New Anytime Professional Development with SPIKE Essential
By Carnegie Mellon Robotics Academy
Are you looking to expand your robotics teaching skills? We are excited to introduce a brand-new professional development course, specially designed for elementary educators who are passionate about robotics and STEM education. This course isn't just a collection of lessons—it's a thoughtfully crafted experience that will change the way you teach and engage your students with robotics.
A Course Built with Educators in Mind
Effective professional development gives teachers the skills,confidence, and empathy to bring content to life in their classrooms. The PD mirrors the learning journey of your students, and extends it to cover everything an educator needs to know. Here’s how it works:
- Content Knowledge Intro: Each module starts with a teacher-facing video that introduces key robotics concepts in adult beginner language.
- Hands-On with Student Content: Next, you’ll jump into the same activities your students will be doing. This hands-on experience lets you anticipate the challenges and questions your students might have throughout each activity.
- Classroom Implementation and Pedagogy: After experiencing each lesson as a learner, each module revisits the content with a “teacher hat” perspective, including videos focused on classroom strategies and teaching techniques for both big ideas and lesson specifics. Teachers are also provided with helpful resources such as answer keys, code solutions, and lesson plans with standards, objectives, and proceedures.
By starting with the basics, moving through hands-on practice, and finishing with teaching strategies, you’re not just learning what to teach—you’re learning how to teach it in the best way possible.
Plus, the Anytime format is flexible and accessible. Whether you’re a seasoned robotics teacher or just starting out, Anytime professional development meets you where you are and fits into your busy schedule.
What You’ll Learn
In this course, you’ll learn key robotics concepts:
- Sequences: Learn how to structure commands to get the results you want.
- "Wait Until" Commands: Discover how to use conditional waits to control your program’s flow.
- Color Sensor: Explore using color detection to trigger specific actions in your robot.
- Movement: Master movement principles, from basic motions to complex maneuvers.
- Loops: Get into the power of loops for creating efficient, repeatable actions.
- Conditionals: Understand how to use "if-then-else" logic to make decisions in your programs.
This course is more than just a learning experience—it’s a journey designed to help you bring robotics to life in your classroom. Whether you’re looking to deepen your content knowledge, get hands-on experience, or learn new teaching strategies, this course has something for you.