classes.

Incorporating digital media and language arts is an enticement for many students to participate in STEM activities, as many students are not initially attracted to STEM because of preconceptions regarding the field. Experienced teachers will show winning C-STEM Day videos and take you through key steps of a robotic video creation, illustrating the connection between English language arts, digital media and traditional STEM subjects.  Best practices, successes and challenges will be shared from plot conception, story and character development, choreography, soundtrack, robotic programming and 3D design, video production and editing.

 Research has shown the importance of attracting students to STEM in middle school. A panel of teachers will discuss  the ways they have engaged their students, specifically female and unrepresented groups, inspiring them to go on to higher level STEM courses and become motivated to pursue STEM in college and in careers.

In this session, a panel of CTE/ROP teachers and administrators discuss their experience through C-STEM elective computing and robotics courses. These educators will discuss the key skills that K-12 educators should emphasize to ensure their students will be competitive in today’s careers, how to integrate those through C-STEM standards based curriculum, and ways of building partnership with industry to bring industry expertise and role models into the classroom.  They will describe how they see C-STEM curriculum fulfilling that need as well as what improvements still need to be made in CTE/ROP courses and pathways.

 NGSS has changed the way science, technology and engineering intersect, providing a wealth of opportunities to engage students in science through computing and robotics. A panel of science teachers will discuss the science standards and topics where they have included C-STEM as well as the learning and student development goals that they have seen growth in because of this integration.